Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:12 pm
Shrimphead: Oh, yeah, I forgot about that... though I don't remember who it happened to or the consequences.
But, as you stated, a detonation isn't really normal use - the pressure in the shockwave is really high and has been known to cause <i> steel</i> pipe to bulge out.
Atlantis: please refrain from pulling shite out of your butt.
There is no such thing as "normal PVC":
In much Europe, and possibly australia (I'm not going to check) they use a lettered system. There are many different ratings, and the acctual pressure handled by the pipe may vary depending on diameter, even for the same letter (again, didn't check).
In the US, the primary system is schedule. Pressure rating varies with size across the same schedule number.
Also in the US, there is the SDR system, in which pressure rating does not vary with diamter... but there is no class 330 pipe.
The burst pressure of the pipe does not vary with the contained fluid - 330 water means 330 air. (although the pipe will fail in a more energetic manner with air, which is why PVC pipe isn't rated for gas pressure)
The burst pressure =! the rated pressure... acctualy, there's a saftey factor of about 4-6 built in to those ratings.