Copper Vs Pvc Drain Pipe

It is estimated that 98 of homes built after 1970 have copper pipes.

Copper vs pvc drain pipe.

As the name suggests this sizing system mimics the same size graduations used by copper piping. The issue surrounding. Pros of pvc pipes. Let s look at the differences in a little more detail.

Water flow gpm gph based on pipe size and inside outside diameters. Copper piping also has a small internal diameter much smaller than cpvc which lets it fit in smaller tighter places. Copper pipes are metal and more durable while pex pvc and cpvc pipes are plastic and tend to have a shorter lifespan. That said we put together the following tables to serve as general guides for estimating a pipe s water flow capacity.

Copper is bacteria resistant very fire resistant and earthquake tolerant. Drain waste and vent use only pvc pipes. Pvc plumbing pipes are relative newcomers in northeast ohio but they have plenty of benefits for your home. The ph of natural potable water should be between 6 5 and 8 5.

Plastic pipes pvc plastic pipes are growing in popularity thanks to a number of factors namely flexibility and price. Cpvc pipe and fittings offer installers a viable alternative to copper. Despite public perception that copper pipes last forever the average life of a copper pipe is about 20 years. Unlike copper cpvc piping systems will maintain drinking water quality even if the ph of the potable water source falls below 6 5 ph measures the relative acidity of water.

Whereas pvc is typically only available in a sizing system called nominal pipe size nps cpvc comes in this sizing system as well as in copper tubing size cts. Copper pipes are durable for the long term with non acidic systems. In fact the first city wide implementation of pvc pipes for drinking water and sewer pipes was from 1936 to 1939 in central germany. The use of copper piping in home construction in the us started in the early 1960 s.

While copper plumbing pipes have been around seemingly forever they do have a few flaws. By 1970 it was the material of choice among plumbers. Still copper pipes have been used throughout time simply because it is good material that lasts a long time. Pvc or poly vinyl chloride pipes have been in use far longer than abs pipes.

Cons of copper pipes.