What is the right pipe for your home?
If you are building a home or if you already own a home it is important to think long term when it comes to plumbing, you see the thing is a problem in your plumbing system can make your home unlivable and sometimes it can make you sick. Sure, you can install sub standard piping to save cost but in the long run, that decision will cost you much more than you saved by taking short cuts.
What I’m trying to tell is plumbing is a very important part of your home, therefore the question is what type of pipe is suitable for your home? The answer to that is it depends; you see the thing is pipes are not built the same, for example, PVC pipes should not be used to deliver hot water or outside. As a consequence of that, it depends on where the pipe will be used. Check this out for more.
Types of pipes
The five most common types of pipes are made out of:
· Galvanized steel (metal)
· Copper (metal)
· Polyvinyl chloride (plastic/PVC)
· Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC/plastic)
· Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX/plastic)
Metal pipes
The first thing you should know about metal pipes is galvanized steel is no longer used to make pipes because it has lots of negative effects, this means that if someone tries to sell you that you should turn that offer down. The problem with galvanized pipes is, lead, they are also heavy. The good thing about metal pipes is they can take a beating thus they are very durable.
If you want metal pipes for your home the best option you have is to go for copper pipes, the great thing about copper pipes is they are not prone to leaks, they are highly durable and they will not pollute water. The bad thing is copper pipes cost lots of cash, to save cash you can mix copper and plastic in different parts of your home. These are also ideal for a bathroom piping needs. Talk to your plumber to figure out the best places to use copper and were to use plastic.
Plastic pipes
The awesome thing about plastic pipes is they are inexpensive and under the right conditions they can last for a very long time, the most popular plumbing pipes are PVC pipes and CPVC.
You can use CPVC pipes to deliver hot water because they have extra chlorine, this makes them stronger and more durable than PVC; a good option is to combine CPVC pipes with copper pipes.
This will save you money when it comes to PVC pipes on the other hand. You should never use them to deliver drinking water or hot water. PVC pipes should only be used for cold water delivery.
There is another type of pipe known as ABS; these are black rigid pipes that are best used for drainage lines.
Generally, pipes are designed for different purposes, therefore the best advice I can give you is before you start buying stuff you should talk to an experienced plumber and know what goes where.