PVC vs. Aluminum Pipe

PVC Pipe

• PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride. PVC resin hardens to form a very strong, very rigid plastic. The material proves largely impermeable by outside sources, making it popular in applications that require transporting clean water, particularly through polluted environments. The malleability of PVC in its resin form allows for the creation of pipes of varying size and thickness, as well as joints and gaskets built from the material. Because of this, entire pipe systems can comprise nothing but PVC.

Aluminum Pipe

• Aluminum pipe is made from the metal of the same name. Aluminum pipes generally constitute alloys, or composites including aluminum and other natural elements. Other materials used in aluminum alloy pipes include zinc, manganese, magnesium, silicon and carbon. The strength and properties of aluminum piping vary slightly, depending on the other materials in the alloy. Aluminum belongs to a group known as non-ferrous metals -- those not containing large amounts of iron.

Uses

• PVC pipe has numerous uses. In domestic settings, it is commonly used to transport water through soil and within the home. In the garden, PCV piping appears in irrigation systems. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension recommends building indoor growing stations entirely of PVC pipe. You can also construct hoop houses, a type of greenhouse, with PVC pipe. Aluminum pipe provides limited home or garden use and appears most commonly in heavy industry. Those using aluminum pipe include oil, paper and textile manufacturing and chemical industries.

Properties

• Aluminum stands up well against exposure to air and soil, though it easily corrodes with regular use for water, or when placed in mixed-medium earth containing heavy amounts of moisture and minerals. Because of this, aluminum pipe provides a limited number of useful applications. PVC pipe proves resistant to corrosion of nearly any kind. Combined with its impermeability, this property makes PVC piping ideally suited to a wide range of uses. PVC proves generally more useful than aluminum piping in a home or garden setting.