PVC airline exploding?

[Dead Fish Floating]

http://www.nishikigoi-info.com/pond-filtration/pvc-pipe.html

PVC pipe does have hazards though. It should not be used as an air line. If too much pressure builds up in the air line, by getting plugged or having a high PSI air pump attached to it, the pipe can explode and cause great bodily harm. The pieces of shrapnel can become lodged in your skin, or worse, in your eyes.

What sort of pressure are we talking?
Other than the fact  the airlines would prob all blow off,
for the stuff to go.

[Hypancistrus Zebra]

I dont think an LP60 could blow apart a piece of pvc pressure pipe considering I can stop the airflow by putting the palm of my hand over the pump outlet. I think he is talking about a massive air pump that might be used at an asian fish farm, where they feed the ponds by firing pellet capsules out of a cannon as they drive past on the back of a truck. I wouldn't lose too much sleep worrying about killer twin outlet airpumps on the top of your community tank.

Wilson.

[Dead Fish Floating]

I have hooked some powerfull blowers up during blackouts tho.
heh,
Just made me ponder for a sec.
That coulda been a woopsee...
But yea a cannon.
Gotta get me one of them
Was thinking the same thing just before
while  reading the pirates vs ninja comic.

[braddo]

That is why they make high pressure pvc pipe and you should always have a bleeder on it.

[aquaholic99]

I think it is about the PVC getting too old and brittle with time. Class 18 PVC is built to hold water pressure of 18 meters. ie Imagine a vertical pipe 18m high (going up a building) The bottom of the pipe will have 18m water presure. Class 12 pipe is for 12m and a little cheaper to buy. Using class 12 pipe on class 18 PVC joints will be looser fit too.

Even the high pressure pipe gets brittle with age/heat. This scenario would only happen with a blower though as diaphram pumps are high volume-low pressure and the rubber diaphram and flapper valves would fail before the PVC pipe. If you are particularly worried you can step the pipe diameter down gradually and try not to have many bends or dead end in the piping nearest the air pump.

I have had water explode pipes though!!! :)

Winston

[Savage_roo]

I worked for hardie iplex for a number of years
and the tests thay do make shore that pipes are as safe as they can be

pipes under ground and water can be a bit tricky most of the pipes that burst

Is many cause by the firbragad tuning the water off to fast
The pumping the water from the mains than cuting it off just hamers tha carp out of them and after time thay just let go
I have use pvc to shoot whole spuds and no problems lol
Its just bad luck or miss use that cause problem in most casers

Roo

[firemouthkid]

if you use PRESSURE pvc and pvc fittings { not cheap waste,stormwater or swv },
your pump will never exceed the maximum rated pressure, and it will never crack or split.
pressure pvc fittings are rated at class 18, which is equal to 180 meters head pressure.
pressure pvc pipe is rated at different classes ,either class 6, 9, 12, etc,
class 6 is equal to 60 meters head pressure
class 9 is equal to 90 meters head pressure,etc, etc................
regards darren