5 Things Your Customer Doesn’t Know About PPR

When it comes to the crucial specification stage of your project, it’s important to evaluate the effectiveness and compatibility of every element in your plan. To you, the difference could mean cutting down on installation time by weeks. To your customer, it can and should mean a longer lasting plumbing system that performs to the highest standards, creating long term cost cutting savings along the way.

Your pipes and fittings for plumbing installation are one of the more crucial pieces of the puzzle, but which ones to go for? The PPR, or CPVC?

Here are five things you should know about what makes PPR and FlowGuard® CPVC different.

PPR - Requires heat welding equipment.

FlowGuard CPVC - Requires none.

Heat welding of PPR pipe and fittings is a laborious task, with individual parts requiring a lot of physical exertion to correctly cut, melt and weld together to create an efficient joint. Therefore, risk of burn related injury is always there. 

FlowGuard CPVC can be installed by hand, using simple tools, in minutes. Fusing pipes and fittings is a “cold installation” process that saves you time and money hiring expensive and dangerous equipment, as demonstrated in this video.  

PPR - Creates joints between fittings that are vulnerable.

FlowGuard CPVC -  Has no vulnerable joints.   

Solvent cement creates molecular bonds, transforming two separate parts into one. Thanks to this, joints in even the most complicated plumbing systems can be considered the strongest parts of the system. The joints fuse in a way that does not compromise the internal diameter of the pipe; this allows flexibility for downsizing if needed.

Consider this as a promise to your customer that a fast turnaround can be expected, with absolutely no compromise on quality.

PPR - Must factor in significant setting time.

FlowGuard CPVC - Sets fast. 

The time spent waiting for heat fusion devices to warm up to the required temperature adds up to a significant time related cost when constructing a system from PPR. Add to that the time required to allow joints to set, before proceeding with the next. 

This accumulated time related cost doesn’t just cost you money; if you are installing a shop or local institution, you are costing your client money with every delay. A delayed residential installation costs homeowners both time and money also. The hidden costs of simply waiting for PPR to do its job is often overlooked, and can now be avoided with FlowGuard CPVC.

PPR - Is naturally corroded by chlorine over time.

FlowGuard CPVC - Is immune.

CPVC and PPR, tested for chlorine resistance

FlowGuard CPVC naturally resists chlorine and chlorine dioxide corrosive action. This action comes with everyday drinking water that enters all of our homes. If a plumbing system simply is not equipped to resist this, it simply will not last. 

FlowGuard CPVC is a highly chlorinated material, providing inherent resistance to the effects of chlorine, minimising degradation and leaching.

PPR - Is susceptible to microbial contamination.

FlowGuard CPVC - Naturally isn’t.

Biofilm, which can grow inside water pipes and breed harmful bacteria, is highly likely to attach inside PPR thanks to its textured surface. The formation of internal beading through heat welding is also a major contributor to the uneven internal surface, with negative consequences on overall flow rate. FlowGuard CPVC is naturally smooth and provides little to no hiding places for biofilm to breed. 

To you, this means every quality installation you create, stays that way.  

The differences in installation and performance between PPR and FlowGuard CPVC will save you time and money in the short term and provide health benefits for decades in the homes and businesses of your customers. 

To read more about FlowGuard CPVC and to find out about exciting product developments, visit our website and subscribe to our blog.