Coalpail.com Forum

Is plastic plumbing the way of the future?

PVC has been around for a very long time. Are u talking about hotwater applications?

IMO it is ok for drain lines, but for anything with presure on it, copper is the way to go...PERIOD!

They sell pvc gold and clain it works, but we have seen some of these fail, remember when water is flowing under presure it causes vibration and when you shut a water valve off fast it causes a water hammer ( Fire service term). So after time these plastic joints can fail. I am sure they will sell this to the public and it will be they way off the future, just not mine!

BK

Hate to disagree but if plastic joints are failing, they weren't properly primed and glued. CPVC, which is the type used for domestic water supply, has been around for along time without any problems. The glue is actually a solvent and the pipes "weld" to each other when properly installed. There are problems with another plastic material, polybutylene. This material deteriorates from the chlorine in municpal water and will always break.
Having said that, CPVC should not be used for hydronic heat as it has a maximum temperature that should not be exceeded. For domesitc water use, it's bullet proof.

I've had CPVC splinter longways. My well water is only set at 25PSI, so it's not like it burst. It seems to have gotten brittle over time. Other areas I've been to smash it with a good squeeze.
I've used new CPVC to replace lines on the first floor, but when I redo the second floor I'm going all copper on the supply side.
You can't beat PVC for drain work.

I guess you have to weigh the pros and cons. The pros of PVC is that it's a whole lot cheaper and for some it's easier to use. The cons is that it is weaker and ugly.

Actually, it seems as if PEX is the hot item now, with it's quick connect/disconnect fittings. Additionally, the have regular fittings and transition fittings.

Dallas wrote:Actually, it seems as if PEX is the hot item now, with it's quick connect/disconnect fittings. Additionally, the have regular fittings and transition fittings.

My neighbor plumbed his house with pex. I'm not sold on it, it reminds me of the stuff we used to have on our antifreeze recycling machines at the garage, the clamps are like automotive clamps or thin crimp clamps. On the automotive stuff the clamps always leaked after a while. I'm sure it's good otherwise they wouldn't sell it, right?

i'll stick with copper for anything that has pressure on it. can't beat PVC for drains and septic work.

Pex is the way to go my friends. With crimp fittings it can even withstand being frozen and then being doubled for a baseball bat. try that with copper once . I had a vendor come into work trying to push this years ago saying it could od this so skeptical as I am I tried it. Needless to say I am sold on its use other than high temp applications.

What pipe material is best is dependent on local conditions. My well water ph is 5.7, very acidic. Type M copper is full of holes in 3 years, type L in 5 years. PVC and CPVC installed per manufactures specifications will last many, many decades. I only install plumbing fixtures that are plastic on the inside, nothing else will hold up. Public water system around here add chemicals to reduce the harmful effects of the acidic water on copper. A few years ago those with copper pipes were having a rash of leaks. Problem was traced to the government owned water company reducing or eliminating the additives as a budget cost cutting move. In a closed pressurized hydronic system several pipe materials will work, metal or plastic, as long as the oxygen in the water is purged and/or neutralized and kept from re-entering. For PEX tubing this means you want the oxygen barrier type.

Note the original poster was spammer, I left this open for discussion amongst yourselves.

Pex has been used in europe for decades in both domestic h&c water & heating applications.

It's not the just the future, it's the now. most new homes are being built with it. The cost of
copper being through the roof combined with the cost & ease of installing the pex make it an easy choice for most.

The last house I built & sold I used all type L copper, just because I didn't want call backs, you can imagine the added cost. Now I'm using only Pex.

Now if I can only find an alternative to copper for electric wire...

George-NJ wrote:
Now if I can only find an alternative to copper for electric wire...

Remember aluminum wire? That worked out well. I think copper is here to stay.

Wood'nCoal wrote:

George-NJ wrote:
Now if I can only find an alternative to copper for electric wire...

Remember aluminum wire? That worked out well. I think copper is here to stay.

No I didn't forget aluminum, it cost as much as the copper does.