# Schedule 40 PVC for vent pipe?



## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

This is a new one to me. 
I just walked through a small spec that I framed and noticed they used sch 40 PVC for their vent pipe and then painted the outside portion black. 

Is this common in other areas?


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

Sabagley said:


> This is a new one to me.
> I just walked through a small spec that I framed and noticed they used sch 40 PVC for their vent pipe and then painted the outside portion black.
> 
> Is this common in other areas?


Yep


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## Gary H (Dec 10, 2008)

Painted Black? I think its a sign of a good plumber. But the only ones I have seen do it was on low income housing. Anything about 80 grand is left white. I do like when they are painted. Looks professional.


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## skillman (Sep 23, 2011)

Done all the time around here . But no one paints roof pipe showing . Like others said good sign of a company caring by painting it .


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

I'd rather see white PVC than peeling paint.


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## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

This plumber is about 90 miles away and beat the other local guy by 800$. 
He's not going to be happy driving that 90 miles to move this drain. 









Anyway, the site super told me that that's all they do on the wet side of the state.


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

Sabagley said:


> This is a new one to me.
> I just walked through a small spec that I framed and noticed they used sch 40 PVC for their vent pipe and then painted the outside portion black.
> 
> Is this common in other areas?


What are you expecting them to do?


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## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

slowsol said:


> What are you expecting them to do?


Umm, not sure what you mean. 
But here it's always been black ABS.


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

Sabagley said:


> Umm, not sure what you mean.
> But here it's always been black ABS.


Ahh I see. Just wondered what you considered usual. I've never actually seen the black ABS on a job site. Only on TV.


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## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

slowsol said:


> Ahh I see. Just wondered what you considered usual. I've never actually seen the black ABS on a job site. Only on TV.


The plumber that did this job claims that there won't be any ABS in a few years. 
I guess our plumbers are a little behind the times?
This may be an "ignant" question, but, what's the difference? 
Cost? Quality?


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Sabagley said:


> The plumber that did this job claims that there won't be any ABS in a few years.
> I guess our plumbers are a little behind the times?
> This may be an "ignant" question, but, what's the difference?
> Cost? Quality?


Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is lighter than poly vinyl chloride, and less dense, it's made from a lower grade of waste petroleum by product, it weakens when exposed to direct sunlight, and it burns easier than poly vinyl chloride. In many states it is only allowed for underground use.


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## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

KillerToiletSpider said:


> Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is lighter than poly vinyl chloride, and less dense, it's made from a lower grade of waste petroleum by product, it weakens when exposed to direct sunlight, and it burns easier than poly vinyl chloride. In many states it is only allowed for underground use.


Thanks


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## tyb525 (Feb 26, 2013)

ABS isn't used around here, only time I've seen it was on a DIY hack job where a tee was left open, customer couldn't figure out why the house smelled like sewer gas.

On one occasion, a customer called us out just to paint the vent stacks on his roof black.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Abs is against code here. I had to order some parts online to fix the in-laws house last year. 

When we do roofs we always paint the stack to match the roof. Black or brown.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

jlsconstruction said:


> Abs is against code here. I had to order some parts online to fix the in-laws house last year.
> 
> When we do roofs we always paint the stack to match the roof. Black or brown.


Why not just use PVC for the repair?

ABS is used in every residential building here, city water and sewer is PVC. PVC can be had but not at any big box stores (except 636).

If you snap open a piece of abs you will see it has a cellular foam like core. It is more resilient in cold temperatures and is rated for use down to -40, where PVC is rated to 0.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> Why not just use PVC for the repair?
> 
> ABS is used in every residential building here, city water and sewer is PVC. PVC can be had but not at any big box stores (except 636).
> 
> If you snap open a piece of abs you will see it has a cellular foam like core. It is more resilient in cold temperatures and is rated for use down to -40, where PVC is rated to 0.


A plumber had cut the drain from the kitchen to snake it. He used one of those rubber couplers to re attach it seeing we have no access to abs. After 2 years it clogged and started to leak, so I just put a clean out in that spot. Seeing its a problem area. unless there is a way I'm not informed about cementing PVC to abs is a big no no


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

jlsconstruction said:


> A plumber had cut the drain from the kitchen to snake it. He used one of those rubber couplers to re attach it seeing we have no access to abs. After 2 years it clogged and started to leak, so I just put a clean out in that spot. Seeing its a problem area. unless there is a way I'm not informed about cementing PVC to abs is a big no no


It's kosher here:


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> It's kosher here:


I would have had to order it anyways. Kinda weird how much the industry differs from place to place.


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## tyb525 (Feb 26, 2013)

That's funny PVC is hard to find in the big box stores Inner10, that's pretty much all we have. Not much abs.

The other interesting stuff is schedule 30 pvc and abs...


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

tyb525 said:


> That's funny PVC is hard to find in the big box stores Inner10, that's pretty much all we have. Not much abs.
> 
> The other interesting stuff is schedule 30 pvc and abs...


So you can't find PVC, and you don't use abs... What do you use?


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

Inner10 said:


> It's kosher here:


Also don't need primer for ABS


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

tyb525 said:


> That's funny PVC is hard to find in the big box stores Inner10, that's pretty much all we have. Not much abs.
> 
> The other interesting stuff is schedule 30 pvc and abs...


It's just one of those wacky regional things that will never be understood.


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## tyb525 (Feb 26, 2013)

jlsconstruction said:


> So you can't find PVC, and you don't use abs... What do you use?


I was talking to Inner10 , they have abs but not pvc. We have PVC here but not much ABS.


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

There was a time that ABS conformed to the pipe size standards of cast iron and DWV, and PVC pipe conformed to IPS standards.

Off the top of my head, the OD of 3" ABS or cast would be about 3.7/8, while 3" ABS would have a OD of 3 1/2".


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Anti-wingnut said:


> There was a time that ABS conformed to the pipe size standards of cast iron and DWV, and PVC pipe conformed to IPS standards.
> 
> Off the top of my head, the OD of 3" ABS or cast would be about 3.7/8, while 3" ABS would have a OD of 3 1/2".


When was ABS invented? Wasn't IPS phased out around 1950?


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

IPS=Iron Pipe Size. 

It's the size scheme for steel and PVC "pipe" and ridgid conduit, as well as their threads


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

Around here in Colorado, we can DWV in either abs or pvc. Everyone predominately uses ABS. Both abs and pvc is readily available in the big boxes, althogh abs has a little better selection of certain sweeps/plugs/etc.

I always thought pvc was less stable if exposed to sun, and thought we used abs as a little less expensive and easier with no primer and a little quicker set time. 

I would love to fully understand why we use abs. (If we did use pvc at a penetration and painted it, I thought it was just an esthetic consideration.:001_unsure:

Peter


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Pretty much only PVC around here. I had a 5th wheel camper for a few years. It was an 88 I got it used. I had all ABS for the plumbing. Maybe because it was exposed to real cold temps. Man I loved that thing. What a money pit.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Anti-wingnut said:


> IPS=Iron Pipe Size.
> 
> It's the size scheme for steel and PVC "pipe" and ridgid conduit, as well as their threads


IPS is threaded cast iron pipe, the thread used on it become the standard thread used on all other threaded pipe types, thus the Iron Pipe Size conotation, installing actual IPS pipe is a punishment every tradesman should be forced to endure.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

KillerToiletSpider said:


> IPS is threaded cast iron pipe, the thread used on it become the standard thread used on all other threaded pipe types, thus the Iron Pipe Size conotation, installing actual IPS pipe is a punishment every tradesman should be forced to endure.


It's both, IPS is an acronym for both "Iron Pipe Size" which I believe refered to the outer diameter but was largely replaced by nominal pipe size NPS.

IPS also refers to Iron Pipe Straight which refers to the threading that you have to seal with a washer. NPT is national pipe thread which is tapered and seals with the threads.


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

Inner10 said:


> It's just one of those wacky regional things that will never be understood.


Why do you all use "the yellow" chit to glom ABS together?

We've been using the black chit for years.

ABS vs. PVC, please.

:whistling


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

tenon0774 said:


> Why do you all use "the yellow" chit to glom ABS together?
> 
> We've been using the black chit for years.
> 
> ...


It's so the inspector can verify that there is adequate adhesive. In fact with system 636 we can't use clear primer and grey adhesive it has to be purple and orange...and boy is it messy. But on electrical and cvac you can use what ever colour you want.


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

I meant for the ABS.

You can use snot to put PVC together for all I care.

Plumbing!

:thumbup:


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

tyb525 said:


> I was talking to Inner10 , they have abs but not pvc. We have PVC here but not much ABS.


Oh gotcha


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

tenon0774 said:


> I meant for the ABS.
> 
> You can use snot to put PVC together for all I care.
> 
> ...


Same reason, it's not code listed because CSA wouldn't approve black ABS cement under there standards and marking rules, so manufacturers came out with yellow cement to get CSA approval.


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## cevinklark (Dec 27, 2011)

I've thought this alot too. I see abs used on tv all the time.

You can only get PVC here. many older homes have ABS though. I just figured PVC is to ABS, as Romex is to knob and tube. I guess I was wrong.


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## jarvis design (May 6, 2008)

I went into my plumbing suppliers last week to pick up some supplies, which included 11/2" ABS pipe. Counter guy asked me if I wanted regular or "cellular" (or something like that). I'd never heard of two types of ABS but apparently the big boxes have been selling it for a while. It was a couple bucks cheaper per length and while I didn't want it, I took a look at a length in the back. It's like a foam structure...seemed lighter than the regular as well. Seems cheap. I certainly wouldn't use it to save a couple bucks.


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