Your plumbing is one of your property’s essential elements. You will thus take the necessary steps to ensure its integrity and keep it working seamlessly. This is commendable but then sooner or later all plumbing systems eventually fail. The failure rate for different pipe materials nonetheless varies since they will hold up differently to the elements that affect its integrity. One of the most resilient pipe materials nowadays is PVC with an expected useful duration of 50–100 years.
With a periodic drain cleaning by a professional plumber from Provo employing the latest technologies, the pipes will be leak-free and rarely clog. Store-bought or homemade drain cleaners generally use acidic products to dissolve the debris that might be blocking your pipes. This acid, unfortunately, keeps corroding your pipes and significantly reduces their useful life.
Drain snakes and motorized scrubbers used by professionals, on the other hand, guarantee a clean pipe interior without affecting its integrity. Other than the harsh drain cleaners, the following are the other elements that might cause the weakening of your PVC pipes and their eventual premature breakdown.
UV Light Exposure
White is the color used for PVC plumbing pipes. This color naturally reflects the sun’s rays but will over time disintegrate owing to the effect of UV rays on it. Polymer degradation of the materials and chemical combinations used for your pipes are the primary elements that cause the breakdown of plumbing pipes when exposed to the rays. This degradation, in turn, leads to the pipe’s splitting, cracking and splintering. To this end, PVC pipes are generally buried underground to protect them from sun rays and will not suffice for rooftop applications.
Temperature Extremes
PVC becomes brittle with a significant temperature drop or rise. Once exposed to freezing or hot temperatures for prolonged periods, PVC will crack quite easily. It is thus not your best choice for areas with extreme climates. In winter, you can insulate the pipe to minimize the effect of a temperature drop on them. All in all, it is best to keep the water temperature inside your pipes lukewarm.
Overbending
PVC pipes are among the most flexible on the market. Unlike their metal counterparts, the pipes can be bent to fit any space, and shape without cracking. Unfortunately, excessive bending of the pipe, such as what happens in improper installation weakens it at the point of the bend. This increases its risk of failure from ordinary earth movements, and consequently, the leak incidences on your property.
Overpressurization
This marks one of the leading causes of the weakening of PVC pipes. Each schedule and grade of PVC pipes has a rated maximum fluid pressure. An excess of this limit for a prolonged period will thin the pipe’s walls and cause it to break eventually. You thus should ensure you match your water pressure to the pipe’s pressure limit.
PVC pipes are touted as your fail-safe plumbing choice. This statement is not far from the truth since the material is durable provided the above issues are absent, and your pipes remain uncompromised. With a professional PVC pipe installation and maintenance, you can live without any plumbing emergencies for at least 60 years.
