Say it ain't so: (New color for Sch 40 PVC pipe

icesailor

Say it ain't so.

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/attachment.php?attachmentid=519561&d=1413009173

RobG

Hey Ice, how did you manage to double post? This is the first double post I have seen on the new site.

As to your post, did it kill anyone? I would love to here the story that goes along with that photo (barring deaths that is). His neighbors furnace was vented in PVC so why shouldn't his be!

Abracadabra

damn...

Steamhead

PVC venting on a non-condensing furnasty?

Gordy

How was that connection made in the first place?...

How's about a link to the whole thread? Wondering what the forced air guys think about the whole pvc venting arena.

SWEI

How effective was the electronic air cleaner at handling the smell?

icesailor

RobG said:

Hey Ice, how did you manage to double post? This is the first double post I have seen on the new site.

As to your post, did it kill anyone? I would love to here the story that goes along with that photo (barring deaths that is). His neighbors furnace was vented in PVC so why shouldn't his be!

I didn't know I did. And if I did, I haven't a single clue as to how I did it.

icesailor

Gordy said:

How was that connection made in the first place?...

How's about a link to the whole thread? Wondering what the forced air guys think about the whole pvc venting arena.

That looks like what Plumbers call a "Mission Clamp" (for what reason I don't know or remember) but it is a No-Hub type coupling that legally adapts copper to plastic. Fernco Couplings are not legal connections on anything, plumbing or gas. You can use them underground, but tree roots will grow between the rubber and the pipe and with time, will bend the pipe or break the clamp. I saw both.

The photo is on HVAC-talk.com on their Wall of Shame. From what I read on their site, they don't have a very high opinion of PVC venting. Unlike some here. Their "Wall of Shame" is a constant source of new and entertaining information on the latest in the societal evolution if hackism.

Their members are always open to new and stimulating ways of doing things.

jonny88

Scary what goes on out there in the venting world,all I am using is polypropolyne at the moment hopefully in 5yrs they wont say thats a problem.Why are their so many conflicting opinions on exhausting boilers.WE are trying to sell modcons but I come across pvc venting all the time ,it has been discolored etc but at the time thats what was available.Hopefully poly wont have the same issues and a ? does budures recommend pvc on their boilers.Thanks Mr Ice for sharing.

icesailor

jonny88 said:

Scary what goes on out there in the venting world,all I am using is polypropolyne at the moment hopefully in 5yrs they wont say thats a problem.Why are their so many conflicting opinions on exhausting boilers.WE are trying to sell modcons but I come across pvc venting all the time ,it has been discolored etc but at the time thats what was available.Hopefully poly wont have the same issues and a ? does budures recommend pvc on their boilers.Thanks Mr Ice for sharing.

Metal was always available for use. The cheapsters were never willing to pay the difference. When it comes to cheap or cheaper, safety takes a back seat to safety in the clown train over the cliff.

Over 20 years ago, they came out with Power Vented DHW water heaters, vented with 3" PVC and just a blower on top of a standard water heater. I have yet to see one vented in 3" white PVC that wasn't tan or brown. Not, they have a restriction and you can vent them with 2" PVC. My personal history hasn't answered the question on 2" PVC. But there is probably far more dilution air in the exhaust now than was available on the 3" PVC vented, unrestricted water heaters.

IMO.

Jack

Net/net, the trade has demanded PVC venting. When Rinnai brought out their condensing water heaters they had the polypropylene pipe only. I spoke with hundreds of contractors who said without PVC I'm going to X-brand. Today you get every unit set up for the poly prop, but with the adapters for PVC in the box.

The way I see it, no regulatory agency wants to pick this PVC vent issue up. Like Ice's pic, it will be the meathead factor that finally makes some agency take note and I still think it will be the mother of all recalls, somewhere down the line.

I represented Selkirk back in the Plex-vent/Ultravent years. Wow, it has been20 years! Yes, the product had problems, but I doubt that of the hundreds of jobs I went out on that 10% of the jobs were installed according to manuf specs. You could tell who did the job. HVAC guy, sheet metal screws. Plumber, tub & tile caulk. I saw one a guy yarned some brown oakum into the joint. I'm a hand with lead and oakum and I still don't know how he did it. He complained about how hard it was to install. 24 hour cure time for the correct sealant? Good luck!

It is a competitive market and to many in that market cheap is best and they do not know how to sell features and benefits. PVC rules, for the time being.

icesailor

I was still finding Plex-Vent Ultra Vent installs before I quit. Some weren't pretty. Why I started carrying a personal CO detector.

I found a Heatmaker ll that had the metal vent on the outside. It wouldn't run without cycling over and over, for hours and hours. I pulled it apart. The inner pipe was Ultra-vent/Plex-Vent, burned away from the excessive heat from the unit. It was starting and running, but after a few minutes, it sucked so much exhaust into the supply that the flame went out. Once it cooled down a tad, it would start up again. And over and over and over. Until satisfied. The people had no money. I was able to fix the whole thing by switching to Stainless Steel like used in a Weil-McLain. Right in to the vent termination.

JohnNY

Mission Rubber used to make all the transition couplings for the trade.
http://www.missionrubber.com/Products/MR70.php

icesailor

Now they use Fernco with two clamps. The rubber rots out between the clamps and leaks.

RobG

icesailor said:

Gordy said:

How was that connection made in the first place?...

How's about a link to the whole thread? Wondering what the forced air guys think about the whole pvc venting arena.

That looks like what Plumbers call a "Mission Clamp" (for what reason I don't know or remember) but it is a No-Hub type coupling that legally adapts copper to plastic. Fernco Couplings are not legal connections on anything, plumbing or gas. You can use them underground, but tree roots will grow between the rubber and the pipe and with time, will bend the pipe or break the clamp. I saw both.

The photo is on HVAC-talk.com on their Wall of Shame. From what I read on their site, they don't have a very high opinion of PVC venting. Unlike some here. Their "Wall of Shame" is a constant source of new and entertaining information on the latest in the societal evolution if hackism.

Their members are always open to new and stimulating ways of doing things.

Ice, I think the Mission coupling come from the Mission Rubber Company who make different kinds of coups.
http://missionrubber.com/Products/index.php