Indiana Plumbing and Drain

People frequently ask me about different types of water piping, particularly some of the newer varieties.  I thought I’d give a short run-down of what is out there, and what it’s good for.  Here are some of the different types of water piping we see:

• Lead
• Galvanized Steel
• CPVC
• Copper
• PEX

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Lead

Lead piping was prevalent for water delivery before it’s toxic effects were discovered.  What many people don’t realize, is that there is still a surprising amount of lead piping around, both in homes and in city water supplies.  Lead water mains are generally being quietly replaced, but most people who have lead piping in their homes don’t realize it.  Dealing with lead is simple: if you have it, get rid of it.

Galvanized Steel

Threaded galvanized piping is strong, durable, and easy to work with.  As far as function however, it has some long term weaknesses.  Particularly, it tends to corode and build up minerals and rust in the waterways, leading to a clogging of the lines, much like your typical clogging of a cholesterol-ridding cardiovascular system.  This leads to a gradual decline in water pressure, which can only be fixed by replacing the piping.

CPVC

CPVC (Chlorinated Polyvinyl chloride) is easy to work with and easy to install, Which results in many CPVC-DIY installations.  Unfortunately, it lacks strength and resilliance.  It is easily broken if not properly secured, and will tend to shatter at the slightest hint of freezing.  It will also tend to leak if not properly installed.  For these reasons, we do not recommend CPVC piping at all.  You would be better served by copper or PEX.  Speaking of which…

Copper

Copper piping has been the industry standard piping for a long time, now.  It is strong, durable, and relatively easy to work with, given the proper tools and skills (Hint: If you don’t have the proper tools and skills, you probably should not attempt to work with copper yourself).  Over time, it can wear and develop pinhole leaks under the right circumstances, especially under-slab piping.  In general, however, copper is a fine piping material, and is still widely used.  One factor that influences the use of copper piping is that it’s price tends to fluctuate more than other piping, as it must be mined and processed from raw materials

PEX

Cross-linked polyethylene piping, or PEX, is quickly becoming the new standard.  It is both durable, and easy to work with.  The ability to run long lengths of pipe allow us to do things like fishing a new water line through a wall or joist space in some instances, whereas previously, we would have had to tear out large sections of drywall in order to do any piping.  Fittings and connections are strong, and durable, and allow tremendous flexibility in piping solutions, especially in constricted areas where using a flame on copper would be impractical or even dangerous.

Not all PEX is created equal however, and one should take care to know exactly what you are getting with your piping.  Your basic PEX is a single layer of plastic, all of the same material throughout the pipe.  There are some two layer PEX types out there that have a harder outer layer that is more resistant to both abrasion and UV light (sunlight tends to degrade the integrity of most plastic piping).  The newest version of PEX is a three-layer pipe, with the tough outer layer for protection, the middle layer for structure, and lastly a thin inner layer which gives the pipe an extra degree of chlorine resistance.  You shouldn’t take existence of the three-layer PEX to mean that the one-layer PEX is substandard, but just be aware that all PEX is not the same, and there are specific instances which may call for additional layers of protection.

Of all of these, we use PEX more than anything else, but there is still a large place in the market for Copper, and we continue to find limited uses for galvanized steel pipe, as well.  Any of these three are adequate for most plumbing needs.  If you like to DIY, galvanized is simple, but time-consuming, and labor intensive, copper requires the ability to solder, but is an excellent piping material, and PEX is easy to work with and cost-effective, but will require special tools to make the crimp connections on the fittings.  If you have a feeling that something is beyond your ability or your comfort level, please, call a professional: water damage can be costly and incredibly destructive.

Feel free to ask questions!