| The Roman's used lead and clay piping for potable | | | | steel banding. Logs used for water distribution were |
| water that serviced private homes, amphitheaters, | | | | used in England close to 500 years ago. In the US |
| and bathhouses throughout the Roman Empire. In | | | | cities began using hollowed logs in the late 1700s |
| fact lead was still the predominant metal used for | | | | through the 1800s. Interestingly enough in the early |
| water services servicing homes and businesses in the | | | | 1800s fire fighters began to realize that they could |
| US up until WW II. Lead was very flexible and | | | | bore into the logs to get water thereby helping them |
| extremely durable which made it an ideal piping | | | | fight fires more effectively. When the firemen were |
| material. In fact "lead wiping" was considered an art | | | | finished fighting the fire they would insert a plug |
| form. The use of lead for potable water declined | | | | closing off the water, that actually where the word |
| sharply after WW II because of the dangers of lead | | | | "fire plug" got its origin. Eventually municipalities began |
| poisoning. There is still some controversy with | | | | tapping the water mains at a certain spot on each |
| regards to the harmfulness of lead water services | | | | block so firemen didn't have to dig down to find the |
| being used. Some testing was done several years | | | | main every time there was a fire on the block. |
| ago and it was found that the service calcified so | | | | Wooden water mains remained the material of choice |
| quickly very little if any lead leeched through the | | | | for water distribution until the early 1900s when |
| calcification be that as it may lead services are no | | | | plumbing piping took a huge leap in durability and flow |
| longer used and are still being replaced to this day in | | | | characteristics with the advent of sand cast, cast |
| some of our larger older cities across the US. | | | | iron water main. Although sand cast isn't used today |
| Just after WWII copper became the material of | | | | cast soil pipe is still a material used in today's plumbing |
| choice for water services around the country and | | | | systems. Cast iron had been used for water |
| galvanized screw piping became the material of | | | | distribution in other parts of the world quite a bit |
| choice for interior plumbing piping. In the 70's, copper | | | | earlier than when it became widespread in the US. In |
| replaced galvanized piping for water piping supremacy. | | | | fact the very first complete use of cast iron for |
| Copper is fairly easy to work with, comes in soft | | | | water distribution was installed at Versailles, France in |
| (annealed) and hard copper. There are several | | | | 1664. It remains functioning to this day. |
| different grades of copper water, waste and vent | | | | Ductile iron replaced sand cast in the early 1960s. |
| piping; DWV copper tubing is the thinnest walled | | | | Ductile iron is a cast iron, but the way it's heated and |
| copper tubing and is only recommended in drainage | | | | enhanced by chemical compounds greatly improved |
| waste and vent applications. Type "M" is the thinnest | | | | its strength and improved on cast iron's tendency to |
| walled copper to be used for plumbing water piping. | | | | be strong but very brittle. |
| It is approved for water piping in most municipalities | | | | With regards to waste and vent piping, cast iron and |
| but it's more popular use is for drain, waste and vent | | | | PVC are the materials used most especially for large |
| (DWV) piping. | | | | diameter piping. Copper is also used for waste and |
| The next copper piping grade is Type "L" it is in the | | | | vent but in smaller diameter applications. Because of |
| middle with regards to wall thickness and is the most | | | | copper's value it becomes cost prohibitive to use it |
| popular type of copper to be used for potable water. | | | | with larger diameter pipe for reference, say 3" and |
| Type "K" copper has the thickest walls and is usually | | | | above. |
| used for harsh conditions. | | | | There is one other area that we think needs to be |
| Although PEX has been in use since the 1960s it has | | | | touched upon and its acid waste piping. Acid waste, |
| taken quite some time to gain popularity in the US | | | | by definition, is any waste in which acids appear in |
| only in the last 25 years or so has PVC and PEX | | | | higher concentrations than found in household waste. |
| tubing has been gaining popularity for use for water | | | | Although PVC has acid resistant properties, it is not |
| piping in residential applications its ease of use. Its | | | | recommended for use in situations where piping is |
| durability and cost make it a very attractive choice. | | | | continually exposed to higher than normal |
| PEX piping can be bought in flexible rolls, hard lengths | | | | concentrations i.e. photo labs, science labs, chemical |
| or wrapped in aluminum to hold its shape. | | | | companies etc. In these situations acid resistant pipe |
| Another material used for plumbing pipes, particularly | | | | and fitting are recommended. |
| water main, was hollowed wooden logs wrapped in | | | | |