What are PVC Pipes?
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes are among the most common materials used for household plumbing. They are inexpensive, but also very lightweight and easy to manipulate. This is why they are so commonly used in residential settings, where you might need to cut or drill them on-site. You’ll most commonly run across them in homes that are 10 years old or less. However, there is also an increasing trend of PVC pipes being used for electricity distribution as well.
Where are PVC Pipes used?
PVC pipe is the third most widely used material for building plumbing systems after copper and galvanized steel. To put that into perspective, the majority of household plumbing in the United States and Canada is made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) piping.
How are PVC pipes made?
PVC pipe is a type of plastic manufactured using polymerization. It’s produced by adding two chemicals together: vinyl chloride and sodium hydroxide.
How long do PVC pipes last?
In general, the typical lifespan of PVC piping is between 30 and 50 years.
Can PVC pipes freeze and burst?
Yes, you should be careful to protect your PVC pipes from the winter elements. If left exposed to freezing temperatures, they may freeze and burst.
Are PVC pipes safe for drinking water?
No, you should never use PVC piping for drinking or cooking applications. Although it’s unlikely that you’ll ever drink hot water that has passed through a PVC pipe, the water supply itself should never be passed through this kind of piping system.
What is PVC O?
Molecularly oriented PVC (P VC-O) is the result of a production process that turns the amorphous structure of unplasticised PVC (PVC-U) into a layered structure.
What is C PVC?
C-PVC stands for chlorinated PVC. Pipes and fittings made of C-PVC share many of PVC-U's advantages. Both are safe for use with drinking water, have high resistance to corrosion, high durability and excellent impact resistance.
What are the advantages of PVC?
Besides sharing many of the same properties such as safety, durability, sustainability and recyclability, each type of PVC has its own advantages for different applications.
What does HI stand for in PVC?
PVC-HI stands for High Impact PVC. The PVC-HI grade is obtained by adding to PVC-U, an impact modifier that increases the resistance of the pipes to external blows.
Is PVC U safe?
Pipes and fittings made of PVC-U have many benefits. They are a safe choice for transportation of drinking water, light and easy to handle and affordable. Technical properties include high mechanical performance, high durability (at least 100 years for underground pipes), high chemical resistance and resistance to UV exposure.
Is PVC-O pipe good for drinking water?
This means that PVC-O is an excellent choice for pressure pipes for drinking water. PVC-O is also well suited for buried non-potable applications such as irrigation and sewer pumping mains. PVC-O pipes and fittings are 100% recyclable.
Is C-PVC ductile?
This has made C-PVC a popular choice for water piping systems in residential as well as commercial construction. C-PVC is also significantly more ductile than PVC-U. Pipes and fittings made of C-PVC are 100% recyclable.
What Are All the Different Types of PVC Pipes?
Polyvinyl Chloride pipes – also known as PVC pipes – are the most common pipes for plumbing today. They are durable and able to withstand the water pressure without tearing or cracking.
Are there any other schedules of PVC pipes?
While schedule 40 and schedule 80 pipes are more common, there is also a schedule 20 and schedule 120 PVC pipe. Schedule 20 pipes are thinner than schedule 40 pipes.
What Type of PVC Pipe Should You Use?
This is entirely up to your project and the situation your property is in. Take note that we don’t recommend using polybutylene pipes.
What is the difference between PVC and U-PVC?
Compared to U-PVC, molecularly oriented PVC pipes have a higher resistance to corrosion, recyclability, water quality preservation, and cost-efficiency.
What is the difference between copper and plastic pipes?
They are sustainable and recyclable, making them more earth-friendly than pipes people make from most other materials. As plumbers name all of them ‘plastic pipes’, most people don’t even know that different types of PVC pipes exist.
What is PVC U?
PVC-U is a pipe created without a plasticizer. According to ChemistryViews, a plasticizer is a substance, typically phthalates, manufacturers add to the material to make it flexible and softer.
How many types of PVC pipes are there?
Still, even they come in various shapes and sizes, and people use multiple methods to make them. There are four types of PVC pipes: While all types share many features, including durability, safety, recyclability, and sustainability, they are different in various ways.
