Hello,
I have a 50' run for nutrient rich fertigation water, and wondering if there is any real difference in water quality (or other considerations) between using a black poly pipe vs. using pvc. I'm pretty sure black poly is cheaper, and less labor, but if there are good reasons for pvc, I'm interested... pressure should be around 40-50lbs. I plan to insulate for whichever one I use.

Thanks!

for myself, i'd use poly.
easier and cheaper
:<

I have hundreds of feet of black poly I could give you. Mind you, the critters have chewed dozens of holes into it. Previous owner did not know how much critters like water. You can see different sizes of teeth marks, my guess is rats and squirrels although we have a lot of gophers.

All of which is to say that I'm replacing all of that with PVC, underground wherever possible.

Maybe California's critters have different preferences as far as what they like to chew on than other areas of the country as I have had the same experiences as Dave and here in Northern California would definitely only install PVC schedule 40.

Also black poly is intended for intermittent low pressure, not continuous. 50 psi is bit high. Drip irrigation requires pressure reducers down to ~25psi.

Thanks, that's helpful to know about black poly NOT wanting constant pressure. Dont many waterlines, particularly from wells, use blackpoly to bring water up to house/pressure tank? are they normally under constant pressure?

Your first question mentioned a short run of irrigation water. Your last post asked about well pipes, not irrigation pipes. Different situation, different answer. Could you describe your exact problem, including pipe type and diameter, and perhaps provide a photo?