The proven benefits of plastic water pipes

Advantages of the plastic water pipe

Plastic drinking water transport pipes and supply pipes made of PVC under streets have been common for more than 40 years. The same applies to PVC drain pipes. The plastic water pipe made its appearance in the Netherlands some twenty years ago. This water pipe for both hot and cold water is indispensable in modern housing. In this article, we will look at the benefits of plastic water pipes.

Plastic water pipes

Drinking water pipes used to be made from lead, but to ensure the quality and safety of drinking water, lead drinking water pipes have not been used since 1960. It is estimated that there are still about 200,000 homes with lead water pipes.

Today’s drinking water pipes can consist of different materials, but not every material is suitable for every application. Material can release certain concentrations of undesirable substances when in contact with drinking water. It is therefore important that the right material is used for each application. The modern plastic pipe systems are mainly produced from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). PVC is the most widely used. This material is relatively hard and is used for the wide main pipes. PE is then used from the main pipeline to the water meter in the house. This material is softer and therefore easier to bend in and around the house. Plumbers install between 25 and 30 million metres of water pipes in homes each year.

Advantages of plastic water pipes for drinking water

Plastic water pipes offer many advantages. For example, plastic pipes have a long technical lifespan (up to > 100 years) and have a lower environmental impact due to leaks and breakages than other materials. In addition, plastic water pipes have many advantages for drinking water. We describe a number of benefits below.

• Highly resistant to temperature changes;
• Resistant to high water pressure;
• Smooth inner wall ensures less deposit formation, faster flow, less pressure loss and less flow noise;
• Light material is logistically cost effective, easy to handle for installers and offers faster installation opportunities;
• Corrosion resistant.