In the plumbing world, it’s safe to say that quite a few things have changed over the years. Whether that be new technology, such as smart plumbing appliances, or simply more knowledge about the reliability of certain materials, things are always changing! Having personally been involved in the plumbing industry for over 40 years now, I’ve had the opportunity to witness many of these advancements first-hand!
This week on the blog, we’re going to take a deeper look at something that’s seen a handful of changes over the years and that is the many different types of plumbing pipes. While for the most part, certain materials have remained prevalent throughout the world, we have learned that other materials (such as lead and polybutylene) are no longer a good idea to utilize. For those new to our blog, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing. We are a full-service plumbing contractor based out of North Kansas City, MO. From residential to commercial to new construction, we strive to serve as a one-stop shop for all of our clients here in Kansas City. With that said, let’s dive right in and take a look at the wide variety of plumbing pipes available in today’s market, and help decide if you need to make any adjustments to your own home!
Copper
What better way to kick off a blog about plumbing pipes than with one of the oldest and most reliable types there is? Believe it or not, but you can go back over 4,000 years for examples of copper piping being utilized to deliver water. It’s actually said that the ancient Egyptians used copper piping to drain water as they built a pyramid. Fast forward to 2021 and you’ll still see copper everywhere in any type of plumbing system. Just take a look at our Facebook page. From water heater installations to water service line replacements, you’ll notice there’s plenty of copper!
With an intro like that, you might be wondering what makes copper so effective that it’s been able to last 4,000+ years?
Long-Lasting
As you might guess, plumbing repiping projects can get expensive. Depending on the complexity of the repiping job, it may require some demo and as such, isn’t something you want to find yourself doing on a regular basis. Luckily, one of the best characteristics of copper is that it’s built to last for the long haul, as it can easily hold up for 50-70 years! This includes being able to handle water pressure levels up to 1000psi. One key caveat to keep in mind is the lifespan can vary slightly depending on a number of factors, including the climate and local water quality.
Safe With Water
You’ve likely heard of the dangers of lead contaminating water. That’s the primary reason why lead has been phased out over the years. As mentioned above, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, copper has time and time again proved to never cause any water contamination.
Other Interesting Tidbits
If it’s not clear yet, you should start to realize that we strongly recommend copper piping here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing! In addition to the points mentioned above, a few other added benefits include being fire-resistant, ability to be utilized with hot and cold water, and that it’s lightweight, thus making it easier for plumbers to move around!
PVC
Next up on our list of plumbing pipes is polyvinyl chloride, or PVC as it’s more commonly known. While it hasn’t been around nearly as long as copper, PVC is definitely one of the more commonly used materials. PVC dates back to the 1930’s when the first PVC pipes were manufactured in Germany. By the time the 1950’s rolled around, it started making its way to the United States and the rest is history. Millions of tons of PVC are now produced each and every year.
Just as was the case with copper piping, you’ll notice there are plenty of benefits associated with using PVC. A few that instantly come to mind include:
Durability
Believe it or not, but the actual lifespan of PVC is still up for debate. The reason behind this? It simply hasn’t been around for long enough for us to have a definite answer. However, most estimates suggest it can last up to 100 years. As is the case with anything though, this does come with a few caveats. For instance, PVC that is above-ground and subjected to increased sun exposure is more likely to break down quicker. A second example of early failure involves the manner in which it’s installed. If not installed correctly (such as not enough or even too much cement on the fittings), it could easily lead to issues earlier than expected.
Less Expensive
In comparison to some of their counterparts (copper included), PVC is a relatively inexpensive option. Given its durability and long lifespan, this is a major reason why PVC has grown so popular over the years.
Easy to Use
Much like copper, PVC is also fairly lightweight, thus making it easy for plumbers to maneuver around and use for any piping project.
Galvanized Steel
While the two materials described above are undoubtedly the most popular options, the truth is we’ve gone through time periods before where other materials were at the top of the list as well! One of these was galvanized steel. Without getting too much into the specifics, galvanized is essentially steel dipped in zinc. This zinc coating is designed to prevent rusting. It has since been learned that increased exposure to high levels of oxygen in the water can cause these pipes to rust from the inside, thus leading to their downfall. Additionally, you’re largely dependent on that zinc coating for preventing corrosion on the outside. With this, I’m referencing the thickness of the zinc coat and the environment that the pipes are being exposed to.
Unfortunately, not everyone was aware of all of this before, and as a result, there are plenty of homes out there (those with the original plumbing system being from the 1960’s or 1970’s) that have galvanized steel installed.
In the end, you can expect galvanized steel pipes to last roughly 25-50 years before you’ll eventually run into rust, potential lead contamination and corrosion.
Cast Iron
Here we have yet another material that used to be very popular and one that we’ve since learned isn’t as effective as we once thought. While cast iron is very strong and durable, the truth is that it is very susceptible to rust as well. As a side note, we do still run into cast iron from time to time when you’re replacing sewer lines or other pipes. Trust us, it’s usually not in the best shape after suffering from corrosion!
In a residential setting, you can normally expect cast iron pipes to last roughly 50-70 years. Keep in mind that grease, acidic soil and drain chemicals will lead to a quicker deterioration.
Polybutylene
The final type of plumbing pipes that I’ll discuss today is polybutylene, which has actually been at the center of a few class-action lawsuits! From the late 1970’s to 1995, polybutylene was manufactured throughout the United States and grew very popular over that timeframe. This plastic-resin material was seen as the perfect substitute for copper. It was very flexible, easy to install and much cheaper than copper. In fact, it became so well-known that it was installed in over 10 million homes during that timespan.
Unfortunately, it was soon discovered that polybutylene wasn’t nearly as durable as some of the other materials that’ve been around for much longer. And when it failed, the property damage wasn’t cheap either! In the end, if we ever hear of someone that has polybutylene installed at their home, we strongly recommend getting it swapped out as quickly as possible. Don’t wait for it’s inevitable failure!
Think You’re in Need of a Repiping Project?
Whether it be replacing an entire plumbing stack or simply correcting a faulty fitting, we know ‘repiping’ can mean a few different things in terms of residential plumbing! I hope that you found this blog about the various types of plumbing pipes to be informational. My main goal behind this week’s blog was to educate you on what materials work and which ones don’t work. We’re certainly lucky to have so much research behind many of these to ensure we’re making an educated decision when choosing to replace plumbing pipes.
If you know your home is built out of lead, polybutylene, cast iron or even galvanized steel, it wouldn’t hurt to have a professional plumber take a look around. Particularly in an older home, you may be in a situation where you’re on the brink of something going awry. If you’d like to discuss repiping with our service manager, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE. As always, we service the entire Kansas City area, as well as all of the surrounding cities. We look forward to hearing from you!
Look out for a future blog post highlighting some of the lesser known piping materials, such as PEX and ABS. When it comes to types of plumbing pipes, the list can seem endless, so we’re actually just scratching the surface here!