PVC Water Main Pipes Bent With Heat. Is This Safe?
Question:Hi, I was digging around my garden recently and I uncovered the PVC pipes that supply water to my house. I noticed that a portion of the pipe was bent using heat as evidenced by the burn marks on the sides of the pipe. The house was constructed more than a year ago. Are the pipes still safe to use for drinking water?
Answers:
Heating PVC can release some nasty chemicals, but in a period of a year these would have dissipated. That should not be an issue now.
Heating and bending the PVC would also weaken the pipe, but your water supply will never get anywhere near the rated pressure of the pipe. Unless the burning is sever, I would not worry about this one too much.
It's OK.
It'd been nice if he hadn't burned it.
He must have used a torch instead of an electrician's heat gun.
I worked in the CUB (central utility bay) at Intel in Rio Rancho, Albuquerque, New Mexico for almost a year when I was in the plumbing union.
The first time I've ever seen clear PVC pipe.
It was used for acid drains and the pipe-fitters would heat it in large pipe/conduit heaters and bend it to their liking.
While still in the union, I worked on the WIPP research center in Carlsbad, NM. The plumber that was assigned to the large PVC water lines had to heat and bend them to solve a problem that occurred.
Any chloride released where it was burned, immediately dissipated in the atmosphere. You're OK.
BTW, PP plastic pipe is 'welded' together. You ought to see the little plastic welding rods. It's neat.
PE plastic pipe is melted together . Heat seamed. You're supposed to be certified to to it, but it's about the easiest thing to get certified in.
Hope this helps.
yes
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