PVC pipe

GlennT · Oct 6, 2001

I'm chugging along slowly on my rainwater collection system. At a seminar I attended recently, the speaker mentioned that Schedule 40 PVC pipe needs to be painted as the ultraviolet rays from the sun will cause it to deteriorate. That's the first time I've heard or read that. Is this true?

StoneHeartFarm · Oct 6, 2001

GlennT

Hope not. My well appears to be made of the stuff and the top of it sticks up about a foot. I would suspect that it is both true and not true and probably depends on both the location and intended use. Our local hardware stores it's PVC outside and so does the plumbing shop.

On the other hand, plastic does degrade in the sun. Think about a milk jug that's been left out for a few years. They just start coming apart in pieces.

SHF

Bird · Oct 6, 2001

Yes, GlennT, it's true to some extent at least. It may last a long time in the sun if it's not disturbed, but I've had just a little experience with working with Schedule 40 that had been out in the sun a couple of years and it just seemed excessively dry and brittle and easy to crack or shatter.

Bird

StanInCalif · Oct 6, 2001

White latex house paint is frequently used for this.

GlennT · Oct 7, 2001

As usual, I had a problem, asked a question, and got my answer. Thank you for the information. I'll lightly sand my PVC pipe to take some of the gloss off and then paint it. A preliminary coat of KILZ and then a final coat of latex to match the trim on the house should do the job. Thanks again for the help.

bgott · Oct 7, 2001

You might try PVC conduit. It's UV stabilized.

GlueGuy · Oct 8, 2001

Yes, it's true. It might be fine in low-pressure situations for quite a while, but UV does deteriorate it. Schedule 80 PVC has a little more resistance, but the best option is to bury it, or keep it inside out of the sun. Exposed pipe should be metal, or UV-stabilized PVC, or protected from UV.

Electrical conduit is IV-stabilized, but it won't handle the pressure that schedule 40 or 80 will handle.

The GlueGuy