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Comment by ptmcc | Hacker News Reader

I just redid my 15 year old original builder-grade kitchen sink and cursed the quick-construction plumbing the whole way. It was all glued together ABS plastic pipes instead of threaded pieces and single-use plastic shutoff valves with non-threaded supply hoses. I had to saw off all of it down to the wall and replace it all, this time with quality components.

So yeah, you're right, the new methods and parts make for very fast construction but the maintenance and repairability/reusability is trending toward zero.

Just like everything else these days, I guess.

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>>> single-use plastic shutoff valves with non-threaded supply hoses

Yes, this is the standard now for an number of reasons:

* because it is far easier to cut damaged sections of PVC on site and assemble replacements than it is to cut metal piping

* PVC is wildly less expensive than the equivalent length of metal piping, because it is used in a huge number of applications

* PVC is non-reactive and does not corrode like metal

and lastly, threaded pipe connections significantly decrease the throughput of a pipeline, reducing available water pressure at the endpoint. It is basic best practice to limit where threaded connections are used so that you can maintain uniform pressure across the whole unit.

Please don’t assume that copper and metal are the best in all situations. My home has in slab copper plumbing. The problem with this is that the copper pipes develop pinhole leaks over time. The slab itself is under tension and can’t be cut into easily. So repiping is a substantial effort. PEX is the only “cost effective” solution for this.

It took us a LOT of years to realize that running bare pipes inside the concrete slab was a really bad idea. Jagged limestone leads to pinhole leaks.

Many Florida residents have their second set of pipes running through their attics.

PEX may not have the lifespan of copper, but it sure is easier to repipe.

One interesting thing about pex is it can't be left in the sun, even when you have a roll of it ready to install. The UV in sunlight will degrade it and cause failures.

Also, have you seen the new (expensive) crimpers that let you crimp not only pex, but copper pipes?

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCE200M2-Plumbing-Pipe-Press/d...

FYI, you can rent the press tools reasonably cheaply if you’re not a plumber by trade. I rented one for $80 for a plumbing project a few years back and it was worth every penny. A million times easier & faster than sweating joints.

Yes! I saw a youtube video and of course, it had me believing I needed to own this tool even though I'm not a plumber.

>Many Florida residents have their second set of pipes running through their attics

When/if I remodel my bathrooms I have to have this done due to my existing galvanized steel pipes being horrendously brittle and filled with 70 years of gunk. Ah, the joys of a house built in the 1950s in Florida.

For me it was the waste lines giving me trouble. The drain lines for a tub in a house built in 1962. The size of the inlet meant I wasn't finding a drain at Home Depot.

Threaded connections are just another point of failure.

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