Thanks, Paul.

I feel better. What size are the pipes?


Joe

On Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:23:00 -0800, Paul Drahn
wrote:

On 11/22/2011 6:49 PM, justme wrote:
Due to having no money and abundance of devil-may-care, I am thinking
of using P.V.C. pipe to put in my shop for air supply. I am thinking
of using 1/2 inch due the the highest pressure rating compared to
larger sizes.

Now, my thought is to buy some wire cloth - the stuff that has open
squares of ~ .5 inch and cut it where, when formed into a tube, it
would cover the p.v.c. pipe comfortably.

Should the pipe explode due to the air pressure, the wire-cloth should
stop large pieces from becoming killer pieces.

I expect the nay sayers to say: DON'T DO IT, YOU WILL BE KILLED. To
them I say: I don't expect to eliminate ALL CHANCES OF DEATH OR INJURY
BUT I DO EXPECT THE SHIELDING TO CALM MY FEARS RATHER THAN USING BARE
PIPE.

What say?

Thanks

Joe

I have had PVC air line in my business for 12 years. Runs 125 psi all
day, 5 days a week. We have never had a break. Scared me to death, but
my late partner had it installed before I was part of the company.

Almost all the pipes lower than 20 ft are steel, however, and all I have
put in are steel.

The more immediate and lasting problem is sag in the horizontal PVC
distribution lines. Moisture collects there until there is a big release
of air further down the line and then liquid comes out the end. The PVC
could not be placed so there was a continuous slope downward.

We have filters and a refrigerated air dryer in the line and that is a
late addition. Most of the water vapor doesn't make it to the PVC, now.

Paul