Can I re-use an existing blue alkathene pipe?

[Mike Deblis]

Hi,

I've got a 55 metre Alkathene water pipe running to an outbuilding....

The pipe has never carried water - instead I've "pulled" some CAT5 and alarm remote cables through it (done using two vacuum cleaners, some fishing line and a ball of cotton wool!).

As we are now a "wireless" property, I was wondering if I removed the cables from the pipe caould I re-use it for water to the building. The caveat is that I used some PTFE cable-pulling lube in the pipe when getting the cables through.

What do you think? Can I re-use it - is that PTFE cable-pulling stuff really toxic? Should I lay a new pipe?

I have the oportunity to lay a new pipe as we are finally having our geothermal (heat pump) underground coils laid, and they go pretty much between the two buildings, so I can lay a new pipe in one of the trenches...

Thanks

Mike

[Grunff]

PTFE has very low toxicity. The lubricant will have had an oil base, which may or may not be slightly toxic. If it was me, I'd flush the pipe through with plenty of water (and maybe some detergent) and use it.

[jrwalliker]

Isn't there a risk of freezing your water pipe if you share a trench with the heat exchanger pipe?

John

[Ian Stirling]

A ball of cotton (cloth), pushed through with water pressure wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[Mike Deblis]

I had thought of pulling a cotton plug through the pipe as I pulled out the cables.

FWIW, the PTFE lube I used was DuPont, "Yellow 77 Lubricant" from Ideal Industries Inc. No mention on the container at all about toxicity, which is why I'm interested....

Thanks

Mike.

[Newshound]

It looks pretty benign according to the safety data sheet

[Andrew Gabriel]

It doesn't look completely harmless in the Material Safety Data Sheet:

[Ian Stirling]

Water doesn't look completely haremless in its MSDS.

[Grunff]

'd say that's pretty harmless - a quick flush through with water and I'd be quite happy to drink out of that pipe.

[Dave Liquorice]

I'd keep the handy duct for when you want fibre or a real connection to the out buildings again. Bung in another pipe you know it makes sense.

[David Lang]

Hi Mike

PTFE is pretty well inert. For example thread tape and frying pans.

Dave

[Mary Fisher]

>

So would I.

Mary

[Andy Dingley]

It's also a solid. Anything that stops PTFE being a solid is likely to be somewhat nasty. This material seems fairly benign but lubricants like Tri-flow and Break-free are significant hazards.

I'd use this pipe, but I'd pull a cleaning swab through a few times and flush it.

[Grunff]

Well, true, but PTFE based lubricants are just a suspension of PTFE dust in a base, usually oil. Nothing more than that.