ABS Pipe for Housings?

[Cheetah223]

I'm building a housing for my video camera using the simple pipe-with-a-cap method, almost everyone I see making housings use PVC, and I understand that PVC is pressure rated so the argument of why PVC is used isn't an issue for me. The issue is that Home Depot only has ABS pipe large enough to fit my camera (4"...and that's cutting it close) I picked up two feet to start the job on but I can't find any information relating to pressure handled by ABS ANYWHERE online, short of buying the ASTM specs for $50 to download.

Does anyone know how much pressure 4" sch 40 cellular core ABS can hold? It'll need to hold up and be useable at 100' max. Should I toss it in a dumpster and travel farther until I get my hands on PVC?

[350xfire]

I don' think you'll have a problaem. 100' is about 45 psi and that's not really much. Just make sure the clear window can handle it.

[Lone Frogman]

Dump it.

4 "PVC 40 is 220 psi, 4" PVC 80 is 320 psi. ABS is used for non pressure.

[Cheetah223]

I'm only curious because there's always an operating pressure and a bursting pressure..I figure 100fsw is closer to 60psi, though I may have the math wrong. Just to keep it safe I want an operating pressure over 100psi, and a bursting pressure higher than that. I don't want to cut it close with a $500 camera inside..As for the window, I may not even put one on. I'm using it with a bullet cam, so I'm just going to run a wire through a gland like a canister light to the external camera and just use the actual camcorder as a recording medium..

EDIT: Frogman, you posted as I was typing..Like I said, I know the pressures and differences between ABS and PVC, I don't really care that PVC is pressure rated and ABS isn't, as long as ABS is strong enough..I'm hoping someone has used ABS before. Plenty of can lights seem to have ABS canisters from pictures..

[fdog]

If you're only going to 100', then just use a Pelican Micro-case, like the Pelican 1020.

The clear ones are good for peace of mind. They'll take the depth. Don't ask me how I know, I just know they will.


All the best, James

[spectrum]

I can't imagine a 4 inch schedule ABS cylinder being bothered at 100 feet .

Pete

[Cheetah223]

I thought about a Pelican case, but on top of not being sure if they'd take the pressure, I need to fit my camera as well as a battery and a ton of wires into the case, and the only pelican cases I can find that are big enough in all the dimensions to fit everything are WAY too big in at least one other dimension for what I want. I'm using the pipe to keep the size down, my camera fits perfectly, can't even rattle when it's slid into the 4" pipe.

[Packhorse]

..I figure 100fsw is closer to 60psi, though I may have the math wrong...

You are correct and wrong

100ft is about 60 psi absolute but since you will not be forming a vacuum in your housing before you dive or sealing it in outerspace the pressure differential will be about 45psi. or 14.5 psi per 33ft

[350xfire]

Or it takes 2.31 feet of water column per psi, thus, 100/2.31 = 43.2. About 45... Of course, that is for fresh water, so a salt water correction may be closer to 45 psi...

[merxlin]

One note about the 4" ABS pipe: It is a foam core pipe with an ABS inner and outer shell. It is very strong, but I am not sure how drilling or attachments will stand up.