PVC, uPVC & Underground Pipes & Fittings
A comprehensive range of PVC, uPVC and underground piping products designed for water supply, sanitary plumbing, sewerage, drainage and rainwater-management systems.
The range includes cold-water pressure pipes, soil-waste-vent pipes, underground sewer and drainage pipes, rainwater pipes, compatible fittings and essential installation accessories. Products are available in various sizes, pressure classes, stiffness ratings and jointing systems for residential, commercial, industrial and infrastructure applications.
Description
PVC and uPVC Terminology
PVC is commonly used as the general trade name for polyvinyl-chloride products.
PVC-U, also written as uPVC, means unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. This is the rigid PVC material commonly used for water-supply, drainage, sewerage and building-service pipes.
PVC-U pipes should not be confused with flexible PVC hoses or PVC-C/CPVC hot-water and industrial piping systems.
Common Product Types
| Product type | Common application |
|---|---|
| PVC-U Cold-Water Pressure Pipe | Building water supply, irrigation and cold-water distribution |
| Multilayer PVC-U Pressure Pipe | Water reticulation and infrastructure projects |
| PVC Schedule 40 Pipe | General industrial, irrigation and selected chemical services |
| PVC Schedule 80 Pipe | Higher-pressure industrial and chemical services |
| PVC-U Soil, Waste and Vent Pipe | Internal and external building drainage |
| PVC-U Underground Sewer Pipe | Domestic drains, private sewers and public sewer systems |
| PVC-U Rainwater Downpipe | Roof-water and stormwater discharge |
| PVC-U Pressure Fittings | Water-supply and pressure-pipe connections |
| PVC-U SWV Fittings | Soil, waste, ventilation and sanitary drainage |
| Underground Drainage Fittings | Buried sewer and stormwater connections |
| Inspection Chambers | Underground access, direction changes and branch connections |
| Floor Gullies and Traps | Wastewater collection and prevention of foul-gas entry |
| Jointing Accessories | Solvent cement, cleaner, lubricant, rubber rings and pipe supports |
PVC-U Pressure Pipes
PVC-U pressure pipes are designed for cold-water and selected industrial applications. They provide corrosion resistance, smooth internal flow surfaces and relatively lightweight handling.
Common applications include:
- Residential and commercial cold-water supply
- Water-distribution systems
- Agricultural irrigation
- Pumping and transfer lines
- Swimming-pool circulation, subject to chemical compatibility
- Chilled-water systems for selected industrial products
- Selected chemical-processing systems
- General industrial piping
Pressure pipes may use solvent-cement sockets or factory-fitted rubber-ring sockets, depending on the size and product range.
Soil, Waste and Vent Pipes
PVC-U soil-waste-vent pipes convey wastewater, soil discharge and ventilation within or around buildings.
Common products include:
- Plain-ended and socket-ended pipes
- Sanitary tees
- Swept bends
- 45° branches and wyes
- Reducers
- Access bends
- Cleaning eyes
- Floor gullies
- P-traps and bottle traps
- Vent cowls and caps
- Pipe sleeves and adaptors
SWV products are commonly used in residential, commercial, industrial and high-rise developments.
Underground Drainage and Sewer Pipes
Underground PVC-U sewer pipes are intended primarily for buried, non-pressure drainage and sewerage.
Common applications include:
- Domestic underground drains
- Private sewer connections
- Public sewer networks
- Surface-water drainage
- Building drainage outside the structure
- Underground branch and inspection-chamber connections
These systems may use solvent-cement joints or flexible rubber-ring joints. Rubber-ring joints can accommodate limited movement and installation variation while maintaining a sealed connection.
Common Underground Products
- Socketed underground sewer pipes
- Long-radius bends
- Single and double junctions
- Equal and reducing branches
- Wye fittings
- Couplers and repair couplers
- Reducers
- End caps
- Access fittings
- Rodding eyes
- Inspection-chamber bases
- Chamber risers and extensions
- Access covers
- Rubber sealing rings
- Jointing lubricant
- Solvent cement
Inspection-chamber and access-cover suitability must be selected according to installation depth, location and anticipated pedestrian or traffic loading.
Rainwater Pipes and Fittings
PVC-U rainwater pipes provide roof-water and stormwater discharge for houses, commercial buildings, industrial buildings and selected civil-engineering structures.
Products may include:
- Round rainwater downpipes
- Downpipe sockets
- Bends and offsets
- Branches
- Shoe outlets
- Wall brackets
- Gutter outlets
- Vibration-absorbing or movement joints for selected systems
Common Size Range
| Product category | Common size range |
|---|---|
| PVC-U Cold-Water Pressure Pipe | DN15âDN300 |
| Multilayer Water-Reticulation Pipe | Approximately DN80âDN300 |
| PVC Schedule 40 and 80 Pipe | Approximately ½”â8″ or DN15âDN200 |
| PVC-U Soil, Waste and Vent Pipe | Approximately DN36âDN315 |
| PVC-U Underground Sewer Pipe | Commonly DN110âDN315 |
| PVC-U Rainwater Downpipe | Approximately DN82âDN315 |
| Underground Inspection-Chamber Connections | Commonly DN110âDN315 |
| Small Waste and Sanitary Pipes | Commonly 32, 36, 40 and 50 mm |
| Soil and Vent Pipes | Commonly 82, 100, 110, 150 and 160 mm |
Actual available diameters, wall thicknesses and lengths depend on the manufacturer, pipe standard and product class.
Pipes are commonly supplied in approximately 4 m, 5.8 m or 6 m lengths, depending on the pipe system and manufacturer.
Common Pressure and Classification Systems
PN or Bar Rating
PVC-U pressure pipes may be classified by nominal pressure or working-pressure rating.
Common water-pressure ratings include:
- 6 bar
- 9 bar
- 10 bar
- 12 bar
- 12.5 bar
- 15 bar
- 16 bar
The exact available pressure class depends on the product standard, diameter and manufacturer.
Traditional Pressure Classes
Older British and Malaysian specifications may identify pressure pipe using lettered classes:
| Traditional class | Common reference pressure |
|---|---|
| Class B | Approximately 6 bar |
| Class C | Approximately 9 bar |
| Class D | Approximately 12 bar |
| Class E | Approximately 15 bar |
The applicable temperature and design standard must be checked before treating these values as allowable operating pressures.
Schedule System
Industrial PVC pipes may use the American Schedule system:
- Schedule 40
- Schedule 80
Schedule 80 generally has a thicker wall than Schedule 40 for the same nominal pipe size. Pressure capability still varies according to pipe size and operating temperature.
Ring-Stiffness System
Non-pressure underground drainage pipes may be specified according to ring stiffness:
- SN2
- SN4
- SN8
- Other project-specific stiffness classes
A higher SN number generally indicates greater resistance to external deformation. Correct bedding and installation remain essential.
SWV Application Codes
Selected building-drainage products may use application codes:
- B â Within the building structure
- D â Buried in the ground within the building structure
- BD â Suitable for both applications
Common Jointing Systems
| Joint type | Common application |
|---|---|
| Solvent-Cement Joint | Small and medium pressure pipes, SWV and selected underground systems |
| Rubber-Ring Joint | Larger pressure, sewer and underground drainage pipes |
| Threaded Connection | Small pressure fittings and equipment connections |
| Mechanical or Flexible Connector | Repairs, transitions and movement accommodation |
| Inspection-Chamber Socket | Underground branch and access connections |
The correct solvent cement, cleaner, sealing ring and lubricant must be compatible with the selected pipe system.
Common Fittings
Pressure Fittings
- Straight couplers
- 45° and 90° elbows
- Equal and reducing tees
- Reducers
- Unions
- Male threaded adaptors
- Female threaded adaptors
- End caps
- Tank connectors
- Valve sockets
Soil, Waste and Vent Fittings
- Swept bends
- Sanitary tees
- Single and double branches
- 45° wyes
- Reducers
- Access bends
- Cleaning eyes
- Traps
- Floor gullies
- Vent caps
Underground Drainage Fittings
- Long-radius bends
- Single and double junctions
- Equal and reducing branches
- Couplers
- Repair couplers
- Reducers
- Access fittings
- Rodding eyes
- End caps
- Inspection-chamber connections
Common Materials
- Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride, PVC-U or uPVC
- Multilayer PVC-U for selected pressure systems
- Elastomeric sealing rings, including EPDM or other approved compounds
- PVC solvent cement
- Jointing cleaner or primer
- Rubber-ring lubricant
- Polypropylene or polyethylene inspection chambers and access components
- PVC, polypropylene or stainless-steel floor-gully components
- Cast-iron, composite or polymer access covers
Potable-water products should use the appropriate approved formulation and certification for contact with drinking water.
Common Standards and Requirements
Pressure Pipes
- MS 628-1:2014 â General requirements for PVC-U pressure systems
- MS 628-2:2014 â PVC-U pressure pipes
- MS 628-3:2014 â PVC-U pressure fittings
- MS 628-4:2015 â Solvent cement
- ISO 1452 Series â PVC-U systems for water supply and pressure drainage
- BS EN ISO 1452 Series â PVC-U pressure-pipe systems
- MS 2713-2:2021 â Multilayer PVC-U pressure pipes
Soil, Waste and Vent
- MS 1063:2002 â PVC-U soil, ventilation and waste-discharge systems
- BS EN 1329-1 â PVC-U soil and waste systems within buildings
- BS 4514 â PVC-U soil and ventilating pipes and fittings
Underground Drainage and Sewerage
- MS 979 â PVC-U underground drainage and sewer pipes and fittings
- BS EN 1401-1 â PVC-U non-pressure underground drainage and sewerage
- ISO 4435 â PVC-U underground non-pressure drainage and sewer systems
Rainwater and Related Products
- BS EN 12200-1 â PVC-U rainwater piping systems
- BS EN 1253 â Gullies for buildings
- SIRIM product certification where required
- SPAN registration where applicable
- JKR, Indah Water, local-authority and project-specific requirements
Standards and approvals must be verified against the exact manufacturer, pipe series, fitting and product model.
Common Applications
- Residential and commercial cold-water systems
- Water reticulation
- Agricultural irrigation
- Soil, waste and ventilation systems
- Domestic underground drains
- Private and public sewers
- Rainwater and stormwater discharge
- Industrial and chemical-processing systems
- Chilled-water systems using suitable industrial PVC
- Inspection chambers and maintenance access
- Residential, high-rise, commercial and industrial developments
Important Ordering Information
Please confirm the following before ordering:
- Pressure, SWV, rainwater or underground application
- Intended medium and operating temperature
- Nominal size and actual outside diameter
- Metric, imperial or Schedule dimension system
- Required pipe length
- Plain-ended or socket-ended pipe
- Solvent-cement or rubber-ring joint
- Required PN, bar or pressure class
- Schedule 40 or Schedule 80
- Required underground ring-stiffness class
- SWV application code B, D or BD
- Required fitting type and angle
- Equal or reducing configuration
- Branch and outlet sizes
- Thread size and BSP or NPT standard
- Required rubber sealing rings
- Approved solvent cement and lubricant
- Inspection-chamber inlet and outlet sizes
- Chamber depth and riser height
- Pedestrian or traffic-loading requirement for covers
- Potable-water approval requirement
- SIRIM, SPAN, JKR, Indah Water or project approval
- Required certificates and test reports
- Quantity and delivery requirements
Technical Notice
Pressure pipes, SWV pipes and underground sewer pipes are not interchangeable even when their nominal sizes appear similar. They may have different outside diameters, wall thicknesses, socket dimensions, stiffness ratings, jointing systems and approvals.
PVC-U pressure pipe is generally intended for cold-water service. It should not be used for hot water unless the exact manufacturer and project specification permit the operating temperature. PVC-C or another approved hot-water piping system may be required.
Underground non-pressure sewer pipes should not be treated as pressure pipes. Pipe strength and performance also depend on correct trench preparation, bedding, backfilling and installation.
