compressed air hardline

[David Pozzi]

I've used PVC pipe in a couple of shops and recently removed both systems and replaced them with iron pipe. The pipe and fittings were installed for around 15 to 20 years, schedule 40 PVC, the joints were glued with the two step glue, purple primer and grey glue.

Upon removing the pipe sections I was cutting out with a sawzall, I threw some to the floor from an 8' ladder, - they shattered! Some broke as I was cutting them. The pipe became very very brittle. I have had a few friends who had PVC break all by itself. A friend suggested it's the lack of water that may cause the failure, water pipes don't fail like this. Oil from the air compressor? Maybe, but I don't see any oil in the pipe, it looks nice and clean.



I hate the iron pipe I installed, it's blowing out fine particles of rust all the time. If I blow air on my hand, it feels like I'm sand blasting!

In my reading on the web, there is some mention of ABS pipe, it does not break into shrapnel when it fails, IF it fails. I can't find any to buy in my area though. plastic pipe is so much easier to install. Copper is too expensive, the special Aluminum air pipe is costly too.
David

[tankhunter]

i put 1" sch 80 pvc in my shop 8 years ago compressor runs at 125 psi never had a problem

[zero g]

http://www.rapidairproducts.com/

This stuff is awesome.

[ct08]

thanks for the great info...keep it coming!

[b-man]

The shop where I used to work had white PVC air lines.

We spent too much time repairing breaks in those lines. Quite often they'd break in the middle of the night, any machines that needed air pressure to run at night would be down when we arrived in the morning.

Ended up replacing every bit of it with copper, this was over 10 years ago when it was affordable to use copper for this.

Big-time safety hazard using the PVC pipe. That stuff rockets off in razor-sharp chunks when it gives way, I found pieces that flew a hundred feet across the shop from where the break occurred.

Never use PCV for air lines.

The shop where I now work found an inexpensive and durable solution for running the air lines, rubber air hose that you can buy in bulk. Looks decent if you take some care to install it, most of it is red-colored and attached with straps and clamps to the electrical conduit runs in the building.

Copper would have cost over $100K to run in our big 83,000 square foot shop.

[minendrews68]

Nibco, a company I used to work for used to sell a plastic of some sorts called (I think) PEK tubing. It was used for air lines and would expand and contract without the problems associated with PVC. I will try to call them and find out what that was and if they still offer it.

[oestek]

We use the Ingersoll-Rand Simplair system, it's aluminum tube, no rust, and won't grenade if you bump it. Copper water pipe is my 2nd choice, but the push-lock reusable compression fittings of the IR system are really nice and easy to install.

[TT302Z28]

Ever dig up PVC used for irrigation? It is brittle also so it's not the lack of water.

[minendrews68]

OK it's not PEK tubing it is called Chem-Aire made by NIBCO, Inc. This was in the making back when I worked for NIBCO. This stuff really works quite well. The following is a link to their web site
http://www.nibco.com/assets/ChmairOvrw.pdf
Sorry, being of the illiterate type I don't know how to imbed a address into this thread. Go here and see what you think.
Carl
Looks like it put the link in here itself. I would like to take credit but I didn't do it.....I need all the help I can get.

[David Pozzi]

Ever dig up PVC used for irrigation? It is brittle also so it's not the lack of water.

We have miles of PVC pipe buried on our farm, no problems after 30 years, and it's still not brittle. I personally think it's the sunlight that kills PVC. I just bought 700' of PVC 1 1/2" and it had laid out in the pipe supply yard too long, it broke just unloading it.
David

[jpdeuce]

Sunlight and UV rays is what kills PVC pipe.

[CarlC]

Sunlight and UV rays is what kills PVC pipe.

Ding Ding Ding! UV radiation breaks down the polymer chains in PVC. The shorter the chain, the less flexibility the pipe has. If the pipe is exposed to light it should be painted, at a minimum, to help reduce UV degredation.

[jpdeuce]

It can also be wrapped in electrical tape to protect it. We've switched some of our PVC at work from white to black piping. That has helped alot.

[gto406]

I second what Kevin say's. If your budget allows go the IR route.

Failing that you can't beat copper tubing. I went copper, and the system works great. I followed the TP tools web-site in terms of routing and drops, and it keeps the lines relatively moisture free.

PVC is a disaster waiting to happen. Why use it, and tempt fate (tape or no tape). It is the kind of thing you want to build and forget about - i.e. the only thing you should be worrying about is clearing your traps, and draining your tank on a regular basis (oh, and oiling your tools).

My $0.02
Brian.