Every house is equipped with pipes and sewers to make sure water can be drained properly. There are many types of pipes depending on its usage, and some are easier to break than others. As a homeowner, it is important to know which type is used in your house and the maintenance procedure. It is essential to know how to take care of those in order to make it last long to avoid having to replace it in the near future. Replacing pipes is tricky and hard, especially for those of you with no basic plumbing knowledge. Sydney is one of many cities that has quite a number of plumbing companies, so it might be quite hard to find one that is reliable. Before that, let’s talk a bit about pipe types.
Copper pipes (metal): For every pipe, there are pros and cons in using them. The pros for copper-based pipes is firstly due to their proven reliability for a long time ago. Metal pipes are also not prone to leaks and have the durability to stay fit and tight and sturdy. These will not pollute your drinking water, and once it gets old, it can be recycled so it won’t produce extra waste. Copper pipes have a long life span and are heat tolerant. However, the cost is quite high depending on the manufacturer, and sometimes it may contain lead-based solder in older homes.
Polyvinyl chloride pipes (plastic): Plastic pipes, unlike those metal, will not rust, corrode, or degrade over time. This is the most common type used in many homes due to their affordability. They are also capable of withstanding high water pressure and are easy to work with. Among some other advantages are the facts that those are stable and can fit properly within each other, however, they cannot tolerate hot water. Plastic pipes have a greater risk in warping when exposed to hot water.
Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride pipes (plastic): These contain extra chlorine, which makes the water safer to drink. The pipes are very flexible, making it easy to work with. During a pipe replacement, this type is the most used. You can use them for hot and cold water and is more flexible than the polyvinyl chloride pipes. But just like other pipes, it has a downside as well; they can split when it freezes, and they cannot be recycled when old or damaged. When winter comes, complications might occur.
Cross-linked polyethylene pipes (plastic): This is the best choice for retrofits for they are extremely versatile. They can tolerate both hot and cold water and are very heat resistant. However, it is still a debate about whether drinking water out of these pipes is safe or not.
Experts from MrSplashPlumbing suggest that there are other types than the ones mentioned above, but those we wrote about are the most commonly used in Sydney. All plumbers know how to work with those, and we definitely recommend you choose some of those we talked about.
