Your CPVC Specification Questions Answered

What type of pipe is best for plumbing?

FlowGuard® Pipe and Fittings are trusted in many countries around the world and provide plumbing solutions to both commercial and residential properties. However, there are many materials out there, all of which promise value for money and lasting quality.

Here we answer some of the plumbing industry’s most common questions about different available pipe materials, and how they compare

Should we use CPVC or PVC?

CPVC’s main advantage over ordinary PVC is its ability to work under higher operating temperatures and pressures. Its improved strength and corrosion resistance is due to the additional chlorine content. This allows FlowGuard CPVC to perform for longer, in hot and cold water installations. 

Which pipe is better, PPR or CPVC?

Polypropylene (PPR) has limited strength and rigidity in water distribution applications, allowing for corrosion, even from routine disinfectants present in water supplies such as chlorine. 

FlowGuard CPVC installs faster and with no hazardous heating tools, saving time and equipment costs. Correctly installed FlowGuard Pipe and Fittings should not suffer bead formation, nor should it suffer potentially dangerous levels of microbial contamination.

Should we use copper or CPVC?

Common setbacks using copper include pitting corrosion and scaling. This long term damage threatens a system’s integrity and inevitably leads to expensive repairs. 

Modern plumbing (and construction as a whole) is now fully focused on sustainability and creating energy efficient systems that serve families’ homes for the duration of their time there. Condensation on the external surface of copper pipes, as well as poor thermal conductivity, leads to potential hazards in the home, not to mention the financial and environmental cost.

FlowGuard CPVC not only wastes less energy in the home, it also requires less energy to produce, a more cost effective decision for the installer.

Is PEX better than CPVC?

Third party studies show that FlowGuard CPVC is far less susceptible to microbial contamination, particularly the development of legionella bacteria. The quality and strength of the internal pipe surface between CPVC and PEX differs greatly, the latter being a more welcoming environment for biofilm to form. 

Is CPVC good for plumbing?

FlowGuard CPVC is approved by all major international public health agencies for safe use in potable water systems, including the Water Regulation Advisory Scheme (WRAS), NSF International and ASTM International. That’s why it has become the trusted CPVC brand for Specifiers across Nigeria.

To learn more about FlowGuard CPVC and to see it in action, watch our installer video series.