Which is Better – Copper Piping or CPVC?

Are you building a new construction home?  Have you installed your water piping system?  If you have yet to install your water pipes, you may wish to learn more about the types of piping available to you.  There are two main types of water piping commonly used in the United States.  The two types are copper piping and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) piping.  Many homeowners want to know which one is better to install.  To help you with this decision, I have compiled a list of advantages and disadvantages of both types of piping.

Advantages of Using Copper

•    Copper is biostatic.  It is resistant to bacteria.  This means that your water can safely transport through the copper pipes without being contaminated with harmful bacteria.
•    Copper is environmentally friendly.  Copper tubing does not require any solvent based adhesives.  With CPVC, solvent based adhesives are needed to connect pipers together.  Solvent based adhesives are not environmental friendly as these adhesives contain volatile organic compounds that are toxic.  Copper does not contain these toxics.
•    Copper is easy to install.  Plumbers tend to love working with copper as this metal is very flexible.  The copper piping can easily bend without breaking and fit into tight spaces.
•    Copper piping comes with a 50 year guaranteed warranty.  This may be the reason why 80% of new build homes chose to use copper in the United States and why according to the Copper Development Association, 95% of existing homes have copper piping.  The copper industry is confident their product is the best and is willing to stand behind it.  All copper manufacturers within the United States honor a 50 year warranty on their copper piping.  This warranty can be transferred to new owner when house is sold.  If the copper piping breaks and needs to be repaired, the home owners are protected.  The cost to fix piping or repair is covered under the warranty.

Disadvantages of Using Copper

•    Copper is a more expensive product than CPVC.  Although, copper does not require any connectors so labor and parts costs can be reduced.
•    Copper is corrosive.  Eventually copper can corrode and need to be replaced.
•    Copper piping is noisy.  The weird noises coming from the basement or ceiling are must likely not the neighborhood ghost.  The source of the noise is probably the copper pipes.

Advantages of Using CPVC

•    CPVC pipes are not as commonly used within the United States as it is a newer product.  However, it is very common to see it used in Europe.  CPVC piping is corrosion resistance.  Unlike copper, CPVC will not corrode making it a very durable product.
•    CPVC pipes are quiet.  The pipes do not produce echo effect which causes the water hammer to be heard through walls.  This means the CPVC pipes can distribute water without you hearing it.
•    CPVC piping is more energy efficient than copper.  The thermal insulation properties of the piping help to reduce condensation, keeping water hot for long periods of time.  Metal pipes cool down quicker making it harder to keep water for long.

Disadvantages of Using CPVC

•    CPVC piping uses solvent based adhesives to connect pipes together.  These solvent based adhesives release volatile organic compounds into the environment which are toxic.
•    CPVC is not as easy for plumbers to work with.  The CPVC pipes do not bend so are harder for plumbers to install in tight places.  These pipes can also more fragile than metal.  Plumbers need to be careful when installing pipes to make sure not to poke holes in the pipe.
•    CPVC is does not come with a 50 year warranty.  Unlike copper which is backed by the copper industry, homeowners will not likely receive a 50 year warranty on their CPVC pipes.  If CPVC pipes need to be fixed, the repair will come out of the homeowner’s pocket.

Copper and CPVC are products that both have their pros and cons.  It is up to you to decide which piping product will work best from your home.  If you are still unsure which to use, consult with your contractor or plumber for their professional opinion.

Top Four Reasons Why Toilet Will Not Flush

Growing up in a household of females, my father assumed the role of “honorary plumber”, a role he begrudging accepted.  Every once in a while my father would be greeted by myself or sisters with “Dad, the toilet won’t flush.”  Followed promptly by the lines, “It’s not my fault.  I didn’t do it.”

Are you the “honorary plumber” in your household?  Do you have a toilet that will not flush?  If you are wondering why your toilet will not flush, below are the top four reasons why it may not be flushing.

1.)    Toilet is clogged.  Using too much toilet or flushing down woman’s sanitary products can cause waste to become clogged in toilet.  Try using a plunger or toilet auger to push waste through.  You may wish to purchase thinner toilet paper if your household tends to use a lot in one sitting.  Also encourage females to dispose of sanitary products in trash and not down the toilet.

2.)    Water level is too low in tank.    The water level should be about one inch below the top of the overflow tube.  If water is too low, check the water valve.  It may have been accidentally turned off.  Turn back on the water supply and monitor the water level in the tank.  Once the tank is filled, try flushing the toilet to see if the toilet is now flushing properly.

3.)    The Flapper is warped.  Remove the lid from the toilet tank and take a look inside at the rubber flapper.  The flapper is designed to release water when toilet is flushed and then to plug the hole back up, sealing the water inside tank.  If the flapper has deteriorated and is no longer sealing flush tube hole, then this will need to be replaced.  Flappers can easily be purchased at any hardware store and are relatively cheap.  Turn off water, drain tank, and the swap out the old flapper with the new one.  Afterwards, turn back on the water and the toilet should flush properly.

4.)    Lift chain is not working. Sometimes the lift chains that connect to flapper can have too much slack.  When this happens the chain is too loose to pull flapper off flush tube when toilet is flushed.  The water is then not released.  To solve this problem, you simply need to shorten the length of the lift chain so that the chain can give enough pull to remove flapper from flush tube.

These are the four most common reasons why your toilet will not flush.  If you find that none of these reasons are the source for why your toilet won’t flush, it may be time to hang up your “honorary plumber” title and call in the experts.  Let the licensed plumbers do the dirty work.  Trust me, it will be worth the money.

Virginia Requires Mandatory Backflow Prevention Device Inspections

Do you have an irrigation water system for your landscaping? If so, you should have a backflow prevention device installed that protects your drinking water from becoming infected with harmful bacteria. The Virginia Department of Health requires all homeowners in the state of Virginia to have annual inspections done on their backflow prevention devices. Did you know this? Have you had your backflow prevention device inspected by a certified plumber this year?

What are backflow prevention devices?

Backflow prevention devices are designed to protect drinking water from contaminated water due from backflow. Backflow occurs when non-drinking water flows into drinking water. There are two types of backflow – backpressure and backsiphonage. Backpressure occurs when there is an increase in downward pressure that is greater than the upward pressure. Backsiphonage occurs when there is a strong drop in water pressure.

Why does the State of Virginia make homeowners inspect backflow prevention devices annually?

The state of Virginia requires mandatory annual inspections of backflow prevention devices to protect all residents from drinking contaminated water. Non-treated water is unsuitable for drinking. Untreated water contains harmful bacteria such as E. Coli, chemicals, and parasites. Drinking contaminated water can make you and your family very sick. Some people have even died from drinking polluted water. Imagine the consequences of what would happen if contaminated water back flowed into the main city water supply. This is why the state of Virginia takes inspections of backflow prevention devices very seriously.

Can anyone inspect backflow prevention devices?

Only certified licensed plumbers can inspect backflow prevention devices. In the Chesterfield County, the county requires yearly inspection reports to be recorded and filed with the town. It is only a matter of time before other neighboring counties follow suit. If in need of an inspection in the Richmond area, call Marshall Mechanical at 804.323.0189. We offer 40% off when you schedule HVAC system maintenance along with the backflow prevention device inspection.

What Is So Great About Dual Flush Toilets?

How can one toilet greatly differ from another? I keep hearing about energy saving green toilets, but frankly do not know much about them. For me, I personally have not given much thought to my toilet. As long as my toilet is clean and flushing properly then I am happy. Yet, recently I learned that there are a whole slew of toilet designs available on the market for consumers.

It terms out that not all toilets are created equal. In fact some are way cooler than others. My pre-1992 toilet is not on the cool list. It is considered by the government to be a water waster. Oops. Apparently toilets prior to 1992 were built with 3.5 gallon tanks. This means that it takes 3.5 gallons of water to flush my toilet or over 7,000 gallons per year. In an effort to conserve our precious water supply, the government passed a law in 1992 requiring toilet manufacturers to make toilets that only used 1.6 gallons or less to flush. With this law came the invention of dual flush toilets.

What are Dual Flush Toilets?

Dual Flush Toilets are toilets that have two flush buttons. The flush buttons are designed to control the amount of water used to flush. Liquid waste requires less water to flush down the toilet, whereas solid waste requires more water. This is why there are two flush buttons. One button is for liquid waste and the other button is for solid waste. Countries where water is in high demand and needs to be closely monitored, are already adopting dual flush toilets. The United States is slowly catching on. Plumbers are seeing more dual flush toilets being installed in commercial buildings and residential homes.

Americans, including me take our water for granted, but we should not. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by next year an estimated 36 states will experience water shortages due to wasteful water usage. I hope Virginia is not one of those 36 states. Unfortunately, the odds are not in my favor. I guess it is time for me to trade in my water wasting toilet and upgrade to the dual flush toilet.