For some time now, plastics have been generally preferable to metals when it comes to materials for pipes. If your home was built in the past few decades, chances are you already have plastic pipes in your home. Older homes that haven’t had their plumbing replaced may still have copper or some other kind of metal pipe.
Plastic have become the smarter choice because most varieties are non-toxic, resistant to scratches, and can handle most acids, alkalis and salts. They’re also inexpensive, light, and won’t corrode (unlike most metals). With all that going for them, it’s clear why they’re most people’s choice. The two most popular kinds of plastic pipe you can get through your plumber in Windsor are Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These two plastics are similar in a lot of ways but do have a few differences that can be important in certain circumstances. At Plumbing Now, we like to make sure that our customers get access to all the choices that could be right for them. That’s why we’d like to let you know about a few important differences between ABS and PVC.
Installation: Although both ABS and PVC are relatively easy to install, ABS is slightly easier than PVC. When you’re looking for the best plumbing services in the Windsor area, there’s no need to spend more than you have to. If it makes sense to save money on installation, be sure to let your plumber know that you want the easiest installation possible.
Kind of strength: One of the big differences between the two kinds of pipe is the way in which they’re strong. PVC is more flexible and softer than ABS and ABS is more resistant to harsh impacts than PVC. That means that if you’re expecting your pipes to have to deal with sharp blows of some kind, ABS may be the way to go.
Temperature and sunlight: The other big category that separates the two is how they react to different temperatures and sunlight. ABS has a wider range of temperature in which it can be safely used. Although these issues are typically only of great importance in industrial or commercial situations, if your PVC piping gets too cold, it can become an problem that requires you to call your plumber during a particularly harsh Windsor winter. On the other hand, ABS is sensitive to sunlight and can lose some of its effectiveness if exposed to it often.
The best way to know whether ABS or PVC is right for your purposes is to contact a plumber with Plumbing Now. Our experts offer plumbing services to the whole Windsor area. We can assess your specific needs and give you the best advice on how we can handle your plumbing project.