PVC vs. Cast Iron Piping
I’m renovating a single family brownstone in Brooklyn. I’m redoing the entire plumbing system. Last year the DOB passed new regs which permit the use of PVC piping for single family residences. Can anyone please explain the pros and cons associated with using either PVC or cast iron? Any master plumbers out there? Thanks
I’m renovating a single family brownstone in Brooklyn. I’m redoing the entire plumbing system. Last year the DOB passed new regs which permit the use of PVC piping for single family residences. Can anyone please explain the pros and cons associated with using either PVC or cast iron? Any master plumbers out there?
Thanks
Original poster here. Thanks for the feedback!
oh and I forgot–bad for the environment!! whoopeeee!!
MP, I disagree. In a new construction project, the price of piping and installation is very material and can be in certain instances 1/3 less. No one mentioned repiping which would include so much more work (old and new). But if you’re starting from scratch, PVC is best in every case – hands down.
I’m a big fan of PVC (and PEX piping to a certain extent). Nationwide, PVC is 75% of the market place and there’s good reason why! It’s functional, effective and affordable.
“at a fraction of the cost”
What fraction was that?
Be honest.
The price of these materials is a minor detail during a repiping job compared to the labor costs and man-hours, which are nearly identical.
PVC is great! I had it installed throughout my entire brownstone at a fraction of the cost and I’ve had absolutely no problem whatsoever. Noise problem? None. The selling point to me was that my friends who built $3+ million dollar homes in Darien and New Canaan, CT and Bernardsville, NJ, all had PVC piping installed. PVC is all that is used in suburban homes, whether it’s a $1 million home or a $10 million luxury home. I understand the fire code concerns giving the high density of NYC housing but if you have a single family home, I see absolutely no reason not to use it. It’s fast, easy and less expensive.
PVC is great! I had it installed throughout my entire brownstone at a fraction of the cost and I’ve had absolutely no problem whatsoever. Noise problem? None. The selling point to me was that my friends who built $3+ million dollar homes in Darien and New Canaan, CT and Bernardsville, NJ, all had PVC piping installed. PVC is all that is used in suburban homes, whether it’s a $1 million home or a $10 million luxury home. I understand the fire code concerns giving the high density of NYC housing but if you have a single family home, I see absolutely no reason not to use it. It’s fast, easy and less expensive.
My boyfriend and I looked at a newly built house in the suburbs recently. He went downstairs, I used the bathroom upstairs. He said the noise was like a waterfall. LOUD. We assume it was PVC though I don’t remember if we looked specifically. It was built in the last five years.
On a second note, my boyfriend is in FDNY in the truck. Most suburbs have volunteer firefighters. Having grown up in the suburbs, I notice that they do not have the same response time and firefighting tactics. In the suburbs, if your house burns down, it will probably burn to the ground and if you do not escape you will not be rescued. You will probably succomb to smoke inhalation before the PVC gets you. In the city the truck will respond within five minutes, they will go into the burning house and search for you and your family. Hopefully you will be saved. Sure there are lots of plastics being burned, but the pvc is one less toxic fume to be concerned about. And with the response times in the city your house will probably be saved and thus repairable.
in my experience, althought pvc is cheaper and easier to install, the installation cost is the same. As master plumber pointed out its less forgiving, so that may be why; but 80% of the time its just easier and I think the cost should reflect that. Also, from what I recall pvc wasw always allowed in 1-2 family residences, just not in multi families. Is it now allowed in multifamily/hi-rises? Most importantly, and I’ve seen this myself, pvc glued joints don’t last as long as cast iron.
Your conspiracy theory about Plumbers unions fighting the use of PVC is ridiculous and very narrow. The PVC restriction was based soley on the Fire code as is the code for decks in the backyard. IN the Suburbs people have wooden decks and PVC because their houses are not attatched. Because our houses are attatched the fire codes are much more stringent. PVC is EXTREMELY toxic. You wouldnt want to be the neighbor of a house that had a fire where the PVC burned. PVC is noisy when the water moves through it. No Hub Iron Pipe is like having a Cadilac. PVC is like having a Hyundai.
I would think plumbers would rather install PVC because it is easier and lighter. I had my whole house done with metal pipes and am very happy (there was some PVC put in by fly-by-night contractors that I happily took out).