What is PVC Pipe?
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A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe is made from a plastic and vinyl combination material. The pipes are durable, hard to damage, and long lasting. A PVC pipe does not rust, rot, or wear over time. For that reason, PVC piping is most commonly used in water systems, underground wiring, and sewer lines.
PVC was first developed in 1925 when a BF Goodrich employee, Dr. Waldo Semon, attempted to invent a method for bonding metal and rubber. After blending materials together to create a strong and flexible material, Semon discovered PVC. Nonetheless, the product remained virtually useless for another decade. In the late 1930's, PVC was found to have great shock absorbing abilities. This discovery led to the creation of long lasting PVC tire treads, which were created with flexible forms of PVC.
Two decades later, PVC pipe was invented. By heating the PVC material, a special machine called an extruder could be used to push the PVC into hollow pipes. This PVC pipe was extremely solid and virtually indestructible. Using PVC pipes for irrigation systems proved to be effective. PVC pipe has since been considered an affordable and reliable means for water piping.
Due to the ability of PVC pipe to withstand extreme movement and bending, it is also increasingly used in earthquake prone areas. PVC pipe can withstand the rigorous shaking of the earth without experiencing any damage. The smooth surface of the PVC pipe is also resistant to bacterial contamination, such as E. coli. Therefore, many water companies rely on PVC pipe in their systems in order to keep them free of contamination.
Unfortunately, the material used in PVC pipe appears to be detrimental to a person's health and safety. Reported cases of PVC pipe shattering when used with high-pressured gases have increased drastically. The Federal Government has issued safety warnings, which strongly recommend using alternative piping material. In addition, the heavy metals used to create PVC pipe can leach out when heated. The vapors emitted from the heated PVC pipe are now being linked to certain forms of cancer, especially lung cancer.
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14
Answers-
1. Look in plastics news for toll regrinding and reprocessing. Unless you have a lot (2000 pounds) it's probably cheaper to landfill.
2. PVC pipe sold in the U.S. is *extremely* safe. I get test reports from NSF. They test for hundreds of compounds and most are not even detectable. But I would use cold water for all cooking and drinking. Whatever you have for pipe (copper, PVC, PEX, galvanized, etc.) more of it is going to come out in hot water and will affect the taste. 3. PVC cement has solvents and fillers in it. If your husband is getting it all over himself and spreading it on you, tell him to wear good gloves and wash up if he gets it on him. You could be allergic. But you can be allergic to leaves, grass, mold, dust mites, etc. too. Use common sense and don't expose yourself to things unneccessarily. 4. Don't overheat the PVC and use good ventilation and you will be fine. We process 10 million pounds a year at 350F no problem. 5&7. Never, never never use compressed air in PVC. If for some reason it fails you have a deadly fragmentation bomb! The reason is that compressed air stores a huge amount of energy. 10. 140F max temperature at *very* reduced pressure. Consult a manufacturer's (IPEX, George Fischer, Charlotte, Harvel) website and read their literature. 13. Electrical PVC has a ton of rock filler in it. It may work at low pressure for water but don't count on it holding up like pressure PVC pipe. Happy piping!
- engineerrock
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can i use electrical pvc for irrigation? our water psi does not exceed 100 psi. - anon40301
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To Anon28714:No plumbing codes at this time allow air testing on PVC piping. Also it is illegal in my state (Washington) to use PVC piping for air lines. - plumber9
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To riross:Every PVC pipe has labeling on it. It is advisable for you to look at the label it will tell you what pressure the pipe is good for and at what temperature. - plumber9
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I am building a pool heater. I need to know how hot of water can be run through schedule 40 PVC pipe. I was told you can only put 75 degrees F. Can anybody out there help me?Ray - riross
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Liquids, but I have tested it with air up to around 150 psi. It held ok, but I'm not sure how high it can hold. I don't think it's rated for high pressure air, but I'm not sure. - anon28940
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Is that 450PSI for liquids only? I've been told that PVC is only used for liquids and that air will shatter the piping. Are you using that 1in PVCwith air pressure or liquid? - craven
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Well, PVC normally will have the safe maximum pressure rating stamped onto it. For example, I just bought some one inch PVC pipe and it was rated for 450 PSI, but from what I've seen, unless specially made, the larger the diameter of the pipe, the less pressure it can hold before shattering. - anon28714
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Can pvc piping (even the thickest) be used to contain pressurized air to create volume? If not, why? If so what do you suggest, we're thinking of using something like 4' long, 4,6,8, inches wide, ? thickness - craven
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Our company sometimes works with PVC. When PVC is welded what type of safety PPE should be used. - Mooses1
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I just realized that the pipe my husband uses daily as a sprinkler technician could be causing me to manifest symptoms of severe vasculitis. I have been through so many painful procedures in the past three years to find out why the skin of my hands is literally falling off, from punch biopsies of my hand to steroid treatment that made me question my sanity. I think that if my country knows that a product is this dangerous then my country should protect it's citizens!!! The almighty dollar wins against common sense again! - jbutz001
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Ok, let me get this straight regarding the last paragraph of this article. If we use hot water from the kitchen tap, it could possibly cause lung cancer? I know a young mother who has a short time to live because she has lung cancer and has never smoked. Could this be the problem? Coming from the south, I always use hot tap water when making a roux. If it was dangerous when I retrieved the water, did the toxins leave when it boiled in the pot? Better yet, could pvc pipe be the cause of the rise of cancer in our generation, whether heated or not? When I first heard the plastic poison theories, pvc was the first thing I thought of. I've always heard people blame illnesses on "something in the water" as a joke, but I believe perhaps it is something the water is in. Maybe pvc has been the problem for years and we didn't realize it? - marlaine
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I'm interested in recycling some pvc we have had at our plant. Do you know of anybody that does that? - anon9142
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Written by
Shannon Kietzman
Last Modified: 18 August 2009
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