Carlon Rodent Attack on PVC Conduit or Duct User Manual

RODENT ATTACK ON PVC CONDUIT OR DUCT

Gross Automation [phone] · www.carlonsales.com · [e-mail]

At Carlon we are often questioned on the possibility of a rodent (groundhog, rat,

etc.) chewing through direct buried or exposed PVC conduit and duct. We have

responded to these questions by assuring our customers that PVC conduit or

duct is not a source of nutrition, therefore is not subject to the attack of rodents.

The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) conducted a series of tests designed

1

to determine the susceptibility of PVC sewer pipe to attack by rodents.

PVC

pipe was cut into sections and were installed in the openings of a rat enclosure

as a barrier between the rats and sources of food and water. The rats were

supplied with reduced rations of food calculated to maintain good health but

constant hunger. After one-month period of testing the PVC pipe sections

showed evidence of the rats’ attempts to gnaw through to obtain the additional

food, but there was no penetration of the pipe. There is no evidence of an

attempted attack on the pipe when it did not interfere with access to food.

It should also be noted that rodents will chew on anything to keep their teeth

sharp and to control the length of the teeth.

1

“A STUDY OF PLASTIC PIPE FOR POTABLE WATER SUPPLIES,” NATIONAL SANITATION
FOUNDATION, HEADQUARTERS: SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR, MI (JUNE 1955) PGS. 80-83

www.carlonsales.com