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Copper is a great material, however, it is not a "its good forever" material. Copper pipes can develop pin hole leaks. When the anode rod in the water heater gives out, electrolysis can start, and pin hole leaks can develop.
They are also subject to freezing.
In plumbing it's very rare. In 20 years I've been running HVAC service I have only seen it once and it was a poorly soldered joint that was leaking (pin hole). Other leaks on copper I saw were due to exposure of dissimilar metals (corrosion) but even that could take 20-30 years to spring into a real leak, depending on a whole host of various factors.
My house is over 30 years old so if iron pipe can last that long, copper shouldn't give me any more trouble in my lifetime.
With that said, nothing is perfect.
Any pipe material can freeze, bursting points are much lower on any non-metal pipe.
“We went to the community that doesn’t have a problem,” recalls Lytle, “and we found out the only difference is that they add a phosphate-based chemical for corrosion control, and the community that has a problem does not add phosphate.”
Life is made up of nothing more than a series of problems, find out the ones you can live with and find solutions for the others. In some cases it might require you to move and start over.
Polybutylene pipes, also known as poly pipes, can be problematic. They're prone to breaking and causing leaks due to exposure to chemicals and sunlight. If you're considering a house with poly pipes, be ready for potential replacement costs, which can vary depending on your home's size and layout.
Consider switching to PEX pipes for a more reliable option. Learn more about it [url]https://videochatapro.com/plumbing-do-it-yourself/plumbing-with-pex[/url] But always consult with a professional plumber for the best advice.
I looked at PEX, PVC and CPVC. But in the end chose copper.
The way I look at it is I want to do it once and be done with it for a long time without any potential issues and copper is proven to work well.
Very easy for plastic to break and if it breaks that is way more flooding than what I would or could get with copper.
My situation is that the house I live in is over 30 years old and the original plumbing is cast iron pipe. Because it was run across the attic made most of it easily accessible. The drops are another story... but I've got close to 95% replaced and look to complete the rest in short order.
I decided against the PEX mostly due to potential of plastic chemical leach into the water and also the connections don't look that resilient to me. I don't know how true or untrue chemical leach is. I just decided for me that it's really not worth the risk even if untrue. How Safe is PEX tubing? | GreenBuildingAdvisor.com
PVC- most codes tell you to use it on out door connections only.
CPVC- a lot of grey areas in regards to temperatures it can withstand and it just felt too flimsy to me to have any serious reliability.
Copper is a long term solution and as long as you take care to install it right, keep it away from dissimilar metals as much as possible I have never known it to spring a leak except for a bad soldered joint I once in 20 years saw in the field.
I know this thread is old, but...in my house the Polybutylene has outlasted the copper. Copper didn't last here. Everyone that was able to hold out til after the PB problems came to light redid it with PVC or PEX.
Given that a handful of the (copper) joints are starting to fail I'll probably do PVC when I have to replace.
I know this thread is old, but...in my house the Polybutylene has outlasted the copper. Copper didn't last here. Everyone that was able to hold out til after the PB problems came to light redid it with PVC or PEX.
Given that a handful of the (copper) joints are starting to fail I'll probably do PVC when I have to replace.
Are you sure it wasn't do to poor workmanship when soldering the pipes/connectors? I would think a chemical bond would last longer than a crimped connection.
I'm not an expert on these pipe choices, but I have heard of serious issues with both poly pipes and copper breaking down and causing big problems. What I've been told is that it's a question of water chemical makeup and pH. It makes a difference whether you are on well or municipal water, with or without chlorination, and how that water chemistry interacts with the plumbing.
So I think to really know if it's an issue, you need to seek advice on not just the pipe, but the water source and chemical composition.
I'm not an expert on these pipe choices, but I have heard of serious issues with both poly pipes and copper breaking down and causing big problems. What I've been told is that it's a question of water chemical makeup and pH. It makes a difference whether you are on well or municipal water, with or without chlorination, and how that water chemistry interacts with the plumbing.
So I think to really know if it's an issue, you need to seek advice on not just the pipe, but the water source and chemical composition.
It's somewhat possible, but...
The one factor that overwhelmingly contributes to copper pipe failure (pinholes) is actually friction.
The polyb supply lines that where used inside the home (versus the polyb-lines that were used as supply lines from meter to house- those failures were contributed to UV exposure), their failures were mechanical- the clamps failed at connection points.
Polybutylene....
It is an unforgiving plumbing system. Crimp tools need to be used only for polybutylene installation. Too often they are generally abused, seldom calibrated, and used to crimp other stuff.
SO many failures are due to poor tool maintenance and general workmanship. A huge number.
Once the original celcon composite fittings and aluminum crimp rings were replaced with copper/brass fittings and copper rings, failures were greatly reduced and workmanship was/is still a major culprit.
I supervised installation of miles of polybutylene in the 80's and 90's, and have seen myriad examples of failure due to poor installation in the field.
Our current 1993 home was plumbed with polybutylene and I don't loose sleep or worry about it. But, I crawled the crawlspace thoroughly and looked at all accessible water lines, and I was, and am, satisfied that the installation was skillfully performed.
We passed on a house prior to this one, as it was NOT close to properly done, even with copper/brass fittings. I would have replumbed prior to moving in, and couldn't get the owner on board to pay for it.
Eh. I like this house and neighborhood better than that one anyway.
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Switch to PEX
