Effects of UV on PVC

[Dom]

Me & zvallance1 we're wondering how much UV light it would take to affect the structural integrity of PVC.

[Atlantis]

It's not a matter of how strong the UV is, but how long it's been exposed. Unless you plan on using old PVC that's been laying outside for months on end, or your cannon will be outside for that long, you should be fine, just keep it out of the sun when you're not using it.

There's gotta be a formula to find out how much UV does how much damage, ask a guy at Home Depot or such.

[jjk92]

no offense to the guys at home depot but all theyll be able to tell you is which aisle pvc is in

[Dom]

I am very disappointed from the guys at Home Depot.. I called for pipes.. They don't even know whats Schedule 40, or Cellular Corem, or even DWV.

Very pathetic.

[schmanman]

paint it and you wont have to worry about it

[Dom]

paint it and you wont have to worry about it

That's smart! A couple of coats of UV Resistant Paint

[Atlantis]

I actually upstaged one of the workers there once, some woman was looking for PVC parts for some art project or something, the guy kept trying to give her the more expensive NSF-PW fittings, and extra fittings and stuff, the woman had a drawing of what she was gonna make and I showed her all the NSF-DWV fittings and pipe she would need, she thanked me and the Home Depot guy got mad. It was funny.

[zvallance1]

It's not a matter of how strong the UV is, but how long it's been exposed. Unless you plan on using old PVC that's been laying outside for months on end, or your cannon will be outside for that long, you should be fine, just keep it out of the sun when you're not using it.

what if i AM going to be using PVC that has been lying outside for months...
not even the yellowed color that all old pipes get, but still reasonablu white, just exposed to the elements...

i can get 10 feet of just about anysized pipe for with the biggest being 3" for 5.50...
and i'd really like to know how safe that stuff would be to use in a gigantic pnuematic

[Dom]

If your not sure about the state of the PVC Pipes, why not protect it with a ABS Shield?

[M3NT4L]

Dom, that wont help you much. I doubt that a couple of days will do anything to the pipe, dont worry if its yellow dont use it though once it bust on me and it sucked.

[Mihlrad]

At the construction job where im working, they use PVC pipe on the roof for exhaust pipes for any fumes in the house. They get hit directly with sunlight from sunrise to sunset and they remain undamaged... they have no protection on them just bare pipe. Odds are it takes alot of UV light to damage the pipe sufficiently.

[zvallance1]

Odds are it takes alot of UV light to damage the pipe sufficiently.

that probably true, but do the pipes that you;'re talking about have to handle any sort of pressure at all?

[MrCrowley]

ive got a very weak UV light and it shines through my pvc pipe really easily. i shined it on the outside andlooked down the pipe and you can see a huge bright spot whereas a normal light you cant even see.

[Mihlrad]

You can also shine a weak light through your hand ^^ doesnt make it weak. But thats a good point zvallance1 that the pipes im talking about arent taking pressure. Some day someone will just have to test it for us to find out.