Water pipe for house = Is PPR better or any?

[HealthisWealth]

Hi

What kind of pipes are in your house? Which is non-toxic or least toxic non-leaching = PVC or PPR or PP?
@Rinse & rePeat

@haidut

@Blossom

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Hi

What kind of pipes are in your house? Which is non-toxic or least toxic non-leaching = PVC or PPR or PP?
@Rinse & rePeat

@haidut

@Blossom

I have old copper pipes mostly and I don’t know if the other is PVC, but I have filters on my shower heads and use a gravity filter for my water intake, and I even make ice cubes with that water.

 

[Blossom]

@HealthisWealth, I’m asking my husband because I don’t know for sure but I believe it’s PEX. We renovated our current house in 2017 and replaced some of the pipes at that time. I’m certain there’s a copper pipe going into the water heater though.
I’ve been drinking RO water since early 2022 and using a shower head filter since 2016.

 

[wzuo]

I think use most popular technology and invest in RO filter and after it use stainless steel or copper.

 

[Jackson Chung]

PEX piping is low density polyethylene. Probably safe as ethylene is a simple molecule. I remember Ray saying that’s the only safe plastic. PVC is used for drain pipes. I haven’t heard of poly propylene used in piping. But I could be wrong. I’d use 316 stainless steel if I could but that’s expensive.

 

[GTW]

PEX piping is low density polyethylene. Probably safe as ethylene is a simple molecule. I remember Ray saying that’s the only safe plastic. PVC is used for drain pipes. I haven’t heard of poly propylene used in piping. But I could be wrong. I’d use 316 stainless steel if I could but that’s expensive.

PEX is cross linked PE. PE in any form may have low levels polymerization catalyst residues. Possibly also extrusion plasticizer residues although usually waxes not toxic.
Typically black PE works well for all cold water lines. Cross linking makes PE more heat resistant.

 

[wzuo]

PP-R is used for water pipes in EU, along with PEX, both have its pros and cons. PP-R is connected by melting two items at the same time and connecting them while they are hot, PEX is usually connected with connector having rubber sealing oring.

Raw PE is also used for water but for more bulky usages like water supply lines buried in ground.

 

[GTW]

If you have municipal water supply there's good reason to be concerned. Additives and contaminants have low level toxicity and may also react with copper pipes. Old copper plumbing may literally have plumbum (lead) in soldered joints.
PE in cold water pipes, large or small, costs less. It's high density PE which extrudes easily because the short chain molecule fraction behaves like a lubricant wax.

 

[Jackson Chung]

PEX is cross linked PE. PE in any form may have low levels polymerization catalyst residues. Possibly also extrusion plasticizer residues although usually waxes not toxic.
Typically black PE works well for all cold water lines. Cross linking makes PE more heat resistant.

I checked some of the catalysts. The peroxides don’t seem too toxic. The silanes might be. Depending on water solubility they would probably get washed out over a few years even if not perfectly soluble in water. 316 SS is the best as that’s used in industrial vessels and won’t rust, but it’s expensive and needs specialized equipment to install which isn’t feasible in residential settings. But hdpe isn’t bad I’d say. PVC is definitely toxic. Copper seems like a good idea due to anti microbial properties. But I’m sure the copper would react with chemicals in the water in unknown ways and pressingly form a film inhibiting the microbial actions.

Hdpe pipes with some ozone to oxidize the residual unpolymerized chemicals would be safe and cost effective.

 

[akgrrrl]

Copper for 45yrs, 2022 blood labs show no lead. Of course, that is with pure and ancient glacier meltwater from the aquifer going through them..