Exposed PVC

Status
Not open for further replies.
laketime

laketime

Senior Member
I have a 20 yr background in commercial work but have owned my own shop for the last 2 years. I am doing more and more residential and I am seeing exposed PVC installed in home garages and outside houses. In my back ground exposed PVC was always a "no no", we would run EMT. Would you guys install exposed PVC in a customers home garage or on the outside of their house?
 
My personal feeling is that PVC should be kept for underground use, that aside it is legal to use exposed in many areas and the use of schedule 80 PVC expands the use of PVC into areas subject to damage.

I will say if you do decide to use it remember that the support rules are much different and the spacing of supports for small PVC is 36" not 120" as we are used to. Add to that expansion fittings when needed.
 
You must consider your environment. When I was contracting my buissness was by the shore and the salt air was very corrosive to even rigid conduit. PVC was a better choice if used with expansion fittings and the right straps not put on to tight.
 
I live in a mountainous cold winter climate. How often and where should you use expansion fittings? This would be about 10' outside then about 15' inside a garage. Just thinking of cutting the costs on the project as opposed to running EMT, but sort of against my background.
 
laketime said:
I live in a mountainous cold winter climate. How often and where should you use expansion fittings? This would be about 10' outside then about 15' inside a garage. Just thinking of cutting the costs on the project as opposed to running EMT, but sort of against my background.
Click to expand...

Check out Table 352.44 for the expansion charateristics of PVC.

If you are in an area like me where the temperature extremes from summer to winter are huge it doesn't take much lenght to require an expansion fitting.

Chris
 
cowboyjwc said:
I agree with Iwire.

It starts to look like "you know what" after awhile as it starts to sag and droop.
Click to expand...

I work in SW Florida. I would never put emt on the outside of a building especially if it was near the salt inviorment of the Gulf of Mexico. I have seen guys pipe pool equipment rooms with emt. What a disaster.
 
We do quite a bit of PVC here in the south where it is very, very dry. 300.7(A) a very important point esp if conduit is on the south side of a home and penetrates into a climate controlled environment (it can be extremely hot outside and cool inside). I like the minneralac (sp?) as opposed to straps or strut and straps for asthetics and a bit less labor as well.
 
I'd attribute that to the HD factor

I'd attribute that to the HD factor

laketime said:
I have a 20 yr background in commercial work but have owned my own shop for the last 2 years. I am doing more and more residential and I am seeing exposed PVC installed in home garages and outside houses. In my back ground exposed PVC was always a "no no", we would run EMT. Would you guys install exposed PVC in a customers home garage or on the outside of their house?
Click to expand...

I see many homeowners when I'm passing through HD getting PVC supplies for any and every job they're planning at home, I think that's why you see alot of it in garages.

I agree with the comments for not using PVC and also the exceptions where exposed to a corrosive atmoshpere it's probably the best other than OCAL which is usually only for heavy industrial work.
 
DIsregard claims that PVC is sunlight resistant. Especially at higher altitudes, it quickly becomes faded and brittle.

Nothing a good coat of paint won't cure.
 
like other posts have said, it would depend on the environment. here on the gulf coast if said job is in the inland 1 zone, sch 80 is typical. if i run exposed it is ALWAYS sch 80. i personally stay away from factory bends if possible due to sch 80 factory bends usually make it look a mess and are usually a non stock item. if installed right, it can look just like emt, just my opinion though. if the budget is tight, it might be right.
 
Plastic pipe goes in way faster with less tools.

Factory bends make it easy to dry-fit, and indoors I do not use glue. It is super-easy to cut.

I rarely use heat on the pipe, it's a huge waste of time. If you see a jerk with a heat gun, put him on another task.

If you can get away with using plastic pipe, go for it. Hauling the material won't break your back.
 
stevenj76 said:
Plastic pipe goes in way faster with less tools.

Factory bends make it easy to dry-fit, and indoors I do not use glue. It is super-easy to cut.

I rarely use heat on the pipe, it's a huge waste of time. If you see a jerk with a heat gun, put him on another task.

If you can get away with using plastic pipe, go for it. Hauling the material won't break your back.
Click to expand...

well thats great...first, no glue would not be a listed raceway ( see U.L. whitebook page 113 )

second, IMHO heat bent conduit performs better due to less joints, less prone to failure.

third, my company only installs sch 80 exposed. sch 80 factory bends arn't worth MY time. expensive and usually out of stock.

finally, im that jerk with a heat gun. I can bend a 6" sch 80 elbow with any desired radius with my heat gun in less than five minutes.

happy holidays:D
 
stevenj76 said:
Plastic pipe goes in way faster with less tools.

Factory bends make it easy to dry-fit, and indoors I do not use glue. It is super-easy to cut.

I rarely use heat on the pipe, it's a huge waste of time. If you see a jerk with a heat gun, put him on another task.

If you can get away with using plastic pipe, go for it. Hauling the material won't break your back.
Click to expand...

i guess i'm that other jerk with the heat gun...lol
 
Heat guns in my hand are inconsistent. I am guaranteed to make it look like crap. I prefer a blanket, then a box. I knwo others hate them but if I have to bend pvc I prefer them over a heat gun.
 
I once saw a bic lighter used to warm up 1/2" PVC.

It took the moron two sticks to get it right after burning it over and over.

You cannot fix stupid. However, you can get paid to fix stupid's work.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top