While metal pipes were once popular in plumbing, most new
plumbing pipes today are plastic due to this material's corrosion resistance.
However, not all plastic plumbing pipes are alike, and plumbers now have at
least four types of plastic pipes they can use to make plumbing repairs. Each
type of plastic pipe has its own unique advantages and disadvantages.
Learn about the four most popular plastic plumbing pipes in
use today, along with the unique advantages and disadvantages of each pipe
type.
1. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polyvinyl chloride pipes are among the most common plastic
plumbing pipes today. PVC pipes are affordable and durable and can stay in good
condition as long as 70 years without developing rust or corrosion. This pipe
type is recyclable when it reaches the end of its lifespan, which makes it an
environmentally friendly material.
In addition, unlike some plastic pipe types, PVC pipes
contain no bisphenol A (BPA), so they can create home water lines with little
worry that the water that flows through them will become contaminated with
this.
These pipes are also versatile and easy to work with. PVC
pipe sections can join together with a variety of pipe fittings, glues, and
cements.
However, PVC pipes can become brittle over time when exposed
to sunlight or installed in areas of the home that are often extremely hot.
This pipe material's lack of heat resistance makes it a poor choice for use
when constructing or replacing hot water lines. In addition, when PVC pipes
need removing, they typically must be cut with a saw, because unjoining them
manually can be very difficult over time.
2. Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC)
Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipes are PVC pipes
with a special chlorinated coating. This chlorinated coating increases the
durability of the pipes by increasing their heat resistance. For this reason,
CPVC pipes can repair and create drinking water lines, including hot water
lines, without the worry that the pipes will become brittle over time with
exposure to high heat.
However, CPVC pipes are slightly more costly than their PVC
alternatives, and the lifespan of this pipe type is about 20 to 25 years.
3. Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX)
Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipes are one of the newest
types of plastic plumbing pipes available today.
This pipe material is much more flexible than PVC and other
plastics that create pipes, so PEX piping installation is often quicker and
easier than installation of other pipe types. The extreme flexibility of PEX
allows plumbers to run long lines of PEX pipe throughout a home with the need
for very few pipe connection sites.
PEX pipes can bend up to 90-degree angles when necessary,
while more rigid pipes typically need to be joined together with fittings to
create curves and bends in plumbing lines.
PEX pipes are naturally heat-resistant, and this pipe type
is less likely to burst during the winter when water freezes inside of it than
many other pipe types.
However, since this plastic pipe type is a relatively new
addition to the plumbing industry, its potential lifespan has not yet been
determined. In addition, cross-liked polyethylene pipes aren’t as recyclable,
which makes this pipe type a less environmentally friendly option than PVC.
4. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) pipes are another
modern, plastic plumbing pipe option. While slightly less rigid than PVC pipes,
ABS pipes are extremely strong. In addition, water that flows through ABS pipes
makes little noise due to the noise-dampening effect of these pipes.
ABS pipes are also often quicker to install than PVC pipes,
because ABS pipe sections do not need priming as PVC pipe sections do before
they are joined together.
ABS pipes are resistant to extreme weather conditions,
including UV light exposure and cold temperatures. For this reason, ABS pipes
are often used in outdoor plumbing applications.
While metal plumbing pipes used to be popular, they are
prone to corrosion over time that plastic pipes, including these four types,
are not. Contact the plumbing experts at Michigan Plumbing for all of
your plumbing re-piping
and repair needs today.
