---
title: "Which pipe should I use for compressed air?"
description: "Copper, steel, stainless or a purpose-rated aluminium or HDPE air system — never PVC, which fails explosively. The ranked options, the technique that changes the out"
url: https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-compressed-air/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Which pipe should I use for compressed air?

**Which pipe should I use for compressed air?: Copper, steel, stainless or a purpose-rated aluminium or HDPE air system — never PVC, which fails explosively.**

This is one of the few entries where a common practice is outright dangerous. PVC pipe is rated for liquids, not gases, and the distinction matters because a liquid is nearly incompressible: a burst water pipe releases its pressure almost instantly, while a burst air line releases the stored energy of the whole compressed volume at once. PVC also fails in a brittle mode rather than by tearing, so it shatters into fragments, and it is progressively embrittled by the oil mist carried over from a piston compressor. Pipe manufacturers state explicitly that their PVC is not for compressed air, and workplace safety bodies have issued specific warnings after injuries. Metal or a system certified for air is the only reasonable choice.

## The options, ranked

*Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.*

| Option | Good at | Bad at |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Purpose-made aluminium air pipe | Push-fit modular systems, smooth bore, no corrosion, and rated and certified for compressed air. | Expensive compared with improvised alternatives. |
| Copper | Readily available, easy to work, corrosion-free and entirely suitable for shop air pressures. | Cost, and soldered joints need to be done properly. |
| Black iron or steel | Strong, cheap and traditional for workshop ring mains. | Rusts inside, and the scale ends up in tools and paint work unless there is good filtration. |
| PVC pipe | Nothing. It is cheap and it looks tidy, which is why people use it. | It fails by shattering rather than splitting, throwing sharp fragments, and it embrittles further with age and compressor oil. |

## Technique that changes the outcome

1. Use metal or a certified compressed-air system, and check the pressure rating at temperature
2. Slope the ring main slightly and take drops off the top of the pipe so condensate does not run into tools
3. Fit drain legs at low points and a filter or dryer before any tool or spray equipment
4. Fit a shut-off valve and a regulator at each drop

## What goes wrong

- PVC or CPVC pipe for compressed air, in any circumstances
- Reusing gas or water hose not rated for the pressure
- Taking a drop off the bottom of a horizontal run, which feeds water straight into the tool

> Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.

## Other pipe questions

| For | Use |
| --- | --- |
| Hot and cold water | Copper or PEX for most installations — PEX is faster and more freeze-tolerant, copper is more robust and takes heat without question. |
| Waste and drainage | Solvent-weld or push-fit PVC-u or polypropylene, at the right diameter and fall — and ABS and PVC cements are not interchangeable. |
| Central heating | Copper, or a barrier-grade plastic pipe — non-barrier plastic lets oxygen into the system and corrodes it from the inside. |
| Boiler condensate | Plastic, never copper, at a generous diameter with continuous fall — and insulate any external run, because frozen condensate is the classic winter breakdown. |
| Gas | Steel, copper of the right grade, or yellow MDPE underground — and in most jurisdictions only a registered installer may do the work. |
| An underground water supply | Blue MDPE for potable water, in one continuous length at the required depth, with no joints under a building. |
| Irrigation | Low-density polyethylene tubing with barbed fittings for drip lines, and PVC or MDPE for buried mains. |

## Common questions

### Which pipe should I use for compressed air?

Copper, steel, stainless or a purpose-rated aluminium or HDPE air system — never PVC, which fails explosively.

### What should I avoid?

PVC or CPVC pipe for compressed air, in any circumstances Reusing gas or water hose not rated for the pressure Taking a drop off the bottom of a horizontal run, which feeds water straight into the tool

## Related pages

- [Which pipe should I use for hot and cold water?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-hot-cold-water/)
- [Which pipe should I use for waste and drainage?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-waste/)
- [Which pipe should I use for central heating?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-central-heating/)
- [Which pipe should I use for a boiler condensate drain?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-condensate/)
- [Which pipe is used for gas?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-gas/)
- [Which pipe should I use for a buried water supply?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-underground-water/)
- [Which pipe should I use for irrigation?](https://atoneplace.net/which/pipe-irrigation/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)