| Around 80% of pipework installed by plumbers in the UK is made of copper – and it is more than simple familiarity that informs that choice. We all know that if you want a dependable result, you choose copper. It goes anywhere, handles the hottest water from boilers, performs utterly predictably, is easy to source and a cost-effective option. Case closed? Well not quite. |
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| Around 80% of pipework installed by plumbers in the UK is made of copper – and it is more than simple familiarity that informs that choice. We all know that if you want a dependable result, you choose copper. It goes anywhere, handles the hottest water from boilers, performs utterly predictably, is easy to source and a cost-effective option. Case closed? Well not quite. |
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| Plastic piping is, in relative terms, new to the market, having only really started to be used for whole plumbing systems in the last twenty years or so. It’s very “newness” causes some of its problems, such as the fact that buying into one system can lead to being tied in to a single proprietary manufacturer, whereas consistent European standards for the commodity copper product makes shopping around easy, but plastic is gradually increasing its market share year on year and it is worth taking a dispassionate look at its merits. |
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| The main benefits flagged up by manufacturers when plastic piping systems first came on the market focused on ease of use. 100m lengths of coiled plastic pipe reduce jointing; push-fit systems led to very quick installations and the flexibility of the pipework allows for far greater tolerances when dealing with tricky installation areas. |
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| These advantages come into sharp focus when looking at the new build sector. Speed is of the essence here. Simply put, housebuilders make more money if the construction is complete quickly. Anything that reduces time on site is welcome and new building practices move every trade gradually towards a minimum time, maximum result ethic. Quick jointing and the ability to curve and bend easily are bonuses for pipework, while modern building designs also throw up new challenges. |
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| For example, new houses tend to use silent floor joists or “I” beams. These cannot be notched to accommodate pipes and, instead, must be drilled through their centre lines. Threading rigid pipe through such drill holes is not simple, and a series of drill holes that do not quite form a straight line cannot be accommodated. Plastic piping (polybutylene) is much more forgiving in this situation. |
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| Most compelling for the installer, though, must always be the ease-of-use argument. Time really is money for most plumbers, so if a simple pushfit system reduces time on site then that is a very real benefit, one which more than compensates for the higher cost of plastic fittings. (And that cost benefit analysis may well have to be re-worked as we see the world trading price of copper steadily increasing.) |
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| For the Polybutylene enthusiast incidental advantages of the plastic piping include its silence – no noise of metal contracting and expanding in changing temperatures - and the significantly reduced risk of leaks if the water inside freezes. Add to that the fact that plastic, with its lower heat conductivity, is ideal for underfloor heating systems and exposed pipework and you would be forgiven for thinking that the argument was won. |
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| But traditional materials can be very resilient, and copper offers lots of counter arguments. No-one has come up with a plastic pipe that is unaffected by extreme heat, so copper is still needed in direct contact with a boiler and is the recommended material for fire suppressing sprinkler systems in both commercial and domestic settings. Push-fit and press-fit technologies are also now available for copper piping to bring time saving installation to that world too. |
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| At the end of the day the choice is always down to the individual professional, but there isn’t a simple “no brainer” answer to the question of which material is best. Individual installations need to be considered in the light of their individual challenges and it is the wise practitioner who is prepared to consider making different choices as technology advances, and keeping up to date with the range of products on offer is essential. |
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| If I were pressed to come down on one side of the fence I would have to say my hunch would be that in ten years’ time that 80% of the market share for copper will be looking very different. Copper will always provide a reliable (and good looking) option, but the future probably belongs to speed, flexibility and ease of use. |
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