When you decide to take the plunge and renovate your bathroom or kitchen, https://miamitile.com/plumbing/recommends knowing what type of pipe material you have in your walls. Not all pipes are created equal, and some cost less or more than others. Depending on the pipe material in your home, you may want to replace it all with a different type of pipe material, or you may wish to just replace it with new piping of the same material.

Either way, it is essential to inspect your pipes to see if you need to replace them or not. If you are having trouble determining what type of plumbing is in your home, you can always call a professional to do a thorough inspection. However, to give you a little knowledge, here are some common pipe materials you can easily get from tube distributors that are commonly used in homes.

PEX Pipe Material

PEX pipe material or otherwise known as cross-linked polyethylene pipe, is a newer type of pipe material. If you have an older home, you are less likely to have this piping, but you might have it if you bought a newer model home. PEX piping is only used to carry water throughout the home. For this reason, plus that this pipe material is flexible enough to be put in the walls of houses, it can be an excellent choice for pipe material for your home. PEX piping is also inexpensive and cuts easily. However, its durability is unknown. If you find PEX piping in your home, there will be red piping for hot water and blue piping for cold water.

PVC Pipe Material

PVC pipe material, otherwise known as polyvinyl chloride piping, is a drain or vent line piping much like its cousin, ABS piping. The pros of PVC pipes and fittings are that it is easier to work with than steel piping and easily installed. Although, if you decide to glue this piping together, it can cause leaking if not put together correctly. This piping cannot be unjoined and must be cut, and it can also degrade due to sunlight. You will tell if you have PVC piping in your home if it looks like plastic.

Steel and Cast Iron Pipe Material

Steel or cast iron piping material will often be found in older model homes. Galvanized steel pipes were used for gas supply, water supply, and drainage in homes before newer types of piping were used. This piping is still used for gas supply in homes today. The problem with cast iron piping is that it can corrode and cause a leak. If you have either of these types of pipe materials in your home, it may be time to update to newer and safer plumbing material.

Again, not all pipe material is created equal, and there are drawbacks and benefits to each type you choose. Whatever you decide, make sure you are entirely comfortable with your decision before going forward. You do not want to have to make changes twice.