Conduits are used in properties in a variety of applications. Commonly, they are used for electrical wiring and telecommunications such as getting fiber connections into a building. PVC conduits have been used for decades for these applications, but contractors have found new materials for these applications, one of which is fiberglass. Fiberglass has numerous advantages over PVC, which make the case for why you should use fiberglass conduit on your property.

It is Easier to Install

Before you install a PVC conduit, you have to bend it to certain specifications. For this, you need special bending and cutting tools. These tools are not always available in the field and contractors have to learn to use them when available.

To install a fiberglass conduit, the only tool you will need is the PVC hotbox that a lot of contractors already have in the field.

Another complexity with installing PVC is that it is a lot heavier than fiberglass. This makes it more challenging to manipulate and move, requiring a few people for each installation.

Safety

Another great reason to use fiberglass is safety. Fiberglass is notoriously hard to ignite and is thus used in applications where fire hazards are a possibility. Also, even in cases where it does catch fire, it does not produce toxic halogens as you would get with a PVC conduit.

In electrical applications, there is always the chance of a fault or short. With PVC conduit, the wire will melt into the conduit in such cases. This does not happen with fiberglass.

Physical Properties

Fiberglass has physical properties that make it suitable for numerous applications. For example, the fiberglass from FRE composites, a pioneer of industrial fiberglass products, is resistant to corrosion. This is corrosion from different chemicals and water (rusting). A PVC conduit would not be able to survive these different types of chemicals, especially in industrial settings.

Another important physical property is resistance to impact. If you are passing electrical wires inside a conduit, you do not want it to break, which would allow water to get inside the conduit. Fiberglass resists impact and retains its shape after being struck or compressed.

Fiberglass is Cheaper

Because fiberglass takes less time and effort to install, the labor costs for fiberglass conduits are much lower.  Installing PVC conduit is often 5x more expensive than installing fiberglass and sometimes it is more.

Better coefficient of Friction

Contractors have to pull different types of cables through conduits. The friction caused by these actions results in what is known as burn through caused by the heat produced. This burn through can destroy the conduit.

Fiberglass is much better at resisting burn through than PVC. Because of this, contractors can pull cables through conduits made from this material much faster. Additionally, fiberglass is a lot more resistant to the lubricants used to reduce friction within the conduit.

If you are looking for reasons to use fiberglass instead of PVC, you have more than enough to choose the former. If not for any other reasons, choose fiberglass because it is cheaper, easier to work with, and resists most chemicals, which increases its lifespan.