dh wrote:After reading the comments on this thread, I looked at the PVC tubing at the box store, the carton it was in said 'NOT FOR ICE MAKER USE'. So, I'm guessing there is a difference in manufacture thats the difference. Could be recycled content, typically, there are three 'layers' in food containers with the recycled material encapsulated in virgin material. Also, in my experiance in the plastics industry, just about anything that could come in comtact with the finished product for 'food' use has to be 'food grade'. Food grade lubricants on the machine, food grade mold releases, I've even seen food grade metal polishes.
Dh,
I believe there are at least a couple of reasons for saying "not for ice makers".
1) the working pressure of non reinforced clear PVC tubing is quite low, maybe 40 PSI at 70* F Many domestic water supplies (city water) are in excess of 100PSI.
2) However, this is probably the main reason: FDA standards are for food contact, not
potable (drinking) water. The standards origination for potable water is not FDA, USDA, or 3A, it's NSF. The particular standard potable water tubing must meet is NSF standard 61 (NSF61). You probably won't find this tubing at a big box store. Beware there is also an NSF51 standard, it's not the potable water standard.
Here's a link to several hoses that meet NSF61:
http://kuriyama.thomasnet.com/category/ ... %7C3001377
Here's a clear tubing that meets NSF61:
http://kuriyama.thomasnet.com/viewitems ... 01377|1071
Larry C