This blog was posted by Your San Antonio Plumbers – Plumbing Services

Residential – Commercial Plumbing Services

As a reliable plumbing repair service, we work hard to help homeowners and business owners who need immediate plumbing service to get their requests done fast.

We want homeowners to understand the type of services and repairs that we offer. We believe that you will be able to appreciate more what we do if you know its basics. For any plumbing system, repairs can be minimized if strong joints and good piping are used. Repairing damaged pipes would also depend on the type of material used, and here is a basic understanding of what they are:

1. Copper
Copper is considered one of the more expensive piping materials. This means that it can also lead to costly plumbing repairs. The high cost is associated with its durability, specified by its various grades. Building code specifications would normally require Type M at the very least.

If you are looking for a stronger grade, Type L can deliver twice the strength and allows you to upgrade your plumbing for a considerable time. Commercial structures should not settle for less than Type K.

You don’t have to worry about tight spaces because soft copper tubing can be used. This material easily bends and does not use many joints.

We can help you install, maintain, and repair your plumbing system with this type of material.

2. Cross-linked Polyethylene
More commonly known as PEX, it is characterized as a flexible and strong piping material. The packaging can be in rolls or straight lengths, which means that joints may be required depending on how the installation is carried out.

The benefit of using this material is that the entire pipe run can be pulled using as few as two joints only. The material allows it to be moved, similar to a hose or wire, and can be easily sneaked into position by professional plumbers.

There is no need to use specialized fittings, but, they are installed inside instead of outside the pipes as seen with other piping materials. We can ensure that during installation we will avoid kinking the pipe to prevent disruption of water flow.

You can be assured that we will test the line with air or water before sealing it up so that you will have minimal repair problems with your plumbing.

3. PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride is one of the most commonly used materials today not only for piping but for joints and fittings as well. It has in fact revolutionized practices of modern plumbing by doing away with cast iron that was traditionally used in the majority of drain lines that used molten lead.

There are also different grades of PVC or more accurately termed as schedules. For the majority of home plumbing, we would recommend scheduling 40 or even scheduling 80 to minimize the potential for damage.

One of the preferred advantages of using PVC piping is that it is relatively easy to cut because of the wide variety of tool options that can be used. The only provision is to always make sure that safety glasses are worn when dealing with PVC material.

We also recommend the use of PVC piping for both household and commercial use. You can also be assured that we can handily help you with plumbing repair problems involving this piping material.

These are the three most commonly used piping materials today because of a common characteristic, they are all potable solutions. When you use these types of piping materials, the water that flows through them is considered safe for drinking based on the NSF61 marking from the National Sanitation Foundation.

We can ensure that we use the best materials for your sanitation and safety when it comes to pipes and plumbing repairs.