When it comes to piping, there is always one question that dwells on people’s minds. Should they go for aluminum or PVC pipes? Contractors and engineers must be careful when choosing the best type of pipe for their compressed air system. The long-term effects of choosing either type of piping will outweigh any initial costs. This guide will identify the advantages and disadvantages of each, enabling you to choose the best type of pipe to use for your project.
It is without a doubt that alloys have a high tolerance of heat and that is why they are ideal for those high-temperature environments in various industries. PVC pipes would not work well as steam pipes or even hydraulic lines. And it surely cannot be installed at areas where they might come into contact with fire or even hot water. In fact, hot water that runs through PVC piping somehow tastes like plastic. On the other hand alloys, like aluminum alloys for instance, are great heat conductors and they are heavily used in the plumbing, automobile, and robotic industries.
There is that notion that PVC pipes way a lot lighter than alloys. But on the contrary, aluminum alloys are not really as heavy as some people think. In fact, aluminum alloy is one of the lightest alloys out there. It is because of this that it is quite easy to install and even easy to repair. On the other hand, it can be quite intensive to repair PVC pipes. Yes, aluminum alloys can be a little bit pricier than PVC pipes but more experts invest in the former since they would want something that can be repaired in a jiffy. Both options however, since lightweight, do not get shattered when dropped. And his brings us to another issue with is durability.
PVC pipes are praised for their flexibility. And it is because of their flexibility that they are deemed durable. But when it really comes to toughness, it is without a doubt that aluminum alloys have a bigger advantage. Aluminum has been proven to have an excellent strength to weight ratio. It is because of this that it is always the chosen material for whenever lightweight and durable pipes are required. On the other hand, PVC pipes, though flexible, can easily be crushed once they reach their breaking point.
With PVC pipes, one does not need to worry about corrosion at all. And that is why some people think that PVC pipes are the better option when it comes to hydraulics and compressed air systems. People do not want rust-polluted water or air. But one should not disregard the fact that aluminum has a very high level of corrosion-resistance – a level even higher than most metal alloys. The reason why aluminum is good at resisting rust is that it is covered with natural oxide.
In the long run, aluminum pipe can be the better cost-effective and versatile compressed air pipe system for your garage, shop, or warehouse.
Looks more like stainless steel, which would be acceptable.
Aluminum is not an approved drain material.
http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ipc/2012/icod_ipc_2012_7_par010.htm?bu=IC-P-2012-000004&bu2=IC-P-2012-000019