Copper Vs Pvc Drain Pipe

Water flow gpm gph based on pipe size and inside outside diameters.

Copper vs pvc drain pipe.

Copper piping also has a small internal diameter much smaller than cpvc which lets it fit in smaller tighter places. If you have questions please call our drain wizard at 800 635 0384. The issue surrounding. Despite public perception that copper pipes last forever the average life of a copper pipe is about 20 years.

Copper pipes are durable for the long term with non acidic systems. Plastic pipes pvc plastic pipes are growing in popularity thanks to a number of factors namely flexibility and price. Pros of pvc pipes. While copper plumbing pipes have been around seemingly forever they do have a few flaws.

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. As the name suggests this sizing system mimics the same size graduations used by copper piping. It can be incredibly flexible and bent around joints. Pvc or poly vinyl chloride pipes have been in use far longer than abs pipes.

Still copper pipes have been used throughout time simply because it is good material that lasts a long time. Cons of copper pipes. Copper pipes are metal and more durable while pex pvc and cpvc pipes are plastic and tend to have a shorter lifespan. Since cpvc is non metallic it will never pit scale or corrode.

Cpvc pipe and fittings offer installers a viable alternative to copper. That said we put together the following tables to serve as general guides for estimating a pipe s water flow capacity. 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. 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 ph of natural potable water should be between 6 5 and 8 5. The use of copper piping in home construction in the us started in the early 1960 s. Let s look at the differences in a little more detail. By 1970 it was the material of choice among plumbers.

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