[modeleng] Re: plastic pipe

Hot water at low/no pressures yes, steam no. I work in plastics moulding and
part design and have many years' experience specifying plastics. Generally
they do not work well in steam with a couple of exceptions, PPS and PUI as I
mentioned. Personally I will not have ANY plastic water pipe in my house
under pressure, since much can and does go wrong over time. (Look up
plastics resin creep and plastics weld line defects on the web if you don't
believe me.) Any plastic pipe carrying pressure except PPS and PUI is a time
bomb. It may never burst but it also might. Many have here in Canada,
causing major home damage, and building inspection authorities are reviewing
all plastic pressure pipe specs now. The only reason it's popular is it's
fast to install by new house butchers ahem builders. For non pressure
applications like drains, ABS and PVC are excellent, but I don't trust them
under hi temp and pressure.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allen Messer" <al_messer@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 10:38 AM
Subject: [modeleng] Re: plastic pipe


> Jeff,
>
> I do not know if you get the PBS program "This Old
> House" in your area or not, but on one program, in the
> Boston, Mass. area, they were re-doing an old house
> and a great deal was made of the fact that all the old
> plumbing was being replaced with plastic piping, both
> for Hot and Cold water service.  The fact was loudly
> trumpeted that the plumber could install it much
> faster than the old fashioned way because all he had
> to do was cut to length with a box cutter knife and
> "glue" it together at the joints.
>
> I cannot remember exactly what it was, apparently
> something new to the market since I got out of the
> building maintenance business.
>
> Alan, if I may be nosy, why do you wish to use plastic
> with Steam?
>
> Al Messer
>
> --- Jeff Dayman <jeffdayman@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > CPVC or any other PVC pipe,  or ABS pipe will NOT be
> > suitable for steam. It
> > will soften, lose strength,  and possibly blow out
> > at anything above 220 F
> > at over 10 psi.
> >
> > PC (polycarbonate) and acrylics also not suitable.
> >
> > Cheers, Jeff Dayman Waterloo Ontario Canada
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Jesse Livingston" <fernj1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2006 9:43 PM
> > Subject: [modeleng] Re: plastic pipe
> >
> >
> > > Alan,
> > >
> > > At the risk of seeming to "Harold" you, I will say
> > that good old Harold
> > made
> > > several comments on the use of plastic pipe for
> > use as compressed air
> > lines.
> > > He said he had seen plastic pipe burst with only
> > air pressure under
> > certain
> > > conditions where the pipe got hot and pressure was
> > probably in the 100psig
> > > range..
> > >
> > > If I were going to try to use plastic as low
> > pressure steam line, I would
> > > use the pipe called "CPVC' that is intended for
> > domestic hot water
> > service.
> > > That ought to work out OK as our son has around 40
> > PSI of water pressure
> > > (his house is in a low area and near a tall water
> > tank) and he has not had
> > > any problems with hot water pipes (145°F)
> > bursting.  275°F might be a
> > horse
> > > of a different colour though so proceed with
> > caution.
> > >
> > > Jesse in Tennessee
> > >
> > >  Does anyone know of any plastic pipe that will
> > withstand low pressure
> > >  (around 25-30psi) steam.?
> > >  That is a temperature of around 275F, and I would
> > have thought that may
> > be
> > >  within the range of some modern plastics.
> > >
> > >  Alan
> > >
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