PVC or copper?
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 392
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From: Orange County, CA
CPVC pipe is available in schedule 40 or 80, it has similar but generally better chemical resistance than schedule 40 or 80 PVC. The tempeture rating is somewhere around 210 F.
3/4 in. sch. 80 CPVC is apx. 3.00/ft.
Schedule 80 PVC can been used in chemical applications and handles temperatures up to 140 F. 3/4 in. sch. 80 PVC is apx. 1.00/ft.
I think you are good to go with PVC. Good luck.
3/4 in. sch. 80 CPVC is apx. 3.00/ft.
Schedule 80 PVC can been used in chemical applications and handles temperatures up to 140 F. 3/4 in. sch. 80 PVC is apx. 1.00/ft.
I think you are good to go with PVC. Good luck.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 471
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From: eastern nc
I just finished re-plumbing an old house we remodeled with pex, 2 1/2 bath, kitchen and laundry. Best thing I have used. I am not a plumber but have re-done a lot of plumbing, using pvc and copper. Pex is cheaper than copper and easier to work with then either. They do require a crimping tool that to buy is expensive for a one time use but you can rent them. Most building supply stores cary the pex and fittings.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,473
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From: Lafayette, IN
I'd go PEX, personally. I have some re-plumbing to do coming up sometime soon, and that's the route I'm going to go. Think about it: you start with a manifold at the supply, then run one line to each device--absolutely no need for elbows or couplers.
PVC gets too brittle, and when it's under pressure, that's not a good thing. Unpressurized drain pipes are one thing, pressurized supply is another. A small investment in tools and a manifold, and PEX is VERY easy to work with. You can even get it in blue and red so you can easily distinguish hot and cold. Ordinarily, my first choice would be copper because you can get fittings for it anywhere, almost anytime, but with copper prices sky-high right now, there's no point.
Jason
PVC gets too brittle, and when it's under pressure, that's not a good thing. Unpressurized drain pipes are one thing, pressurized supply is another. A small investment in tools and a manifold, and PEX is VERY easy to work with. You can even get it in blue and red so you can easily distinguish hot and cold. Ordinarily, my first choice would be copper because you can get fittings for it anywhere, almost anytime, but with copper prices sky-high right now, there's no point.
Jason
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 24,418
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From: San Francisco, Ca.
We can't use PVC pipe for water supply. It's against the plumbing code. 
They (plumbing inspectors) just recently amended the codes so we can now use pvc for DWV.
Our house had copper installed probably in the early 50's, mid 60's.
We did however have a 1/2" galvy pipe as our main water supply from the street. What a joke.
It's been replaced by a 1" copper pipe.
Now I can enjoy that 105 psi water pressue.
I've been hearing that there were problems with new copper installs.
I wonder if it has to do with this lead free solder and flux "stuff"?
lcampbel, are you talking water supply and/or DWV?
I'd go copper for water supply and plastic for DWV.
One problem on using PVC for DWV is the noise factor.
They (plumbing inspectors) just recently amended the codes so we can now use pvc for DWV.
Our house had copper installed probably in the early 50's, mid 60's.
We did however have a 1/2" galvy pipe as our main water supply from the street. What a joke.
It's been replaced by a 1" copper pipe.
Now I can enjoy that 105 psi water pressue.
I've been hearing that there were problems with new copper installs.
I wonder if it has to do with this lead free solder and flux "stuff"?
lcampbel, are you talking water supply and/or DWV?
I'd go copper for water supply and plastic for DWV.
One problem on using PVC for DWV is the noise factor.
Last edited by sierraben; Jun 8, 2006 at 03:42 PM.
Gone but not forgotten.
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,521
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I helped my son plumb up the house he built on his hunting farm. We used copper from the supply through the slab into the house where I sweated on an adapter to go to PVC for the cold and CPVC for the hot. The PVC was very easy to work with and we did the complete job with no leaks in one weekend. This house has taken up his weekends for over a year, but is expected to be fully complete by the start of Dove season, 1st weekend in September.
FTE Legend
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 53,995
Likes: 2,399
From: NY and VA
Just got done plumbing a bathroom, had to get some more copper and fittings...surprise man did the cost go up... (I bought the materials a while ago, and some got used on another job). Next time will be pvc or PEX (avail at Lowes)
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 963
Likes: 1
From: wichita kansas
About 25 years ago I replumbed my house with CPVC and everybody told me I should have used copper. Never had a problem with it and it is very easy to work with. I used a miter box and saw to cut it with and I would recommend the Genova brand of fittings. They have a much better standard for fit. Some brands will be very loose and will cause problems. Many claim that the CPVC is better because it doesn't conduct cold as easy like copper and freeze up and split. Also the one thing I would do different would be put a shut off valve at every line that I branched off. That way if I needed to replumb one area you can isolate it and not have the whole line down. To me the ease of use and not having to sweat joints is a no contest. Many houses have had fires because people were running new copper lines.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Near the trees
I read the info. I could find about the PEX vs. PVC and I agree that PEX may be easier because of the lack of fittings, but I'm confused about the sizes. I have a 2" glavanized line into the house and the kitchen, bath and laundry seem to all be 1/2". I couldn't find PEX in 2", just the 1/2 size. So what is the size that should be used for the main line to the manifold, and the sizes from manifold to the faucets?
Although PEX has been in the states since the 80's, it's not very common, and the prices seem to be rediculous in some areas. On the internet, Lowes has 1/2" for $107.00/100 ft. and other places online the price I found was under 40.00/hundred feet for the same thing.
Although PEX has been in the states since the 80's, it's not very common, and the prices seem to be rediculous in some areas. On the internet, Lowes has 1/2" for $107.00/100 ft. and other places online the price I found was under 40.00/hundred feet for the same thing.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 392
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From: Orange County, CA
Most homes have a one inch service line from the water main to a 5/8 or 3/4 in. meter. IMO you don't need a 2 in. line going into your house. If the 2" galvanized line that runs to your house is old it probably has so much build up inside that its not actually a 2" line anyway. If its in good condition, use it and reduce once inside the house.
I'm not a plumber and have limited experence with house plumbing, but I believe that the fixtures in your kitchen, bath and laundry room are threaded for 1/2 in. fittings. You may consider running 1 or 3/4 in. throughout the house and 1/2 in. lines to the fixtures.
Hope this helps.
I'm not a plumber and have limited experence with house plumbing, but I believe that the fixtures in your kitchen, bath and laundry room are threaded for 1/2 in. fittings. You may consider running 1 or 3/4 in. throughout the house and 1/2 in. lines to the fixtures.
Hope this helps.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Houston
The only way you would need a 2" main would be if the distance from your meter to your house is greater than say 300 feet or if the supply to your part of town is low pressure. Friction loss over a long distance can be very high. My house has a 1" main with 1/2" branch lines. I would run the 1" all the way to the water heater and then drop to 1/2" unless you have poor pressure to your house. Otherwise, I would run 1" all over the house and run 1/2" to each fixture. I know I'm not being very definitive but flow and pressure are critical to your installation. To know precisely what you have you would want to test the static (non-flowing) line pressure of your meter and then check the pressure while you are doing a flow test into a five gallon bucket. You measure the time it takes to fill the five gallon bucket to get your gpm and compare that to the pressure you measured while the water was flowing. You could then give that info to a plumber friend or look up the required pipe size in a plumbing design manual.
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Elder User
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From: Near the trees
I have a hand-dug well thats about 1/2 mile up the mountain from the house. There is no pump on it and no pressure tank. The water pressure inside the house sucks, but outside there is a 3/4 inch faucet that comes off the 2 inch and it gets good pressure, though I don't know the gpm. The line coming from the well is 2" black plastic of some sort and then it goes into the 2" galvanized into the house.
Elder User
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From: Houston
So, it sounds like you are working with water head pressure only. Water provides 0.433 psi of head pressure for each foot of height. For example, if you had a 100' water tower with no pump, the pressure at the bottom of the tower would be 43.3 psi.
You have a 2" line because you don't have good pressure but you would have good flow. Sounds like you need to keep a 2" size to keep good flow and pressure. If you replaced the 2" galvanized with PVC, you should get better flow because the galvanized is probably filled with minerals.
You have a 2" line because you don't have good pressure but you would have good flow. Sounds like you need to keep a 2" size to keep good flow and pressure. If you replaced the 2" galvanized with PVC, you should get better flow because the galvanized is probably filled with minerals.
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Elder User
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From: Near the trees
Thanks okst1. I appreciate the help all you folks are giving here. I don't have much of a problem fixing things around the farm too often, but this water situation has had me stumped for a while.
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