Industrial WARNING PVC leak checking.

I'll call this a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

I do this for 2 reasons.

1) My brother nearly died. 2) It didn't make the news.

3) Advice and regulations, codes, etc are such a rarity online for this or any other thing that endangers people directly.

PVC piping is commonly "leak checked" in the plumbing industry. Put pressure on the lines, see if anything leaks.

Apparently PVC explodes in the manner of CDROM when broken. My brother is the plumber, I'm the computer tech. During a "leak check" on a PVC line in Atlanta this past friday, his apprentice was killed in an explosion during the check. CDROMs shatter like glass. A PVC pipe explosion killed a person in Atlanta last night and shredded everything in the vicinity in the process of a standard test. I consider that alot more important than the latest car wreck.

I will now direct your attention to the only relevant link referring to safety advice during such testing procedures in order to prevent getting killed while doing a job. That I was able to find online.

html: http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:TyAtdSIJzzwJ:

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Live and Learn. Don't and Die. That's what I call a PSA.

TheNIGHTCRAWLER (This is the only post I'll make tonight that requires general attention. Another reason Google is so profitable.)

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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I'll call this a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

I do this for 2 reasons.

1) My brother nearly died. 2) It didn't make the news.

3) Advice and regulations, codes, etc are such a rarity online for this or any other thing that endangers people directly.

PVC piping is commonly "leak checked" in the plumbing industry. Put pressure on the lines, see if anything leaks.

Apparently PVC explodes in the manner of CDROM when broken. My brother is the plumber, I'm the computer tech. During a "leak check" on a PVC line in Atlanta this past friday, his apprentice was killed in an explosion during the check. CDROMs shatter like glass. A PVC pipe explosion killed a person in Atlanta last night and shredded everything in the vicinity in the process of a standard test. I consider that alot more important than the latest car wreck.

I will now direct your attention to the only relevant link referring to safety advice during such testing procedures in order to prevent getting killed while doing a job. That I was able to find online.

html: http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:TyAtdSIJzzwJ:

formatting link
formatting link
Live and Learn. Don't and Die. That's what I call a PSA.

TheNIGHTCRAWLER (This is the only post I'll make tonight that requires general attention. Another reason Google is so profitable.)

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Please return to your room for your nightly medications. You may return to the TV room afterwards.

Reply to
willshak

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@enews4.newsguy.com:

If there was any sort of "explosion", then the leak test was done incorrectly. All leak testing, no matter what material, must be done with a non-compressible fluid (e.g. water), so that a leak or rupture will release almost no energy at all.

Reply to
Old Fangled

Sounds like an urban legend building to me. I suppose you could get an 'explosion' by grossly overpressuring a piece of pipe but I would expect it to just rupture not shatter.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

I think a lot of people are unaware of the danger of ruptured PVC pipe

- I have a PVC spud gun that I am very careful with. I used Schedule

40 pipe (rated to 240 psi) and I never go above 50 psi. I never leave it exposed to sunlight, since PVC deteriorates due to the UV. I am careful to not handle it roughly and damage the exterior. I have considered making some sort of scatter sleeve to go over the outside.

- your article makes me more likely to do that.

I wonder how many young experimenters have been injured due to exploding pneumatic spud guns - anyone know?

John

John Davies TLCA 14732

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'96 Lexus LX450 '00 Audi A4 1.8T quattro Spokane WA USA

Reply to
John Davies

Unfortunately not, PVC pipe does shatter. You are not supposed to use it for compressed gas including air as the PVC strength degrades rapidly with heat. This is the first death that I've heard of though. Most damage has been to the underware of the people in the area where the PVC self destructs.

We have an argument in rec.woodworking all the time where people want to use PVC to run air around the shop. Too damn dangerous for me; one inch iron pipe is cheap and not too bad to work with. Copper is also commonly used but usually requires soldering.

Reply to
Ed Clarke

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (Harry K) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

PVC will shatter explosively if a compressible fluid is used (e.g. compressed air). Mind you, using compressed air to leak test *anything* is really stupid (at best).

Reply to
Old Fangled

I have a friend who had a spud gun. Used an igniter off a gas grill, and he used hair spray for the propellant. The good stuff like Final Net works nicely Would throw a potato 100 yards or so. Really hysterical. Nearly no recoil.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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