Plumbing Materials: DET 144

• DET 144 - PLUMBING & SANITARY covers plumbing materials

Most Common Materials Used In Plumbing Installation:

• Cast iron soil pipe
• Acid-resistant cast iron pipe
• Asbestos pipe
• Bituminous fiber sewer pipe
• Vitrified clay pipe
• Lead pipe
• Galvanized steel pipe
• Galvanized wrought iron pipe
• Brass pipe
• Copper pipe
• Plastic or synthetic pipe
• Stainless steel pipe

Considerations when Choosing a Kind of Pipe:

• Quality and durability
• Resistance to internal and external contact with foreign matter
• Resistance to acid waste and other chemical elements that will pass into it
• Cost of materials and labor
• Sometimes a combination of two or more plumbing materials are used to suit the purpose intended for the installation, while availing the advantages

Cast Iron Pipe:

• Most popular and generally specified material in buildings for several decades
• Durable, conveniently installed, and meets most plumbing needs
• Specified for all building types less than 25 stories high
• Not specified for buildings taller than 25 stories due to constant vibrations causing water leaks
• Affected by corrosion from carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, and methane gases forming carbonic and sulfuric acid solutions
• These acids attack the metallic material, causing a slow chemical reaction or oxidation, forming ferrous oxide called rust

Acid Resistant Cast Iron Pipe:

• Made from an alloy of cast iron and silicon
• Widely used in chemical laboratories

Types of Cast Iron Pipes:

• SV Type is generally used for building installation
• XV Type classified as an extra duty pipe used for underground installation.

Varieties of Cast Iron Pipes

• Standard Pipe
• Single Hub Pipe
• Double Hub Pipe
• Hubless Pipe

Asbestos Pipe:

• Made of asbestos fibers and Portland cement
• The pipe thickness is twice that of standard cast iron pipe
• Suitable for soil, waste, ventilation, and downspout applications
• Superior for embedment in concrete structures due to its material properties

Bituminous Fiber Sewer Pipe:

• The least expensive among sewer pipes
• Recommended for house sewers and septic tank installations
• Light in weight and slightly flexible, allowing for slight soil movement without cracking or joint separation
• Excessive hot water or chemical flow may soften or damage the pipe

Vitrified Clay Pipe:

• One of the oldest materials used for sewer lines
• Made from clay cast into 75-centimeter lengths and treated with glazing compound
• Heated in a large kiln at 1370°C, making it impervious to moisture
• Highly resistant to most acid wastes
• Durable for underground installations like public sewers, house sewers, or storm drains

Lead Pipe:

• One of the oldest plumbing materials used by Egyptians, Greeks, and Roman builders for soil and waste pipes
• Highly resistant to acid and suitable for underground installation
• Poisonous and injurious to human health; therefore, it is not used to convey water for human consumption

Galvanized Steel Pipe:

• Made from mild steel, drawn to a die and welded; cast into 6 meters long
• Easily corroded by alkaline and acid water
• Carbonic acid in water attacks the zinc coating, ultimately affecting the steel itself
• Susceptible to deposits of salt and lime, which gradually accumulate and choke water flow
• Deteriorates faster when used as a hot water supply line

Galvanized Wrought Iron Pipe:

• Better in quality than steel pipe for plumbing installation
• More resistant to acid waste than steel pipe

Copper Pipe:

• Durable and extremely corrosive-resistant material
• Easy to install compared to other types of pipe
• Classified into three types based on wall thickness

Copper Pipe Types:

• Type K is the heaviest and suitable for underground installation
• Type L is lighter than type K and available in rigid and flexible forms, commonly used in residential water supply and for radiant heating installations
• Type M is the thinnest, only available in rigid form, specially designed for small water supply lines and radiant heating installations
• Copper pipe costs slightly more than steel pipe, but the fittings cost less
• Due to its smooth interior surface, a smaller size copper pipe can be used instead of steel pipe without reducing liquid flow
• Avoid using larger pipe sizes for hot water lines to mitigate greater heat loss on larger pipes

Special Features of Copper Pipe:

• It can be used as drains or vent pipes
• It can be used as cold-water supply lines
• It is remarkably excellent for hot water lines
• It can replace rusted or choked-up sections of galvanized steel pipe
• No special tools are required for installation, and no treading is necessary
• It is easily bent; a flexible vertical line can offset existing structures, and underground lines can be rerouted around obstructions
• Measuring is less critical
• Requires fewer joints and fittings
• It comes in longer lengths
• It can be used one size smaller than steel pipe

Plastic Or Synthetic Pipe:

• A new concept in plumbing, introduced in the Philippines in the early 1970s
• Materials were developed in Germany in the mid-year of 1935
• Some codes have not been updated since plastic was still in test tube stage
• Building authorities may require tearing down installations that don’t conform to their codes

Types of Plastic Synthetic Pipes:

• Rigid type
• Flexible type

Rigid Type of Plastic Pipes:

• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
• Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC)
• Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (uPVC)
• Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Styrene Rubber Plastic (SR)

Flexible Types of Plastic Pipe:

• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polybutylene (PB)
• PE and PB tubes are available in coil form at 30 meters long
• PB tube is specially manufactured up to 150 meters long in coil form

Advantages of Plastic Pipes:

• Plastic pipe is more resistant to rust and corrosion
• Water conveyed has no pipe tastes
• Smooth interior surface prevents buildup of scales, rust, and foreign materials
• Minimal resistance to flow with no turbulence of water
• PVC pipes and fittings weigh about 1/5 of metal pipe
• Easily and quickly installed through solvent cementing
• Cast in longer lengths and easy to cut
• Polyethylene (PE) pipe is flexible and about 1/8 of the weight as steel pipe
• A 100 m 25mm diameter coil plastic pipe could be easily carried by one person
• They can be connected to existing metal pipes using a threaded adapter
• PVC is virtually acid-proof to any chemical used in recommended strengths
• No special tools are needed to install PVC except a ruler to measure and a saw to cut

According to Table 2-24, Recommended distances of hangers are:

• 1/2" (12mm) is 1.00 in Meter, 3/4" (18mm) is 1.20 in Meter, 1" (25mm) is 1.50 in Meter, 1 1/4" (31mm) is 1.80 in Meter, 1 1/2 (37mm) is 2.20 in Meter, 2" (50mm) is 2.50 in Meter, 3" (75mm) is 2.80 in Meter, 4" (100mm) is 3.00 in Meter

Model Codes That Approved the Use of Plastic Pipe for Plumbing Systems Are:

• The National Standard Plumbing Code
• Building Officials and Code Administrations International
• National Associations of Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Contractors
• Southern Standard Plumbing Code
• Southern Building Code Congress
• Uniform Standard Plumbing Code
• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials