How PVC has made Plumbing and a Bunch of Other Stuff Better

At this point in our lives we have lived in just about every kind of place that there is to live in. We have stayed in houses, apartments, condos, and countless hotels and motels. We even lived for several years in an RV and the last eight years on a boat.

Over those years, even though I never intended to be a plumber, I ended up learning a whole lot about plumbing and doing more than my fair share of repairs. The first house I lived in on my own, before I met my lovely wife, was way up in the mountains of Colorado and let me tell you, it got cold!

So cold that the pipes would freeze fairly often. One time it got so cold that while we were gone for a couple days the toilet froze and split right in half. So out of necessity I learned how to fix broken water pipes.

Back then they were all copper, well at least they were not lead, so fixing them meant cutting and soldering a new copper piece into the pipe. Then, as time went by, we had homes with newer plumbing and my days of being an amateur plumber were finished for a while.

But things changed when we were in the RV and on the boat, plumbing problems persisted once again. But luckily, both vehicles had plastic plumbing, so that is when I discovered the beauty of PVC pipes. No more blow torches, cutting metal, or messy solder to deal with… and that is a good thing.

The joints between sections are so much easier to work with, often they even have threads so you can just screw them together with a little plumber’s tape. Otherwise, connecting is still better with flared ends that fit tightly and require very little adhesive. PVC is also incredibly durable and can last up to one hundred years under the right conditions.

So let’s say I need some Schedule 80 PVC water pipes, no problem, I just click this link and off we go to Pireys website where they offer an amazing selection of PVC pipes and fittings. And I don’t need to worry about finding the right one because they keep over one hundred different types in all sizes in stock all year-round. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, they are also always at the best price possible and will be available for pick up at any of their stores or delivered in just a few days.

But just in case you are not quite convinced about the benefits of PVC pipes, lets take a look at some of the advantages. PVC is well known for its strength and stability, yet it remains flexible, and that means a lot less leaks and breaks.

It is also resistant to corrosion so it lasts longer before needing replacement and, as I said above, it is much easier to repair should the need arise. PVC also does not conduct electricity, so there is no danger of having a shocking experience when touching the pipes.

Another big plus is that PVC pipes come in all sizes, even large enough to be used for sewer systems. Or, as many inventive folks have found, the various sizes can be utilized for all sorts of functions that have nothing to do with plumbing, such as protecting electrical wiring inside or outside of buildings. PVC pipes can also make very good, strong, weather-proof fencing, and I have even seen it used to make furniture.

I dare you to try that with a copper pipe.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com