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About This Project
I admit it—I was indeed skeptical the first time I saw this plastic stuff being used to run hot and cold water in homes. Then I took a closer look. What really sold me on CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) was that it’s lightweight, easy to cut and simple to assemble with compression or cement-together fittings. In this article, I’ll show you how easy it is to tie into existing pipes and even plumb a half bath using CPVC. >CPVC Can Solve Problems That Copper Can’tCPVC tubing and fittings are perfect for areas of the country that have aggressive water that eats away at copper pipes. This aggressive water can sometimes eat through copper pipe within eight years. CPVC is unaffected by aggressive water, and its smooth inner surface won’t collect mineral deposits. It’s also less expensive than copper.
This system is designed to be very user-friendly, and because the outside diameter of CPVC tubing is sized the same as copper pipe, the grip-style mechanical fittings can be used on both copper and CPVC.
Don’t confuse CPVC with the plastic polybutylene systems that were a problem more than a decade ago. Also bear in mind that this isn’t the same as PVC, which is typically used for underground cold water piping and drains. You can quickly distinguish between the light beige color of CPVC and the bright white of PVC. If you’re not sure, look for the printing on the side of the pipe. CPVC tubing is available at home centers and hardware stores in 1/2-in. and 3/4-in. diameters in 10-ft. lengths.
Are There Any Drawbacks to CPVC?
You may have heard claims about CPVC and chemical leaching, the transfer of chemicals from the pipe into the water. Studies have proved that CPVC tubing and fittings are completely safe for home water supplies. In fact, CPVC has been successfully used in homes for more than 35 years.
Be aware that many home copper or steel water pipe systems are used as grounding for electrical wiring. CPVC is not a good conductor, so changing to it may change your grounding system. Check with an electrician if you think you’ve broken the continuity of your electrical grounding.
CPVC is not as tough as copper or galvanized steel. Take care not to strike it with a hammer, and be sure to use steel nail plates in wall framing if a nail or screw puncture is a possibility. Because of its flexibility (which can be an asset), you’ll need to support it more often than copper or galvanized steel—every 32 to 36 in.
CPVC Is Code Compliant—Almost Everywhere
This well-designed water supply system has been used in more than a million homes to date, but a few local codes still restrict the use of CPVC. CPVC is capable of carrying 180-degree water at 100 psi (water in the average home is about 125 degrees at 50 psi). Contact your local plumbing inspector to see if CPVC is permitted in your area.
NOTE: Never use CPVC for compressed air lines. It may rupture from the pressure.
The Tools Couldn’t Be Simpler
The only tool I’d recommend buying is a special tubing cutter ($18). This type of cutter is designed to produce straight, burr-free cuts on CPVC and PVC tubing. You can also cut this pipe with an ordinary fine-tooth saw, but deburr the cut end with a pocketknife, file or sandpaper. This step is absolutely necessary to get a good mechanical or glued (solvent cement) connection.
Leakproof Connections Without Soldering
If you’ve ever done any soldering, you know that you have to get rid of all the water in the adjacent copper pipes to heat the pipe to accept the solder. The special grip-style mechanical fittings can be used with both CPVC and copper, and work even if you have some water still sloshing around in the pipe after you’ve turned off the main and drained the system. These grip-style fittings are much easier to install in situations where pipe condensation would make soldering a real chore.
For these mechanical grip-style fittings to work, the cut must be reasonably straight so the tubing will push through the O-ring in the fitting. The fittings have a one-way gripper ring that grabs the pipe as you push it into the fitting; it’s like one of those Chinese finger puzzles you played with as a kid. Once you lubricate the end of the tubing with a drop of dishwashing liquid and push it into the fitting, it won’t come out.
The next step is to tighten the nut (be sure it’s backed off at least one or two turns from tight before you push the tubing into the connector). As you tighten it, the tubing is pushed inside the O-ring. You’ll feel some resistance as you slide the tubing past the gripper ring and then more resistance when the tubing slides into the O-ring. Don’t use a wrench to tighten the nut. Just hand-tighten the nuts on all fittings of this type. A wrench may damage the fitting.
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