PVC Pipe and Fittings - An Excellent Solution For Your Commercial Needs (PPFA)
PVC Pipe and Fittings - An Excellent Solution For Your Commercial Needs (PPFA)
PVC Pipe and Fittings - An Excellent Solution For Your Commercial Needs (PPFA)
For more than five decades, PVC pipe and fittings have been increasingly installed in applications that include
water delivery, drain, waste and vent, building sewers, storm and rainwater disposal and industrial process
piping. PVC is a hard-working alternative to metal piping systems -- affordable, versatile, easy to install,
and durable. It also meets many of the requirements of today’s environmentally conscious public. If you are
not installing PVC in your commercial jobs, you are missing the opportunity to add value to new and retrofit
installations with Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipe and fittings.
Today one of the largest uses of PVC is in pipe and fittings. In addition to residential and commercial drain,
waste and vent, water service, and roof and floor drain installations, PVC is used in numerous other applica-
tions including transfer piping, food processing, chemical processing, and water treatment to name just a few.
In short, PVC piping is as versatile as polyvinyl chloride itself.
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“I don’t use metal if I don’t have to”
Mechanical contractors who use PVC pipe and fittings report that low cost and ease of installation are among
the top reasons for choosing it. PVC is lighter and easier to handle, requires less time to install, and provides
years of dependable service. Many contractors have been installing PVC piping for 40 years or more, and
they expect – as other piping costs increase – to install even more of it in the future. Those who install it say
PVC has a great “track record.” It stands up to the rigors of daily use without repair or replacement.
PVC pipe and fittings are ideal not only for new construction, but also for retrofit installations and repairs. In
fact in some cases, PVC’s affordability allows developers and contractors to retrofit buildings for modern use
in installations where metal piping would be cost prohibitive.
According to the Vinyl Institute, today PVC piping surpasses all other piping materials in North America,
accounting for 70-percent of the water distribution market and 75-percent of the sanitary sewer market.
PVC pipe and fittings are sold in the U.S. and Canada by distributors and retailers. Pipe is available in 10-
and 20-foot lengths in ½- to 48 to 60-inch diameters, in sizes conforming to IPS Schedules 40, 80 and 120 as
well as several Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) thicknesses. It conforms to ASTM and other standards for
pressure and non-pressure applications. See the detailed specifications at the end of this brochure for more
information.
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The Benefits of PVC
Piping is an essential component in every building. Durable, dependable piping installations offer good
service and save on costly repairs and replacements over the life of the system. PVC is the material of choice
in drain, waste and vent installations as well as in cold water delivery because it offers a combination of
characteristics unavailable with other materials, including easy installation and durability. PVC is also used
extensively in industrial and process piping for many of the same reasons it’s used to deliver and dispose of
water – it’s affordable, efficient, and durable.
• In DWV installations, PVC protects the environment from bacteria, waste and chemical contamination
Installed in roof and floor drains, PVC is an excellent choice for physically removing water and other
liquids. This includes drains used to disperse rain water or melted snow. Because PVC is unaffected by
most chemicals, it is also useful for installation in floor drains used to collect and disperse other chemicals.
Specific chemical resistance depends on a given PVC product’s chemical composition. Always consult
manufacturers for guidance regarding chemical resistance.
• Beyond traditional plumbing installations, PVC’s chemical resistance, light weight, easy installation and
long service life have made it the backbone of a variety of water and chemical treatment systems. Unlike
metal piping, PVC does not interact with chemicals or bacteria passing within or around it. Some water
treatment systems operate with aerators, using PVC piping to carry oxygen to naturally remove harmful
bacteria. In other process piping situations, PVC piping protects processing of food.
This durability eliminates the cost of repair, replacement and cleanup from leakage. In addition, PVC is often
the material of choice for replacing less durable piping.
Because PVC maintains its smooth interior surface over the life of the piping, it maintains efficient flow
in pumping situations and does not require cleaning.
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What About Water Quality?
For potable water applications, PVC pipe has been successfully tested against the NSF/ANSI 61 standard and
other health effects standards for more than 40 years. While the safety qualifications of its metal counterparts
have been consistently challenged, PVC has continued to deliver water as pure at the end of the pipe as when
it enters the system. PVC is a thermoplastic material made from compounds that commonly meet Class 12454
per ASTM D 1784 or Class 11432 per ASTM D 4396 (for cellular core pipe).
Code Acceptance
PVC pipe is permitted to be used in any water service system, DWV, or sewer, without limitation, in the
following:
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Meeting The Greenbuilding Challenge
PVC meets the challenges of today’s greenbuilding specifications. Greenbuilding refers to the techniques and
systems for construction materials and practices which limit the impact on natural resources in the manufac-
turing of raw materials, the construction and the long-term maintenance and life cycle of a commercial or
residential building.
PVC pipe and fittings offer a number of sustainable qualities. These include:
• Properly installed PVC pipe and fittings offer an especially long service life. Many systems installed
fifty or more years ago continue to provide dependable, maintenance-free service. Long after copper
and steel pipe have suffered irreparable damage due to corrosive water and other fluids passing
through them or from the aggressive soil conditions in which they have been installed, PVC systems
continue to function without maintenance.
• PVC protects potable water and does not allow outside contaminants to leach into the pipes. Because
PVC is an inert substance, it does not react with chemicals around it. In fact, it’s often the material
of choice for chemical processing. Since PVC is so dependable, it protects the surrounding
environment – soil, sand, etc., -- from sewage and other undesirable materials.
• Solvent cements and their use have been carefully studied. As a result, guidance for their use is
documented in ASTM D 2564 and ASTM F 656, D 2855 and F 402. Concerns regarding the use of
solvent cement are easily addressed by using appropriate ventilation and protection against skin and
eye contact. In addition, low VOC cements meeting SCAQMD Rule 1168 are available.
• PVC’s long life cycle means that most installed PVC remains in service, delivering water and
discarding waste, so the issue of handling discarded PVC materials is somewhat minimized.
However, even discarded PVC can be recycled. According to the Vinyl Institute, vinyl may be
automatically sorted from other recyclables. The industry has also developed a specific standard which
incorporates recycled content. ASTM F1760 includes a middle layer of post consumer or internally recycled
PVC.
• No waste in the manufacturing process. Leftover materials are simply reground and reused in pipe and
fitting production.
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Technical Specifications
PVC pipe, fittings, cements, and primers for the following applications are contained in the applicable Plumbing
Code and/or Municipal Specifications.
PVC related products should conform to one or more of the standards listed below.
PVC Product Standards
Product standards set out the minimum requirements and/or criteria products must meet for specific uses or applications. Product standards, as used in the
plumbing industry, are usually voluntary, national-consensus standards. The following table lists the ASTM Standards for PVC piping systems, the appropriate
applications, sizes, design pressure and dimensioning systems.
PVC Pipe with Foam Core F891 DWV 1 1/4 - 12 IPS Sch 40
2 - 18 IPS - PS Series Sewer
3 - 18 and Drain PS Series
Coextruded PVC Non-Pressure Pipe F1760 Sewer 1/2 - 12 Not rated Sewer Drain IPS Sch 40
having Reprocessed Recycled Content
OD PVC DWV Pipe & Fittings 3.25 D2949 DWV 3.25 OD In the standard
PVC Pipe Sch 40, 80, 120 D1785 CSA B137.3 Pressure 1/8 - 24 120 - 810 IPS Sch 40
1/8 - 24 210 - 1230 IPS Sch 80
1/2 -12 340 - 1010 IPS Sch 120
PVC Pipe Pressure Rated (SDR) D2241 Pressure 1/8 - 36 50 - 400 IPS SDR 13.5, 17, 21, 26, 32.5, 41, 64
Type PSM PVC Sewer Pipe & Fittings D3034 Sewer 3 - 15 SDR 23.5, 26, 35, 41
PVC Sewer Pipe & Fittings D2729 Sewer 2-6 In the standard
Threaded PVC Fittings, Sch 80 D2464 Pressure 1/8 - 6 50% of pipe Sch 80
PVC Fittings Sch 40 (Socket & Threaded) D2466 Pressure 1/8 - 12 Sch 40
Joints for Drain and Sewer Using D3212 Drain and 25-FT Head
Elastomeric Seals gravity sewage
NOTES:
Pressure ratings for Sch pipe vary for each pipe size. They also vary by Schedule. Pressure ratings for SDR pipe are constant for all sizes in a
single SDR (e.g. SDR 21 pipe is rated 200 psi). Schedule 40 & 80 references apply only to IPS OD pipe. SDR references can apply to all OD
systems (e.g. IPS, CTS, Sewer & AWWA Cast Iron). 6
For more information on PVC Pipe & Fittings
contact THE PLASTIC PIPE & FITTINGS ASSOCIATION
800 Roosevelt Road, Suite 312
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
www.ppfahome.org