Effective plumbing systems have become an indispensable asset for civilized living. Plumbing systems provide clean water to people living in hostile environments, and to people living in towns and cities. This makes the services provided by plumbers in Austin, TX, such as Pure Plumbing Service, vital for the continued vitality of such communities.
As cities like Austin often experience severe summertime temperatures, access to clean drinking water is necessary. Of course, no plumbing system will function effectively without the installation of durable pipes. Moreover, different technological advancements have led to the creation of different piping materials.
An article written by Oliver Marks, which appeared on HouseLogic, discusses the use of PEX—short for cross-linked polyethylene. While PEX is universally accepted by building codes and comes with a 25-year warranty, there have been concerns that PEX might leach chemicals into the water that flows through it. The article went on to list some of its advantages:
“PEX can be snaked into walls easily, so it’s great for retrofitting. One piece of PEX can extend across the entire house, curving around corners and obstructions, without any seams. And where a joint is needed, there’s no soldering involved. The pipe — and the joints — have held up well throughout the product’s 30-year history, though PEX wasn’t widely used until about 10 years ago.
Some industry watchers think that today’s product is safer than the first generation PEX used a couple of decades ago. If you were an early PEX adopter and you’re concerned, run the water for a few minutes to flush out what’s been sitting in the pipes before filling a drinking or cooking vessel.”
Other piping options include copper, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), and polypropylene pipe (PP). Copper has an outstanding service record; PEX is best fit for retrofits; CPVC is great for DIY homeowners; and PP has a good reputation in Europe for water safety. Many copper pipes have been in service for more than 80 years, with some of the original lines still in service.
While there have been some issues regarding the environmentally harmful process of acquiring copper, the material does have some green benefits since its recyclable. PEX pipes, on the other hand, are extremely flexible, and can handle acid, corrosion, and freezing temperatures much better than other piping materials. You can contact the plumbers Austin residents trust for more information on piping materials.
(Info from Plumbing Pipe: Which is Safest, Easiest, Best?; HouseLogic; August 20, 2012)
