Schedule 20 PVC Pipe Pressure Rating: How to Measure the Strength of a PVC Pipe

How strong is the PVC pipe? This is a commonly asked question in the industry. People also often ask: what is the schedule 20 PVC pipe pressure rating?

While this might seem as a straightforward question, it’s often not. First  off, there are 3 types of PVC pipe strength measurements:

• Tensile strength
• Burst pressure
• Collapse pressure

Schedule 20 PVC pipe pressure rating is also affected by the premises of different PVC pipes coming in unique sizes.

Factors that Affect Schedule 20 PVC Pipe Pressure Rating

Tensile Strength

Tensile strength denotes the maximum weight that can be placed on any item before it loses or breaks from the pressure. The tensile strength is measured by hanging weights on the pipe until it bends or reaches the breaking point. This can be easily used in coming up with the schedule 20 PVC pipe pressure rating. Normally, you’ll notice that the tensile strength increases relative to the size of the pipe. The larger the pipe, the higher the tensile strength. For example, an 8” of either schedule 40 or 80 PVC pipe is stronger than smaller sized PVC pipes. Nonetheless, smaller pipes too have the capacity to hold a lot of weight if need be.

Burst Pressure

How much pressure can a PVC pipe take before it burst or fails? If you wish to pass any type of matter through a PVC pipe, you need to consider the burst pressure. Unlike most metal pipes, PVC is thought to be weak when it comes to burst pressure. In reality, they cannot handle as much pressure as the weakest metal in use currently. But do not be dismayed, even smaller PVC pipes can pretty much withstand pressure while in use at home or in commercial premises. The major difference between tensile strength and burst pressure is that pressure decreases as PVC sizes increase.

A smaller pipe could potentially withstand more internal pressure without breaking. For instance, a 2.5” PVC pipe has a moderately higher burst pressure rating than a 2” pipe. The schedule 20 PVC pipe pressure rating will be affected by both the tensile strength and the burst pressure.

Collapse Pressure

The collapse pressure is also referred to as the crush strength. Collapse  pressure is the amount of pressure that a PVC pipe will withstand before it can begin to cave in inwards. You need to consider this especially if you want to use the pipe below ground.

This test can be done through placing weight on the PVC pipe until it begins warping or bending. Similar to burst pressure, as the PVC pipe size increases, the collapse pressurse decreases. Therefore, smaller pipes can withstand more external pressure than the larger counterparts. It good to mention that there are other methods of measuring schedule 20 PVC pipes pressure rating or any other PVC pipes besides what we’ve discussed here. However, these methods are more complex and would require in depth explanations.

Resources and References:

• PVC Pipe Burst Pressure