PVC…Pipe’s Most Versatile Material

PVC 12-inch fabricated fitting

Plumbing and mechanical engineers designing projects using fluid handling systems have several pressure and drainage piping materials to choose from….steel, cast and ductile iron, copper, concrete, clay, fiberglass, glass, and thermoplastics—-including: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC), Polyethylene (PE), Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX), Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF).  The question—-how to choose the best piping material?

PVC purple piping for reclaimed water

There are several factors that Professional Engineers use to select piping materials. First, there is the field conditions of service which include such factors as system pressure, fluid temperature, above or belowground installation, chemical compatibility, and type of application, Secondly, the chosen pipe material must adhere to all applicable building codes. And lastly the piping material must provide long-term durability at a cost-effective price—-a price that includes material, installation and maintenance costs.

And when conditions of service and codes allow there is one versatile piping material that seems to stand head and shoulders above most others…PVC.

Light weight of PVC piping

PVC is a plastic resin made from combining chlorine, extracted from salt (one of the most abundant materials on earth), and ethylene, refined from fossil-fuel feed stocks such as oil, gas and coal (in the future, ethylene may be increasingly sourced from sugar cane or other bio-feedstocks). PVC has been used as a piping material since the mid 1930’s. It is the most used piping system in the world because of its durability, safe and ease of installation, cost-effectiveness, light footprint on the environment and, as we will see, its tremendous versatility.

PVC, sometimes referred to as vinyl, piping is available in at least eight colors, has seventy distinct pressure and drainage systems, can be easily installed using a minimum of 5 different joining techniques, a breadth of product line which is the envy of all of its competitors and has successfully handled thousands of projects in over four dozen different above and below ground application areas.

Double containment piping with PVC containment and stainless steel carrier piping

Breadth of Product Line: The size range of PVC piping begins at 1/8-inch and is available all the way up to 48-inch diameter and larger. Not only is the piping system composed of dozens of sizes and geometries of fittings, it also offers PVC valves, pumps, tanks, duct, scrubbers, fans, hoods, filters, strainers, and other fluid handling products. This breadth of line allows PVC to handle applications where just one piping material is ever in contact with the fluid. But what really distinguishes PVC from other piping materials is its unmatched offering of piping compound and profile systems to handle the many pressure and drainage application requirements. Table 1 list these piping systems including pipe diameter size ranges, pressure ratings where applicable and typical pipe ends.

Toughness of biaxially molecular oriented PVC piping

Variety of Colors: Color is added in PVC compounds before processing and theoretically can produce any color imaginable. The most common PVC piping system colors and applications are shown in Table 2.

Joining Methods: The two most commonly used methods of joining PVC piping are solvent cementing and bell-gasketed joints. Most aboveground PVC applications are solvent cemented. While belled-gasketed joining is the most popular method of joining PVC for buried applications, solvent cementing and heat fusion are also used as well. Other methods of joining PVC piping systems are: flanging, threading, mechanical grooving and push-fit. Table 3 lists the various PVC joining methods with comments on their use.

Applications: If the temperature range of the piping application is between 32°F and 140°F, less than 250-psi working pressure, and fluid compatible, PVC may provide the solution. Table 4 lists over 50 applications in residential, commercial, municipal and industrial markets where PVC piping has been successfully installed and in many cases is the preferred piping material.

PVC industrial piping systems

Can you possibly understand why anyone would not consider PVC piping systems if the conditions of service and codes allow? And this article only considers PVC for bone fide piping applications. How about the many unintended applications PVC piping has been used for such as: pipe furniture, shipping containers, shelving for stacking wine or building plans, pick-up truck containers for carrying smaller diameter pipe, “Blue-Man” musical instruments, playground equipment, concrete forms, plant water-containers and horserace track railings to name a few.

PVC handling potable water service line

When PVC is being considered for a piping project, keep in mind of all of the reasons why it is the post popular piping system on the planet: durable, safe and easy to install, environmentally sound, cost effective and versatile.

PVC …the preferred piping material.

David A. Chasis
Chasis Consulting Inc.

Table 1 – Applications

Notes:

Acronyms:
AWWA = American Water Works Association
DR = dimension ratio
P.I.P. = plastic irrigation pipe
PS = pipe stiffness (value relates to impact resistance)
SDR = standard dimension ratio

Other notes:

1. Pipe diameters and pipe ends vary with each pipe manufacturer’s product line
2. Pipe diameter ranges are not static and may change

TABLE 2 – PVC Color Piping Guides by Applications*

*Note: The colors listed are a guide. Always check your local codes and the pipe markings to ensure the pipe is rated for the application. Other colors are available especially for applications like underground ducting.

TABLE 3 – Most Common Joining Methods for PVC Piping Systems

TABLE 4- Common PVC Piping Applications