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Can PVC pipes stand boiling water? I've tried searching online but the results vary.

Mazura
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dafatduck
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    Think a better question would why you want to 3d print pipes? It is very slow, kind expensive to very expensive for long(more than six inchs) lengths. – crip659 May 15 '22 at 13:57
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    Pvc waste pipe on sinks takes boiling water when draing pasta… but not rated for use continuously under pressure. – Solar Mike May 15 '22 at 15:22
  • Related question https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/88476/should-i-run-the-tap-while-dumping-boiling-water – Matthew May 15 '22 at 16:09
  • @Solar Mike I think that regularly pouring two quarts of boiling water from cooking pasta into PVC or ABS drains is not a good idea, so I use a pasta ladle to pull the pasta out and then let the pasta water cool on the stove before pouring it down the drain. Of course, if one is a gourmet cook and time conscious, then this might be considered too slow and tedious. But I cannot bear the thought of damaging our ABS drains under the slab. My wife runs the cold water tap as she pours the pasta into a drain bowl, but I hate to waste the water. Is there a standard way to separate the pasta? – Jim Stewart May 15 '22 at 21:58
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    @JimStewart they do make thos fancy sets with what's basically a colander that lines the pot. When it's done, yank it out of the pot leaving the water behind. Pasta insert seems to be the search term that works, if you want to bother. – Ecnerwal May 15 '22 at 22:03
  • @Jim Stewart and ALWAYS use 4 quarts when boiling pasta! – RetiredATC Dec 16 '22 at 23:05
  • VtC because the question as asked has no practical application. It is ok to pour a pot of pasta water down the drain. I won't explain why because that's not the question. It's not ok to use PVC pipe for your steam heating system. Also, not the question. PVC pipe can stand some boiling water in the right quantities and circumstances. – jay613 Dec 17 '22 at 00:39
  • OP actually accepted an answer; might as well make the question ask it. – Mazura Dec 17 '22 at 04:31

2 Answers2

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Boiling water is a standard way to soften PVC pipe for bending.

In short, no, utterly unsuitable for use as pipe with water anywhere near boiling.

3-D printing pipes seems highly unlikely to work, based on any 3-D prints I've seen. Perhaps if you have a bazillion-dollar sintered metal 3-D printer...

Ecnerwal
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  • It can work, but will depend on the type of plastic. My printer will do something like a coaster for glasses in a few(more than three) hours. – crip659 May 15 '22 at 14:37
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Water boils at normal altitude of approximately 212 F (100C). Each different kind of polymer pipe has restrictions on temps regarding pressurized or non-pressurized.

PVC has a limit of about 140F (60C)

Rob West
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  • How much boiling water is required to heat 10 feet of 2 inch schedule 40 pipe from 70 to 140 degrees, if the water passes through two feet of open air, a ceramic basin and 2 feet of polypropylene pipe first? – jay613 Dec 17 '22 at 00:41
  • "For intermittent flow, the fluid temperature can be higher due to the low thermal conductivity of PVC." - If you couldn't pour boiling water down the drain, everywhere I've ever lived now has leaks in it. – Mazura Dec 17 '22 at 04:30