Availability and Industry Standard
Have you ever wondered why Schedule 40 PVC is the standard for radon system suction and exhaust piping? I’ll tell you: it’s readily available and very durable even after UV exposure. This is what’s most important when selecting radon mitigation materials. Radon gas, a class A carcinogen, must not leak out of your radon system. Lesser materials like schedule 20, green or even black piping have shown to be less durable during the life of a radon system. Schedule 20 pipe in particular can shatter like glass in cold climates after very little time in the sun: rendering your radon system useless.
Design applications
PETG, or Polyethylene terephthalate glycol, is a common manufacturing product in 3D printing and is now making its way into radon systems thanks to industry disruptors. At PDS, we asked our resident expert—Shane Barr—with Alpha86 why he chose this material. He replied earnestly, “I suppose the main point being that both materials have their use. The advantage of PETG, in our case, being the adaptability and the allowance of more feasible and safe production. That then allows new and innovative products to come to market with few of the concerns of producing in PVC. There is more ability with PETG to innovate, with no overall drawback, as it can be used much more safely without the need for purpose built ventilation and machinery, thereby expanding the audience and means of production that can utilize the material effectively. The difference in UV resistance is really only applicable in thin films.”
Shane’s comments echoed what I found in my own research. PETG is durable and can be manufactured in a home setting. 3D printing–in general–allows for very little production waste. Design flaws can be fixed immediately without the need to dispose of vast quantities of unusable products or forms. Misprints or other errors can often be recycled back into new materials or samples.
PVC has much higher fit tolerances than PETG materials. PETG are millimeter designed and can print to that exact size every time, whereas PVC is injection molded and there is some tolerance batch to batch and between manufacturers. This is more pronounced on smaller diameters like 3″. This is why we recommend sanding the edges of PVC and deburring before installing with our PETG fittings. PVC glue can also act as a final lubricant to ensure the perfect, smooth fit.
Toxicity concerns
PVC or poly vinyl chloride is quite toxic–especially during manufacturing, which has lead us to look for more sustainable solutions for our industry. PETG, on the other hand, is often used in the medical and food industries due to its ease of use and less toxic qualities. PETG has no BPA or toxic odors or fumes. This protects the manufacturer during production.
Other allowable materials
I’d feel remiss if I didn’t mention metal fittings. Steel and aluminum are infinitely recyclable. Many radon systems that exhaust to metal downspout for a clean aesthetic look are inadvertently using a less toxic, more sustainable approach to system design as well. At PDS we prefer steel as it’s more durable, especially to hail damage. See our many fittings and adapters to downspout here.
Overall, as Shane said, both PETG & PVC have their use and both are suitable for radon mitigation systems.
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