Top 10 applications of PVC pipes

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) stands third around the world as the most widely produced plastic polymer. The rigid form of PVC is used in making PVC pipes that have a diverse range of applications. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipes are the most commonly used plastic piping material. The PVC pipes are manufactured in various dimensions and sizes. They are extensively used in sewer systems, irrigation, water service lines, drain waste vents, and various industries. 

The properties of PVC pipes for safety, robustness, cost-efficiency, environmental performance, and recyclability allow them to be used for multiple purposes, from carrying water to industrial or chemical waste handling. 

PVC pipes can be used in underground areas as well as above-ground areas of any building. They also come in handy to be used in outdoor settings if they include UV inhibitors and stabilisers to protect against ultraviolet radiation and are painted with water-based latex paint. They are unaffected by commonly used chemicals such as salts, acids, oxidants, or bases. 

PVC pipes are an environment-friendly option that has an upper hand over the traditional piping system. The PVC pipes consist of low carbon plastic and require minimal resources and less energy in manufacturing. PVC pipes provide an excellent choice for carrying drinking water because they have a great level of inertness and are not prone to corrosion. PVC pipes last long with the smallest amount of maintenance and they are easily recyclable.

The PVC pipes are extensively used because they are eco-friendly, durable, easy to install, resistant to corrosion, light in weight, have a long service life, inexpensive, and extensively accepted by codes. The top ten places where PVC pipes can be used are: 

1. PVC Pipe for Water Plumbing and Water Pipes

The PVC pipes have been widely used in water plumbing and pipes. It is the largest industry in PVC applications by quantity and weight mass. The PVC pipes were first used in the management of water and were further integrated into modern society and infrastructure. PVC pipes are available in various dimensions, lengths, and sizes. The pipes are used to supply water in different areas like buildings, industries, facilities, and equipment.

PVC water pipes are produced, modified, and regulated strictly. Most often, the process is overseen by the government or independent authorities. These authorities have set standards that guide the production process on the quality of material used when used in handling water. These regulations contribute to the continued use of PVC pipes as a non-toxic, long-lasting, and safe material for transporting drinking water, non-drinking water, and processed water.

Other services and plumbing codes regulate the appropriateness of the PVC pipes for particular water installations. All the above applications of the PVC pipes are applicable only for water delivery up to a particular temperature. Due to the low-temperature threshold, the PVC pipes cannot be used for heated water delivery.

2. PVC Pipe for Waste Handling and Control

PVC pipes are most frequently used in waste management and control. They are used for waste management in various places, like commercial buildings, industrial areas, modern societal infrastructure, and so on. PVC pipes are installed in wastewater transportation, swears, drains, vents connected to different buildings and equipment.

PVC pipes are installed in toilets, sinks, and liquid handling devices that are used in drains, vents, and waste (DWV) management. PVC pipes are useful in DWV applications because they have synthetic properties such as resistance to corrosion, rust, and microbiological layer growth, as well as improved plasticity and bend strength. Therefore, they have an upper hand over the other metal piping and can benefit from inventing, managing, and waste control.

3. PVC Pipes for Rainwater Management 

PVC pipes are at the forefront in facilitating the rainwater harvesting system. The PVC pipes provide an ideal solution for the maintenance and distribution of the rainwater. The rainwater is carried from the rooftop through the PVC pipes down into a storage or harvesting system. The fitting material that is used to connect the channel has special sockets so that they can be fitted easily and avoid leakage. The PVC pipes provide an advantage over the iron pipes that rust easily. They also come in various sizes and can be installed easily based on the need for the harvesting system. The high-quality PVC pipes ensure that there is no crack or bend in the system and have a UV stabilizer. 

4. PVC Pipes for Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the largest and important sectors and is incomplete without PVC pipes. PVC pipes are used for all important functions of agriculture from bore-well to water irrigation, sprinklers and spraying of pesticides and fertilizers. PVC agricultural pipes are used for irrigation and pest control activities at farms. PVC pipes are resistant to all sorts of chemicals, corrosion, soil and fire. This makes them the best fit to be used for the transportation of pesticides and fertilizers into a farm. PVC agricultural pipes are very, do not require any maintenance and in optimum conditions last for more than 50 years.

5. PVC Pipe for Fire Sprinklers

The PVC pipes have been approved to be used in the case of a light-hazard and multipurpose sprinkler system. PVC pipes are commonly used in the fire sprinkler system set up in public places like museums, theatres, libraries as well as in hotels, offices, and private buildings. The PVC pipes are immune to corrosion, scale, or any microbiological layer formation that leads to them being durable, low in maintenance as opposed to the traditional iron pipes. The PVC pipes used in the fire sprinkler system are not combustible and do not contribute to flashover. PVC pipes are light in weight, can be easily assembled in a small space, and offer non-corrosive properties.

6. PVC Pipes for Industrial Use

PVC pipes have proven to be beneficial for use in the industrial sector. PVC piping can handle a wide range of substances, from cold water to the transport of hazardous chemicals. The property of high resistance to corrosion of the PVC pipes makes them extremely useful in industrial settings. The piping system for industrial use is required to be robust to endure the rough environment to carry chemicals or harmful waste. Thus, the PVC pipes meet this requirement and provide safe transportation for most of the substances in the industry.  

7. PVC Pipe for Chemical Handling

The product used for handling chemicals and industrial substances varies depending on the type of chemical, its compatibility with the chemical, and its tolerance. The PVC pipes are efficient in handling particular types of chemicals, as opposed to metal pipes. The long polymeric chains of PVC offers a high material resistance against degradation, chemical attack, and corrosion. The chlorine content in PVC makes it fire resistant and does not allow the flames to spread. Therefore, PVC pipe and plumbing are frequently applied for use in handling chemicals as well as their transfer, production, delivery, and processes. The PVC pipes can be used to transport chemicals like alcohols, organic acids, anhydride acids, hydrocarbons, halogens, oxidising acids, salts, inorganic acids, alkalis, and ammonia.

8. PVC Pipes for Fittings

The latest PVC pipes and fittings have proven to be useful in almost all areas because they offer a wide range of pipes, valves, and fittings. There are a huge number of connections that can be made using the PVC pipes as they are available in various forms like straight pipes, branch pipes, T-shaped pipes, and bracketed pipes. Thus, PVC pipes provide a multipurpose system without any cracks that are easy to install.

PVC pipe fittings can be used to make high-performance piping systems. They can help to connect the new units with the older ones using the latest materials to renovate the pipe network at the same time, helping to maintain complete system integrity.

9. PVC Pipe for Building Infrastructure and Structural Material

PVC pipes have been increasingly used in infrastructure and building materials over the past few years. The PVC pipes are an inexpensive and better substitute for wood and other types of building materials. The PVC pipes’ topmost use for building infrastructure is in the exhaust and air ventilation. In the construction of an air ventilation system, PVC pipes are installed in the ducts of the heating systems, air conditioning systems, and ventilation.

10. PVC Pipe for Coatings and Cable Insulation

PVC pipes are a bad conductor of current and electricity. Therefore, they are used in coating and cable insulation for electric wires, cables, circuitry, and components. Many common wires and electrical elements in today's electronics pass through a PVC conduit pipe. The PVC pipes are used to defend against human or environmental exposure, electrical short circuits, overheating, and any other kind of dangerous situations that can come up in the case of handling electricity.

Furthermore, PVC pipes offer a wide range of use in the modern world. The PVC pipes' capability to be handled diversely has led to its use in various recreational areas. The variety of shapes, sizes, thickness, colours, and transparency of PVC pipes has led to the diverse use of the product in recreation. For example, the PVC pipes can be used to make tents, shaded areas, raised garden beds, frames for greenhouses and carports, and many other recreational products.

UPVC COLUMN PIPES for submersible pumps

PVC or polyvinyl chloride pipes have diverse applications because they are malleable, flexible, and can be used almost in all areas. The PVC pipes are used in both commercial and residential sectors. The application of the PVC pipes includes their use in plumbing, sewage and drainage systems, drinking water distribution, irrigation systems, chemical handling, fume, exhaust and ventilation ducts, and recreation purposes.