PVC chiller piping
PVC chiller piping
(OP)
I am looking for feedback on the use of schedule 80 PVC for chilled water piping. Where does it fit economically against steel and copper?
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RE: PVC chiller piping
RE: PVC chiller piping
Another issue is the solvent welding of the pipe, an incident occurred on one job I know about where the fumes from the solvent were flammable and touched off an explosion inside the pipe when a local spark near the open end of the PVC pipe ignited the fumes that were trapped inside the pipe. This was in a length of about 100 meters of 300mm schedule 40 PVC pipe. So if you do use solvent welded joints, make sure the Trades ventilate the pipe during assembly.
It's still a fair cost saving vs steel pipe, even if the steel pipe is mechanically joined (grooved locking clamp joints).
RE: PVC chiller piping
Sometimes for the 2 hour or less separations I have seen it insulated with foamglas then fire caulked, going through a 4 hour wall required the transition to black, among other things.
PVC seems to like expand more than black
Take the "V" out of HVAC and you are left with a HAC(k) job.
RE: PVC chiller piping
RE: PVC chiller piping
RE: PVC chiller piping
Don't forget also that PVC releases cianides when it starts to burn. In a event of a fire, this might be problematic if there is confined space.
RE: PVC chiller piping
RE: PVC chiller piping
RE: PVC chiller piping
Also, PVC has a high glass transition temperature (~90 F), i.e., brittle, so for chilled water, PE tubing or PP piping would be a better plastic. http://www.zeusinc.com/pdf/Zeus_Low_Temp.pdf
As to toxic smoke, burning PVC creates hydrochloric acid, chlorinated dioxins, chlorinated furans, phosgene, etc. Don't see cyanide mentioned, but the others are nasty enough.
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RE: PVC chiller piping
I live in a salt corrosion environment and PVC is the pipe of choice here for cold potable water, CPVC for hot. RO water will destroy copper hot water lines in short time.
A lot of steps are made to keep it inside concrete walls, or kept boxed inside of stacked washrooms in building cores to keep it out of plenum spaces.
Take the "V" out of HVAC and you are left with a HAC(k) job.