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Barbara Dramer Posted: Sep 02, 2007 01:20 AM	Spray foam insulation harmful to ABS plumbing pipe I'm an owner builder in California's central valley (hot & dry climate) and recently had spray foam installed in an apartment over my garage. I think it's great and recommend it to a lot of people. Also, I've done tons and tons of research on it. So imagine my surprise when my neighbor across the street, who is redoing her kitchen, is told by two different building inspectors that spray foam insulation is harmful to ABS plumbing pipe, and they advise her not to use it. She had gotten a bid to do her kitchen walls and attic with the foam, but after what the inspectors said, she went with fiberglass. I was dumbfounded. I'd never heard of any problem with ABS, and so I went to the internet and after about 3 hours of searching I am coming up with absolutely NOTHING!! These inspectors, both of whom had backgrounds as plumbers, told her that the ABS deteriorates when in direct contact with spray form (closed vs open, soy vs polyurethane not part of their comments). What gives? I suspect these guys are just blowing smoke. But why? Who would they be protecting? I cannot find anything in writing anywhere about this "problem". Can any of you comment?
Posted: Sep 03, 2007 07:37 AM	tripe,,,what else can you say... plastic is plastic i would educate,,,, then let them know they are at risk of proffessional liability by restricting your companies ability to generate income based upon their statements of untruth & inaccuracies ...remind them that they need to be sure of the codes that they enforce in order to enforce them...remind them that they represent a jurisdiction who is equally liable for their actions,,call your council persons and just give em a heads up of the tripe you the taxpaying business person are being presented with under their representation... (sounds like their brother in law is the filterglass/wetshreededpaper dudes!!) you really need to post this for mason too!! this is a hoot!!! what next...????? please print this and show it to your building inspector,,please ask him to call me if he would like to talk,, sprayfoammagazine.com has my demographics listed in the contractor section...take some time and look around...
philip mullins Posted: Sep 03, 2007 04:30 PM	i have heard of this sort of problem. see, i was raised on a cattle farm in texas, and we used to step in it all the time.
philip mullins Posted: Sep 03, 2007 04:32 PM	guys, i carry a $10 mini tape recorder with me most of the time. and turn it on and stick it in my shirt pocket whenever meeting with inspectors, clients, or any one else who may be in a position to screw me (traffic cops). i may be paranoid, i dont know
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Sep 03, 2007 06:15 PM	Spray Foam harming ABS plastic? Ludicrous. 1) The source for this strange claim is doubtless coming from cellulose or fiberglass or a certain canadian foam company. It's just nuts. 2) What is the exterior jacket of Romex made of? There have been some untrue claims about foam possibly harming romex wiring - which was quickly proven false. I wonder if this one is related? 3) Mention it to Mason. He needs a good chuckle once in a while. 4) The building inspector(s) is spreading falsehood. That alone should bring pressure to bear upon them. I had a building inspector tell me that Icynene won't burn last month. I said I would buy him a propane torch and advised him to prove his statemment. He grew quiet. Thanks for bringing this falsehood to our attention. oG
Barbara Dramer Posted: Sep 04, 2007 11:07 PM	As a couple of you have suggested, I'm going to cut and paste my original post over in the "Ask Mason Knowles" section of the Q & A Forum.
Huey Reed Posted: Sep 28, 2007 11:43 PM	The inspectors may be on Owens payroll, who knows!!!
mason Posted: Oct 01, 2007 03:21 PM	You may be happy to know that SPFA is conducting a fast track response to this issue and a longer term research program. Not only for ABS but all pvc pipe, fittings, and electrical wiring.

Author

Comments

Barbara Dramer

Posted: Sep 02, 2007 01:20 AM

Spray foam insulation harmful to ABS plumbing pipe

I'm an owner builder in California's central valley (hot & dry climate) and recently had spray foam installed in an apartment over my garage. I think it's great and recommend it to a lot of people. Also, I've done tons and tons of research on it. So imagine my surprise when my neighbor across the street, who is redoing her kitchen, is told by two different building inspectors that spray foam insulation is harmful to ABS plumbing pipe, and they advise her not to use it. She had gotten a bid to do her kitchen walls and attic with the foam, but after what the inspectors said, she went with fiberglass. I was dumbfounded. I'd never heard of any problem with ABS, and so I went to the internet and after about 3 hours of searching I am coming up with absolutely NOTHING!! These inspectors, both of whom had backgrounds as plumbers, told her that the ABS deteriorates when in direct contact with spray form (closed vs open, soy vs polyurethane not part of their comments). What gives? I suspect these guys are just blowing smoke. But why? Who would they be protecting? I cannot find anything in writing anywhere about this "problem". Can any of you comment?

Posted: Sep 03, 2007 07:37 AM

tripe,,,what else can you say...
plastic is plastic

i would educate,,,,
then let them know they are at risk of proffessional liability by restricting your companies ability to generate income based upon their statements of untruth & inaccuracies ...remind them that they need to be sure of the codes that they enforce in order to enforce them...remind them that they represent a jurisdiction who is equally liable for their actions,,call your council persons and just give em a heads up of the tripe you the taxpaying business person are being presented with under their representation...
(sounds like their brother in law is the filterglass/wetshreededpaper dudes!!)

you really need to post this for mason too!!
this is a hoot!!!
what next...?????
please print this and show it to your building inspector,,please ask him to call me if he would like to talk,,
sprayfoammagazine.com has my demographics listed in the contractor section...take some time and look around...

philip mullins

Posted: Sep 03, 2007 04:30 PM

i have heard of this sort of problem. see, i was raised on a cattle farm in texas, and we used to step in it all the time.

philip mullins

Posted: Sep 03, 2007 04:32 PM

guys, i carry a $10 mini tape recorder with me most of the time. and turn it on and stick it in my shirt pocket whenever meeting with inspectors, clients, or any one else who may be in a position to screw me (traffic cops). i may be paranoid, i dont know

Gerry Wagoner

Posted: Sep 03, 2007 06:15 PM

Spray Foam harming ABS plastic? Ludicrous.

1) The source for this strange claim is doubtless coming from cellulose or fiberglass or a certain canadian foam company. It's just nuts.

2) What is the exterior jacket of Romex made of?
There have been some untrue claims about foam possibly harming romex wiring - which was quickly proven false. I wonder if this one is related?

3) Mention it to Mason. He needs a good chuckle once in a while.

4) The building inspector(s) is spreading falsehood. That alone should bring pressure to bear upon them. I had a building inspector tell me that Icynene won't burn last month. I said I would buy him a propane torch and advised him to prove his statemment. He grew quiet.

Thanks for bringing this falsehood to our attention.

oG

Barbara Dramer

Posted: Sep 04, 2007 11:07 PM

As a couple of you have suggested, I'm going to cut and paste my original post over in the "Ask Mason Knowles" section of the Q & A Forum.

Huey Reed

Posted: Sep 28, 2007 11:43 PM

The inspectors may be on Owens payroll, who knows!!!

mason

Posted: Oct 01, 2007 03:21 PM

You may be happy to know that SPFA is conducting a fast track response to this issue and a longer term research program. Not only for ABS but all pvc pipe, fittings, and electrical wiring.

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