PVC Container Will Not Stay Dry

[+bittsen]

PVC pipes are designed to be sealed once, and not to be opened and closed multiple times. Water will enter up the threads via osmosis or condensation.

 

Ahhhhh Osmosis... How could I have been so stupid...

 

Yes, osmosis is that microscpic one way valve component I was speaking of.

ABS is full of osmosis. Don't buy the SBA though because that has built in reverse osmosis. That stuff is used in the cheap, illegal alien built homes. Most people think it's leaky pipes but it's just the reverse osmosis doing it's job.

[+Taoiseach]

OTOH, at least I know how to spell "mold."

 

It's spelt 'mold' in American. In English, we spell it 'mould'

[+narcissa]

OTOH, at least I know how to spell "mold."

 

It's spelt 'mold' in American. In English, we spell it 'mould'

 

Hey boyfriend, get out of here. I'm a feminist and I can stand up for myself!

[+Taoiseach]

OTOH, at least I know how to spell "mold."

 

It's spelt 'mold' in American. In English, we spell it 'mould'

 

Hey boyfriend, get out of here. I'm a feminist and I can stand up for myself!

 

Don't uppity with me Ontario Woman! I thought people from Ontario were Superior, or from the lake anyway...

 

:wub:

[+brslk]

 

Why are you attacking me again? It is a simple principle that things that hold water can also keep water out. I never mentioned ammo cans.

I have no idea what you are trying to say when you wrote "I presume that's what you were trying to say".

Are you questioning my education?

I guess you have no plumbing in your home... if you did you would know how ABS works.

 

Again Please stay on topic and not make it personal. I did not attack you so please do not attack me or send your boyfriend to attack me when you cannot.

 

You responded directly to me. If you don't wish to converse with me because of past disagreements, you can simply ignore my comments and respond to others. I don't usually pay much attention to the name beside a comment - I prefer to address the comment itself.

 

That being said, it's a little silly to reply to me (I commented first, again), ask me a question directly, and then get angry when I attempt to answer it.

 

I certainly wasn't "questioning" your education, but I'm still not clear about what your first post was trying to say about someone being an engineer. I'm not an engineer. Are you an engineer? Is the geocache an engineer?

 

I'm explaining what I've observed in the field after finding many of these caches.

 

For some reason, water seeps in to ABS/PVC caches, but doesn't come out again (unless the cache is opened and the water is dried out). The contents of these caches are always very wet, even after a period of dry weather, and are usually covered in some sort of mould or algae with a very distinctive smell.

 

Contrast this with a broken ammo can, where the contents will be wet or damp when there's been rain, but the contents will be dry after a dry spell. These containers sometimes have mould (hard to avoid in the forest), but they don't have the same smelly, slimy mould that the ABS/PVC caches do.

 

I'm not a plumber, but I'm pretty sure that the plumbing in my house is mostly protected from the harsh temperature extremes, snow, ice, dirt, and frequent handling that an ABS geocache is exposed to where I live.

 

I suspect these conditions contribute to the vast difference in performance between my home plumbing, and the (probably dozens of) ABS or PVC pipe geocaches I've found.

 

This is merely an anecdotal report of my in-field observations of geocaches, and is not intended to be taken as a comment on anything beyond the nature and performance of geocaches.

 

The same can be said for what you are doing now. YOU are replying directly to my posts.

I will not question your expert "anecdotal" report about ABS pipe in the field.

You obviously know way more than I because you have found so many more caches than I.

 

I will say I know a lot about ABS piping and connections. More so than you I would guess.

I know that once an ABS pipe is sealed and it has a resealable connection it IS water tight.

 

Honestly, If you don't like what I have to say then please stop attacking me.

 

It's a large world out there... lets not make it a small one one here by fighting in it.

[+brslk]

OTOH, at least I know how to spell "mold."

 

It's spelt 'mold' in American. In English, we spell it 'mould'

 

Hey boyfriend, get out of here. I'm a feminist and I can stand up for myself!

 

Don't uppity with me Ontario Woman! I thought people from Ontario were Superior, or from the lake anyway...

 

:wub:

 

Didn't take long for the BF to get involved...

[+bittsen]

It's spelt 'mold' in American. In English, we spell it 'mould'

 

It's my understanding that the fungus is spelled mold no matter where you are in the world (as long as you are speaking english or a derivative) but mold and mould are interchangable when discussing a device which is a negative form of a finished piece when discussing any type of manufacturing process for manufacturing pieces repeatedly.

[+narcissa]

It's spelt 'mold' in American. In English, we spell it 'mould'

 

It's my understanding that the fungus is spelled mold no matter where you are in the world (as long as you are speaking english or a derivative) but mold and mould are interchangable when discussing a device which is a negative form of a finished piece when discussing any type of manufacturing process for manufacturing pieces repeatedly.

 

Not trying to be snarky, but that's incorrect. In Canada, "mould" is the correct spelling when referring to fungi.

[+narcissa]

 

Didn't take long for the BF to get involved...

 

Wow, nothing gets by this guy!

[+Taoiseach]

OTOH, at least I know how to spell "mold."

 

It's spelt 'mold' in American. In English, we spell it 'mould'

 

Hey boyfriend, get out of here. I'm a feminist and I can stand up for myself!

 

Don't uppity with me Ontario Woman! I thought people from Ontario were Superior, or from the lake anyway...

 

:)

 

Didn't take long for the BF to get involved...

 

I can get involved, if you like.

 

I know that you might not read every post, and certainly think that if it comes out of Ottawa it is intended as a personal attack, but you might notice that my post was a joke aimed at fizzymagic. Canadians tend to use English English spellings (and I certainly use English spellings almost exclusively), whereas Americans have their own (mis)spellings for whatever reason. Fizzymagic made a joke about this, and I responded to it.

 

As for the topic at hand, Cliffy Tubes make terrible cache containers. An ABS Tube might seal up well enough the first time, but over time as it is exposed to the elements, and opened and closed (sometimes improperly) over and over again, it begins to let in water. Once water gets into a Cliffy tube, it simply doesn't evaporate out of the cache. It just sits there and grows mould and other biohazards ( ), and eventually just turns into a mess. I have found a lot of them, and I can say with a great deal of certainty that they make poor cache containers. Not to mention the fact that they look like pipe bombs!

 

An ABS tube might be good as a drain for your sink, and a cardboard box might be good for holding stuff in your basement, but neither make good cache containers. Some things that seem like they should be water tight just don't work as caches. Caches undergo very different stresses than many things, such as lock&locks and ABS pipes would in their intended purpose.

 

I'm sorry if my presence in this forum has ruined your evening, but as I've said to you before, don't post something on a public forum if you don't want people to reply to it!

 

And Bittsen, no. We spell it Mould in either case.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Taoiseach

[+bittsen]

Not trying to be snarky, but that's incorrect. In Canada, "mould" is the correct spelling when referring to fungi.

 

You might want to inform all those Canadian mold removal companies then. They are all spelling it wrong, those fools!!

[+brslk]

 

Didn't take long for the BF to get involved...

 

Wow, nothing gets by this guy!

 

Please stop derailing this thread and stay on topic.

 

We have disagreed about the waterproofness? of PVC or ABS pipe... stop making it personal and attacking me.

[+Taoiseach]

Not trying to be snarky, but that's incorrect. In Canada, "mould" is the correct spelling when referring to fungi.

 

You might want to inform all those Canadian mold removal companies then. They are all spelling it wrong, those fools!!

 

There are a lot of people in Canada who use American spellings. I find it mildly annoying, but it's a reality of our proximity to the United States.

 

As I've said, Mould is correct in Canadian English, and definitely in English English.

 

http://www.toronto.ca/health/mould.htm

[+bittsen]

 

Didn't take long for the BF to get involved...

 

Wow, nothing gets by this guy!

 

Please stop derailing this thread and stay on topic.

 

We have disagreed about the waterproofness? of PVC or ABS pipe... stop making it personal and attacking me.

 

Plastic pipe IS water resistant no matter whether the water is on the inside or outside. It's the assembly that causes leaks, whether leaking from outside in or inside out.

 

Nuff said.

[+narcissa]

I will say I know a lot about ABS piping and connections. More so than you I would guess.

I know that once an ABS pipe is sealed and it has a resealable connection it IS water tight.

 

You should have just said this in your original response, instead of whatever that was about somebody being an engineer.

 

It still stands that ABS pipes make terrible caches. The conditions they experience in the walls of a house are simply not comparable to the conditions they experience when wedged into a tree in Ottawa. The seals quickly become compromised by geocachers and the elements, and after that, the water leaks in, but it doesn't come out.

 

As fizzy has suggested, it seems likely that the tiny cracks and holes let liquid water in, but they don't allow evaporated water out.

 

Remember, water exists in three states of matter around here.

[+Taoiseach]

 

Didn't take long for the BF to get involved...

 

Wow, nothing gets by this guy!

 

Please stop derailing this thread and stay on topic.

 

We have disagreed about the waterproofness? of PVC or ABS pipe... stop making it personal and attacking me.

 

You're not making it personal?

 

You've basically said that I'm not welcome to post in this thread (even if it's not in response to you!), just because I'm narcissa's partner. I'm free to post in any thread in which I care to do so. I don't care for your constant, unprovoked attacks on Narcissa, and I don't care for the fact that you would simply dismiss me as the 'BF' as though I don't have any thoughts of my own.

[+brslk]

 

Didn't take long for the BF to get involved...

 

Wow, nothing gets by this guy!

 

Please stop derailing this thread and stay on topic.

 

We have disagreed about the waterproofness? of PVC or ABS pipe... stop making it personal and attacking me.

 

You're not making it personal?

 

You've basically said that I'm not welcome to post in this thread (even if it's not in response to you!), just because I'm narcissa's partner. I'm free to post in any thread in which I care to do so. I don't care for your constant, unprovoked attacks on Narcissa, and I don't care for the fact that you would simply dismiss me as the 'BF' as though I don't have any thoughts of my own.

 

I "dismiss" you because I am not talking to you. If your GF cannot speak for herself then she cannot.

Therefore I have nothing to say to you.

 

I have NOT done anything unprovoked.

 

Please stop trying to derail this thread. If you wish to talk about this then PM me.

 

I stand by my thoughts that a PVC pipe can be a good cache without leaks,

[+narcissa]

I stand by my thoughts that a PVC pipe can be a good cache without leaks,

 

Perhaps you can shed some light on how it can be constructed so as to avoid the problems so common to these caches? Clearly, everybody's been doing it wrong somehow.

 

Remember, this is a public forum, not a private discussion.

[+Taoiseach]

I "dismiss" you because I am not talking to you. If your GF cannot speak for herself then she cannot.

Therefore I have nothing to say to you.

 

And if she speaks, I cannot? I don't understand, please direct me to your version of the forum guidelines.

 

I have NOT done anything unprovoked.

 

Except reply to narcissa, and then say that she followed you by posting a dozen posts earlier in the thread with a viewpoint that you disagree with. You don't own this forum, you know.

 

I stand by my thoughts that a PVC pipe can be a good cache without leaks,

 

Assuming it has the find rate of GCDFB

[+brslk]

I stand by my thoughts that a PVC pipe can be a good cache without leaks,

 

Perhaps you can shed some light on how it can be constructed so as to avoid the problems so common to these caches? Clearly, everybody's been doing it wrong somehow.

 

Remember, this is a public forum, not a private discussion.

 

YOU made it personal... I am not here to teach anyone how to make a water tight PVC cache... many people already know how to do it.

 

You say "everybody's been doing it wrong somehow." I just don't see that...

 

Maybe that is what YOU have seen but do not say that is all there is.

 

And thank you for staying on topic.

[+brslk]

I "dismiss" you because I am not talking to you. If your GF cannot speak for herself then she cannot.

Therefore I have nothing to say to you.

 

And if she speaks, I cannot? I don't understand, please direct me to your version of the forum guidelines.

 

I have NOT done anything unprovoked.

 

Except reply to narcissa, and then say that she followed you by posting a dozen posts earlier in the thread with a viewpoint that you disagree with. You don't own this forum, you know.

 

I stand by my thoughts that a PVC pipe can be a good cache without leaks,

 

Assuming it has the find rate of GCDFB

 

Let it go.

[+narcissa]

I am not here to teach anyone how to make a water tight PVC cache... many people already know how to do it.

 

The original post is asking for help with this cache type! If you know how to make it watertight and resistant to the elements, I'm sure the original poster would appreciate the tips.

[+brslk]

It is a simple principle that things that hold water can also keep water out.

Really?

 

Too bad you're wrong. Take Gore-tex, for example. Or your GPS unit. Note that in both cases, water vapor acts quite differently from liquid water, and that has a big effect on the transport into/out of the container.

 

OTOH, at least I know how to spell "mold."

 

The operative work was "can"

[+brslk]

I am not here to teach anyone how to make a water tight PVC cache... many people already know how to do it.

 

The original post is asking for help with this cache type! If you know how to make it watertight and resistant to the elements, I'm sure the original poster would appreciate the tips.

 

I may or may not have messaged the OP about how to do that. It really is none of your concern.

If YOU have any questions about ABS pipe then feel free to PM me. I do not wish to derail this thread anymore than it already has been.

Edited March 29, 2010 by brslk

[+Taoiseach]

Let it go.

 

Deal.

 

Back on topic, I've been looking through the cache pages for a few Cliffy tubes that have been archived. It seems that another reason for the poorness of Cliffy tubes as a cache container, is that they become somewhat brittle after a few winters, and eventually crack when the lid is overtightened (as it has to be in order to get a proper seal). Once the crack starts, it grows, and this just causes the cache to grow even more mould!

[+narcissa]

I have a PCV cache and used a 'clean out plug'. The plug goes inside the pipe and has a gasket and a wing nut that tightens it. They are made to hold water back - thus will hold water out as well. Over a year with mine and dry as a bone.

 

 

 

Sometimes they call them inspection or test plugs.

 

This is interesting. I have never found one of these caches with a cap that looked anything like this. The ones I find always have end caps that look like these:

 

 

[+Taoiseach]

It is a simple principle that things that hold water can also keep water out.

Really?

 

Too bad you're wrong. Take Gore-tex, for example. Or your GPS unit. Note that in both cases, water vapor acts quite differently from liquid water, and that has a big effect on the transport into/out of the container.

 

OTOH, at least I know how to spell "mold."

 

The operative work was "can"

 

In theory, yes. In practice, no. Cliffy tubes just don't work in many climates (i.e. any climate with cold winters or a lot of moisture). I imagine that they could work in the desert though...

[+narcissa]

 

In theory, yes. In practice, no. Cliffy tubes just don't work in many climates (i.e. any climate with cold winters or a lot of moisture). I imagine that they could work in the desert though...

 

70s Tupperware and Altoid tins also work in the desert.

[+sdrawkcab]

I have found that Decon containers have the same problem here in the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area. Not sure if its because it has no vent or just some cachers not taking the time to make sure that the lid is on correctly. Maybe both. Would like to here what yall have to say as long as it dosn't start another 25 post fight. LOL

 

I havent seen any PVC pipe caches around here. Then again I haven't been caching a real long time. about 18 months.

Edited March 29, 2010 by sdrawkcab

[+Vater_Araignee]

Not trying to be snarky, but that's incorrect. In Canada, "mould" is the correct spelling when referring to fungi.

 

You might want to inform all those Canadian mold removal companies then. They are all spelling it wrong, those fools!!

 

There are a lot of people in Canada who use American spellings. I find it mildly annoying, but it's a reality of our proximity to the United States.

 

As I've said, Mould is correct in Canadian English, and definitely in English English.

 

http://www.toronto.ca/health/mould.htm

And I would suppose that you are going off of somebody who is using the Cambridge Dictionary for their proper "English English"?

The dictionary that is notorious for the inclusion of grievously common misspellings using the justification, if most do it then it is just the simple progression of language?

At least my dictionary says:

Main Entry: mould

British variant of (1)mold (noun)

 

Main Entry: (1)mold

Pronunciation: \ˈmōld\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English molde; akin to Old High German molta soil, Latin molere to grind — more at meal

Date: before 12th century

 

1 : crumbling soft friable earth suited to plant growth : soil; especially : soil rich in humus

2 dialect British a : the surface of the earth : ground b : the earth of the burying ground

3 archaic : earth that is the substance of the human body <be merciful great Duke to men of mold — Shakespeare>

 

(1) = superscript that the forum can't do

 

So according to that, it would not be correct English English to use mould as a superficial often woolly growth produced especially on damp or decaying organic matter or on living organisms by a fungus.

 

Misspellings, improper usage, fine. I do it with frequency.

Insulting another country to defend yourself, not fine. Yes I find you considering "the usage of American spelling to be mildly annoying" as insulting the country you attempt to refer to.

One more thing, you are an American too. Our country is not America, it is the United States of America.

Unfortunately it isn't what the name implies, but it does mean that you are no less an American than I, considering the America portion of the name refers to the New World. The designations of North and South for the continents where used before our foundation but not common on maps as as only a small portion of the maps produced after the proposal reflected the change and old outdated maps where more prevalent in active usage.

[+narcissa]

Canadians actually use a hybrid of American and British English spelling. In a few instances, we've kept archaic forms. Mould is the accepted spelling in Canada. Not a big deal - everyone was just kidding around.

 

It's common to refer to a citizen of the U.S. as an "American." There isn't another demonym I can think of to use that isn't a pejorative or overly casual.

 

For word-loving Canadians, it can be a sore point to see a fellow Canadian use a spelling like "color" or "maneuver" in a Canadian context. And if I wrote "colour" in a submission for a publication in the U.S.A., I'd expect it would be changed to "color" because that's the standard, not because the editor hates Canadians.

[GOF and Bacall]

Not trying to be snarky, but that's incorrect. In Canada, "mould" is the correct spelling when referring to fungi.

 

You might want to inform all those Canadian mold removal companies then. They are all spelling it wrong, those fools!!

 

There are a lot of people in Canada who use American spellings. I find it mildly annoying, but it's a reality of our proximity to the United States.

 

As I've said, Mould is correct in Canadian English, and definitely in English English.

 

http://www.toronto.ca/health/mould.htm

And I would suppose that you are going off of somebody who is using the Cambridge Dictionary for their proper "English English"?

The dictionary that is notorious for the inclusion of grievously common misspellings using the justification, if most do it then it is just the simple progression of language?

At least my dictionary says:

Main Entry: mould

British variant of (1)mold (noun)

 

Main Entry: (1)mold

Pronunciation: \ˈmōld\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English molde; akin to Old High German molta soil, Latin molere to grind — more at meal

Date: before 12th century

 

1 : crumbling soft friable earth suited to plant growth : soil; especially : soil rich in humus

2 dialect British a : the surface of the earth : ground b : the earth of the burying ground

3 archaic : earth that is the substance of the human body <be merciful great Duke to men of mold — Shakespeare>

 

(1) = superscript that the forum can't do

 

So according to that, it would not be correct English English to use mould as a superficial often woolly growth produced especially on damp or decaying organic matter or on living organisms by a fungus.

 

Misspellings, improper usage, fine. I do it with frequency.

Insulting another country to defend yourself, not fine. Yes I find you considering "the usage of American spelling to be mildly annoying" as insulting the country you attempt to refer to.

One more thing, you are an American too. Our country is not America, it is the United States of America.

Unfortunately it isn't what the name implies, but it does mean that you are no less an American than I, considering the America portion of the name refers to the New World. The designations of North and South for the continents where used before our foundation but not common on maps as as only a small portion of the maps produced after the proposal reflected the change and old outdated maps where more prevalent in active usage.

 

Excuse me. I seem to be lost. Sorry to interrupt your language lessons but can anyone tell me where I can find the geocaching forums?

 

Edit because I forgot to put a smilie in the post. Pick the one you think most appropriate.

Edited March 29, 2010 by GOF & Bacall

[+Vater_Araignee]

Excuse me. I seem to be lost. Sorry to interrupt your language lessons but can anyone tell me where I can find the geocaching forums?

 

Edit because I forgot to put a smilie in the post. Pick the one you think most appropriate.

 

 

~~~edit to add~~~

Bony bottom feeding fish happens.

Edited March 29, 2010 by Vater_Araignee

[+bittsen]

Sorry but I just got home from caching. It's now 4:47AM.

 

Did anything get settled about ABS pipes while I was gone?

[+mtn-man]

Excuse me. I seem to be lost. Sorry to interrupt your language lessons but can anyone tell me where I can find the geocaching forums?

 

Edit because I forgot to put a smilie in the post. Pick the one you think most appropriate.

You know, I got involved in a couple of other topics last week. Looks like the message didn't sink in. I really think that a few people can act better than they are and am pretty well stunned by some of what I am reading of late. The bickering is ugly and makes you all look bad.

[+sdrawkcab]

Sorry but I just got home from caching. It's now 4:47AM.

 

Did anything get settled about ABS pipes while I was gone?

No I dont think so... They have gone off on the different version of english that is use Between USA, Canada, And the UK.

 

Boy this thred is sure on topic....LOL

[+Anno Lynke]

 

This is interesting. I have never found one of these caches with a cap that looked anything like this. The ones I find always have end caps that look like these:

 

 

 

sicne I was about to hide a cach made out of the above parts, and have already purchased them

the question is...

will it keep dry? does it keep drier if the cap is up or down?

 

the plan was to put it in a hollowed out log cap down and set the log down so it looked like a stump

would it keep drier if i put a vent hole in it?

[+chachi44089]

Sometimes I think too much emphasis is place on making the container "air tight" or "water tight".This can cause the humidity inside the container to condense,"sweat".Sometimes its better to let it breathe,or vent.Drill a small hole in the bottom of the screw on cap that you have on the bottom of the tube.Rain should stay out but the tube will be able to breathe,keeping the contents dry.Might be worth a try.Mailboxes are not water tight but the contents stay nice and dry,same with tackle boxes.This is not for all situations,but it may work for yours.

I only posted this again because it got buried in an arguement.

I think it would be informative to do an experiment to see what works and what doesnt.Vented versus non-vented.Rubber plug thing versus threaded.

[+sdrawkcab]

 

 

 

 

sicne I was about to hide a cach made out of the above parts, and have already purchased them

the question is...

will it keep dry? does it keep drier if the cap is up or down?

 

the plan was to put it in a hollowed out log cap down and set the log down so it looked like a stump

would it keep drier if i put a vent hole in it?

 

Well it depends on who you ask. LOL

I think after reading most of the thread you should try to keep the Screw on cap pointed up I think with some sort of vent or even a Iron lung attachment to keep the air moving.

 

Cap up with a vent. Whos to say? Im more confused now than yesterday when I found this thread.

 

I might try with out a vent before I started drilling vent holes.

[+bittsen]

PVC container usage in the outdoors for geocaching.

 

Take a tube and put a cap on one end, glued on with the correct cement.

On the other end glue the female part of a "cleanout plug".

In the "square" part of the male cleanout plug, drill a 1/8" hole

Obtain some high quality silicone based lubriating grease and grease the threads of the cleanout plug.

 

Mount the tube so that the cleanout plug is always facing down.

 

Your contents will stay dry as long as the cleanout plug is not submerged in water.

 

 

Alternatively you could use the wingnut/rubber seal assembly pictured above.

 

 

 

 

The reason water gets into a tube is because the internal pressure of the tube fluctuates separately from the atmosphere. Adding the 1/8" hole allows for the tube to equalize whenever the barometric pressure changes, adds a place for any condensation to collect and drain and prevents capilary action from drawing in moisture that accumulates on the threads.

 

PVC pipes CAN be good geocache containers but you have to be smart in how you use them.

[+narcissa]

The reason water gets into a tube is because the internal pressure of the tube fluctuates separately from the atmosphere. Adding the 1/8" hole allows for the tube to equalize whenever the barometric pressure changes, adds a place for any condensation to collect and drain and prevents capilary action from drawing in moisture that accumulates on the threads.

 

PVC pipes CAN be good geocache containers but you have to be smart in how you use them.

 

I dunno 'bout dem fancy words.

 

j/k Thank you bittsen and fizzymagic for the clear explanations.

 

Science is hard. Let's go shopping!

[Clan Riffster]

I stand by my thoughts that a PVC pipe can be a good cache without leaks,

And that's perfectly OK. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Heck, there are still folks out there that insist black & grey film cans make good caches.

Go figure.

 

I am not here to teach anyone how to make a water tight PVC cache... many people already know how to do it.

 

Not from my perspective.

Total # of PVC pipe caches I've found = between 30 & 40.

Total # of PVC pipe caches I've found with dry contents = 1

 

the question is...

will it keep dry?

Based upon my experience, I would say "No". See above for my personal statistics. I think the biggest problem with that type of fitting is that there is no gasket. The fitting relies on plastic threads to repel water. If the fitting is loose enough to allow removal by the next cacher who finds it, it is loose enough to allow moisture in. If you tighten it enough to keep water out, it'll require a sturdy wrench to open it. I should note that, of the 30 to 40 PVC pipe caches I've found, only two included a wrench. Both of those were moist inside.

 

Mailboxes are not water tight but the contents stay nice and dry,same with tackle boxes.

I'm thinking that mailboxes keep stuff dry only because the contents are of the short term variety. If the mail stayed in them for several years, like a logbook can do in a cache, the letters would absorb enough moisture from the atmosphere to turn them soggy. As for tackle boxes, it seems that most folks around here have realized that they make terrible containers, as I've only found 3 of them. All 3 had standing water in them.

[+chachi44089]

I stand by my thoughts that a PVC pipe can be a good cache without leaks,

And that's perfectly OK. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Heck, there are still folks out there that insist black & grey film cans make good caches.

Go figure.

 

I am not here to teach anyone how to make a water tight PVC cache... many people already know how to do it.

 

Not from my perspective.

Total # of PVC pipe caches I've found = between 30 & 40.

Total # of PVC pipe caches I've found with dry contents = 1

 

the question is...

will it keep dry?

Based upon my experience, I would say "No". See above for my personal statistics. I think the biggest problem with that type of fitting is that there is no gasket. The fitting relies on plastic threads to repel water. If the fitting is loose enough to allow removal by the next cacher who finds it, it is loose enough to allow moisture in. If you tighten it enough to keep water out, it'll require a sturdy wrench to open it. I should note that, of the 30 to 40 PVC pipe caches I've found, only two included a wrench. Both of those were moist inside.

 

Mailboxes are not water tight but the contents stay nice and dry,same with tackle boxes.

I'm thinking that mailboxes keep stuff dry only because the contents are of the short term variety. If the mail stayed in them for several years, like a logbook can do in a cache, the letters would absorb enough moisture from the atmosphere to turn them soggy. As for tackle boxes, it seems that most folks around here have realized that they make terrible containers, as I've only found 3 of them. All 3 had standing water in them.

True..Not the best examples I could have used,but I think air or water tight has its own problems with condensation.I think venting on the bottom could help a lot.Maybe an experiment?

[Clan Riffster]

I'm always up for experiments!

[+narcissa]

 

I'm thinking that mailboxes keep stuff dry only because the contents are of the short term variety. If the mail stayed in them for several years, like a logbook can do in a cache, the letters would absorb enough moisture from the atmosphere to turn them soggy. As for tackle boxes, it seems that most folks around here have realized that they make terrible containers, as I've only found 3 of them. All 3 had standing water in them.

 

Additionally, mailboxes allow quite a bit of air to pass through, because they're not at all designed to be air or water tight. They're also up off the ground.

 

But I've definitely had slightly damp mail from a rural mailbox, a mailbox on the side of a house, and my current condominium super mailbox.

[+sdrawkcab]

True..Not the best examples I could have used,but I think air or water tight has its own problems with condensation.I think venting on the bottom could help a lot.Maybe an experiment?

 

You could always save those little silica packs that say "DO NOT EAT" on them. You know they come with new shoes in some Pill bottles. There every where. That might work....

Edited March 30, 2010 by sdrawkcab

[+Anno Lynke]

experiment 1

ok it was unintentional but i left pvc container sitting on my picnic table upright and it rained and fill with water

I dont think the lid was screwed on as tight as it could be but you cant trust every one to tighten them down that much

 

so now it is sitting out there with the lid down

[knowschad]

PVC pipes are designed to be sealed once, and not to be opened and closed multiple times. Water will enter up the threads via osmosis or condensation.

Ahhhhh Osmosis... How could I have been so stupid...

Let's try "capillary action" then.

[rluxon]

I did some research lately, and am in the final development phase of a new cache container myself. I have a section of Galvanized pipe with one end sealed off with a cap, the other end has what is called a female cam lock fitting. this has 2 locking levers on it to lock a male camlock plug into it. This is used on many water pumps, and most harware stores would have them.

 

I actually tested one of the containers at a depth of 65ft in a local lake for going on a year now. I check it once a month, and there has been NO LEAKING due to the neoprine gasket inside the female fitting.

 

When the cache is set up, the cap will be tethered to one of the female locking levers to ensure it is not lost.

 

One of these caches will actually be planted below water.

 

hope that helps.

 

Richard

 

see below for an image of the fitting (use type D and Type DP)