Essential thinking

What is the life expectancy of your pipes?

18 Aug 2015

Pipes piled up and strapped together

It is important for you to know what type of pipes you have in your home. This knowledge can help you not only know what their life expectancy is, but also, help you know how to properly take care of and maintain them. Depending on the type of pipes you have, their life expectancy can vary from 20 to up to 100 years.

Copper, brass, and galvanized steel pipes, are typically used as supply pipes. Supply pipes are under a constant amount of pressure, and are the most likely pipe to burst, leak, and cause water damage in the home. The life expectancy for these supply pipes are typically 40 to 70 years for brass, 20 to 50 years for galvanized steel, and at least 50 years for copper.

For pipes that are used as drain lines, their life expectancy is somewhat longer because they are not under a constant amount of pressure. This type of piping is generally constructed with either cast iron or pvc. If the drain line is made with pvc, the life expectancy is indefinite. However, if the line is made with cast iron, the life expectancy ranges from 75 to 100 years.

Along with taking care of your pipes, it is important to use pipe thread protectors. These products are used to prevent any type of damage to pipes, and they extend the life of the pipe. Most protectors are made from either plastic or metal.

The most effective pipe thread protectors are made from plastic. This is because they are made from a combination of resin and plastic. This design, compared with the natural durability and stability of plastic, makes it one of the toughest protectors available. These protectors provide the pipes with volume resistance, tensile strength, a low rate of water absorption, and an inability to corrode, unlike the metal protectors.