I decided to stop by my local Home Depot today and ended up spending about 6 bucks on some PVC for a double bubbler. I built it, and it's amazing (two chambers, a 90 degree bend, diffusing downstems...pictures will come later!) Anyway, I've been reading some stuff online about the dangers of PVC bongs. From what i have gathered, the harmful component is chloride which is released when the pvc is heated up enough. My PVC bubbler has a glass slide, so the flame really doesn't get too close to the PVC. Does anyone on this forum have experience (positive or negative) with PVC bongs/bubblers, specifically with glass slides? I also made a diffusing stem piece for my big water pipe. Both the slide and the pipe itesef are glass, but the stem between the two is PVC. It doesn't really get hot, but for all I know just having the smoke pass trhough it could be bad. Any advice? Thanks in advance.
unless the pvc is getting melted away or whatever to heated temperatures, it should be fine if your pipe and slide are glass
It all depends on how hot the PVC is getting. Fumes may still be permeating from it, even if the material is not melting. Chloride is very dangerious, though. Basically, it was what was used for mustard gas in WWI. I would very seriously consider not using that, even though it's probably not permeating very much fumes. Prolonged exposure probably wouldn't be a very good idea.
