Is PVC Bad?

20 years ago

I will be constructing a mini aeroflo clone over the next few weeks. I have everything planned, but there is one problem: PVC Piping apparently gets brittle under UV light, and may be considered unclean for this application long term. I was planning to use PVC, but this has held me up.

I'm checking to see if I can get titanium dioxide coating to possibly fix this problem, as these guys have done (those systems range from $800-$2800). It shouldn't cost much... but is it worth the trouble?

I mean, how soon does PVC start messing up and getting brittle under HID lights? One month, or one year? Does it really promote disease?

Thanks for any reply.

Comments (7)

sogno_dell_acqua
Original Author
20 years ago
When I wrote "these guys" I meant

Here is a link that might be useful: these guys
willardb3
20 years ago
Plain PVC is rated by NSF which means that it does nothing to foods, ie, nothing nasty comes from it.

If it doesn't hurt foods you eat, it's not likely to hurt your plants.

I've been growing with PVC drainage piping and PVC nutrient piping for 10 yrs now and I don't loose any plants to pathogens and the pipe is fine with 30w/square foot HPS and MH lamps.

Killing organics (fungus, bacteria) in nutrient water with H2O2 before you use it controls all these nasties very well.

I think "these guys" are selling snake oil.
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sogno_dell_acqua
Original Author
20 years ago
Well, willard3, I did think those guys were a little loopy... thanks for letting me know the straight deal. I'm actually buying all the PVC goods - manifolds, fittings, tubes and spraylines - this weekend, with the light coming in later on, and I hope to be up and running in two weeks max. My buddy is setting me up with an inline fan and 5x5 ft tent, too, so this is gonna be super cool.

Thanks for the help!
wdelaney
20 years ago
PVC does get brittle if it gets REALLY cold. Im not sure if the uv is going to be a problem. I use it for potato cannons and i havent had a problem except if its feezing out and i dop it. good luck.
Wes
markeyd123
20 years ago
PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) will release Chlorine gas (which is deadly in high concentration) IF you burn or melt it. There should be no reason why you would do that, but I thought I would let you know just in case. If you need to make holes in your PVC do so with a drill as opposed to a soldering iron, or something . . .
hardy_transplant
20 years ago
The only problem I have read about with PVC is mentioned on page 64 of the current 2004 Peaceful Valley Garden Supply catlogue.

They say that the 6 mil polyethelene plastic greenhouse film they sell should not be used in direct contact with PVC, because the PVC will react with the poly film and weaken it.

I don't know what sort of wrapping or coating I would use. Something inexpensive, durable and weatherproof.
Matt621
19 years ago
All you have to do is paint the pipe. The problem is the sunlight on the exposed pvc. Once you paint it, the problem goes away.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flexible pvc pipe