Copper vs. CPVC

md2lgyk · 11-17-2011, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy21

I'm also curious about this topic. I plumbed my entire house with cpvc. What are the disagdvantages of cpvc? I know most (all) professionals don't use cpvc because they know how to use pex and own a crimper. Cpvc seemed like a lot less hassle. Is the only disadvantage of cpvc that is easily damaged? Mine is all installed so it would be really hard to damage. I also strapped the crap out of it. Just wondering if I have any issues to look forward to.

I too plumbed my entire house with CPVC. It is far less expensive and much easier to work with than copper (which I've also used in other houses). In my area, many houses on wells have their copper plumbing fail after about 25 years from lots of pinhole leaks.

md2lgyk · 11-17-2011, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamrfixit

My nephew came home from a weekend out of town last winter to find a cpvc fitting under his bathroom sink had just snapped. It was a female threaded fitting that adapted the cpvc to a brass nipple. Nobody was home, nobody even so much as ran the water, it just snapped suddenly for no reason. This was not the first time I have seen a cpvc failure, but this was by far the worst.

Well, maybe that's why using female threaded CPVC or PVC fittings is a code violation. It shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Daniel Holzman · 11-17-2011, 03:42 PM

PEX fitting issues.
Should you elect to use PEX, be aware that the dezincification issue as it affects brass fittings is complex, and has affected a variety of brass parts used in potable water applications. Because of the problems, I have elected to purchase only plastic (typically polysulfone) fittings for the PEX in my house, except in the rare case where there is no plastic fitting available for a specific application.