Should you paint PVC plumbing at equipment pad?

[jagger2005]

The reason I am wondering is I had some 3/4 pvc from my sprinkler system that I dug up and left sitting in a pile in the yard. I went to discard it yesterday and notice a lot of "burn" spots on the PVC. Curious if this will happen to my pool plumbing.

If it is a good idea, any particulars about a paint type that should be used?

 

[duraleigh]

Sched 40 pvc is pretty UV resistant. It gets chalky and dull looking but it does not lose too much strength. That said, I think it looks VERY nice painted and gives a very professional look if you do a good job.

 

[jmastron]

Just beware that if you (or the next owner) need to do additions or repairs later, the paint has to be removed to glue new fittings on. With whatever paint the previous owner used, I was able to get enough off with acetone, but it was a pain to do.

 

[Agent99]

JM Eagle Short Paper on UV Resistance of PVC

Note that this will automagically download a small PDF file to your computer.

 

[chiefwej]

Here in the "Land of Too Much Sunshine" it's standard to paint all pool plumbing.

 

[gwegan]

Some California jurisdictions require painting.

 

[rphpool]

I noticed my pool equipment ( faces west sun for 7 hours ) was getting real hot!!! Filter felt like it could act like a heater.
I went to HD and purchased some sail shades

ShelterLogic 12 ft. x 12 ft. Sand Triangle Heavy Weight Sun Shade Sail-25720 - The Home Depot

to cover my equipment ( had room to attach from fence to house ). Now my pool equipment is nice and cool and have noticed water temps down 1-2 degrees.

 

[JamesW]

I can usually tell when a picture of equipment is from Arizona. The PVC is usually damaged from UV. In places that have intense UV, it probably helps. Otherwise, most PVC is not seriously damaged by normal exposure.

 

[chiefwej]

I read a study on it. Basically what it said is even if it's left exposed to high levels of UV and it causes that ugly burned look, the damage is very superficial and has little to no effect on its structural integrity. There is a link to the study somewhere around here.

 

[jagger2005]

Chief, I think agent99 posted an article that confirms your observations.
Now that I have thought about it,my plumbing has water flowing through it during the heat of the day. Thus the pipe temperature is probably cooler. The dry ones on the ground were very hot when I picked them up.

All, Thanks for all the comments and advice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jblizzle]

I have found that old discolored PVC can not be cut with shears as it tends to just snap. So it must harden and become more brittle over time. No idea if paint would help or not. Find this to be true even if it was buried.

 

[Divin Dave]

I painted my PVC's. It looks much better.

 

[Agent99]

I have found that old discolored PVC can not be cut with shears as it tends to just snap. So it must harden and become more brittle over time. No idea if paint would help or not. Find this to be true even if it was buried.

I agree. In my recent backyard/pool remodel, some dug up PVC (likely buried since 1978...initial pool build) was too brittle to shear with my normal cutters and it snapped and broke instead. Interestingly enough, I just moved a bit further down the pipe and it cut just fine. Go figure. I now house all my pool equipment in a plastic Lifetime shed that I erected as part of the remodel. In addition to protecting it from the elements, it also just looks better not seeing the pool equipment.