When looking at plumbing systems, there are various types of pipes materials that can be utilized. Among them, plastic pipes are the best type of material you should use. Plastic pipes and fittings manufacturers produce high-quality pipes and fittings that can be used in almost all scenarios for your plumbing needs.
Compared to other materials used to manufacture pipes and fittings, here are the advantages plastic pipes offer you:
Joints
Plastic pipes usually tend to be sturdier when it comes to joints. Whether you are using these plastic pipes for sanitation purposes or drains, the fittings are securely placed once they are installed on these pipes.
They are also more protected when facing any kind of strain or resistance compared to other types that might break easily.
Abrasion
Over time, with different materials present around the pipes, makes them lose their quality. This is pretty common in other types of pipes such as copper or iron pipes. Usually, the wall thickness reduces over time, which results in a much weaker pipe and higher chances of leakage.
But in the case of plastic pipes, they tend to hold on for much longer and have less effect of abrasive solid materials compared to other pipes made up of different materials.
Rust
Often, we see iron and copper pipe rust over time. This can result in a weakened wall strength of the pipe and can lead to breaks and leaks eventually. This is most common in iron pipes since they are highly corrosive in nature.
Whereas, plastic pipes don’t get corrosion which allows them to be used for a longer duration of time. And they are low maintenance as well.
Chemicals
Most of the pipe materials are reactive to different chemicals once they are installed. This can lead to multiple occurrences of repairs required which can increase maintenance costs significantly.
Whereas plastic pipes are known to be resistant to most chemicals and don’t need high maintenance on a regular basis as well. You can install them once and rest assured they will withstand longer than other types of pipes.
Types of PVC Pipes
In general, when we talk about plastic pipes, PVC is the only material that you should use for your plumbing needs. PVC pipes have three different categories in general. These are UPVC, CPVC, and PVC-O.
Most of these PVC types share almost similar properties but each one has its own advantages.
UPVC
UPVC or unplasticized polyvinyl chloride is a material that contains no plasticizer. This type of PVC pipe is more rigid compared to other pipes and is one of the most common types of plastic pipes used in the industry.
These pipes are the safest mode of supplying drinking water to homes and other buildings. They are light compared to other types and are very cost-effective as well. It is estimated that these pipes will stay intact for around a hundred years once installed.
CPVC
CPVC or chlorinated PVC pipes are almost similar to UPVC pipes. They are good for supplying drinking water and are resistant to corrosion like UPVC. Like UPVC, these pipes are also durable and can withstand high impacts as well. But CPVC can also withstand higher temperatures compared to other types of the pipe due to high chlorine content. These pipes are also recyclable.
PVC-O
PVC-O is an enhanced version of UPVC pipes and has similar benefits like UPVC. When plastic pipe manufacturers turn the amorphous struct of UPVC into a layered structure, you end up with PVC-O pipes. These pipes are best for handling high-pressure supplies.