Replacing Copper Water Lines With Vinyl

At one time replacing water supply pipes usually meant installing new copper pipes joined with sweat soldered fittings that required a flame torch and considerable skill to assemble.

Replacing copper water lines with vinyl.

This could be one half or three fourths of an inch in diameter. That s because of lower material and labor costs. Replacing your ice maker water line with a braided steel supply line and installing a quality copper tee fitting and high quality shut off takes only half an hour and you probably won t have to worry about leaks again. Copper was the plumbing pipe of choice from the 1950s until 2000 and was widely used both in new construction and to replace the galvanized steel water supply pipes that had been the standard into the 1950s.

Inexpensive plastic water lines and saddle valves sold for icemakers can eventually clog or leak causing water damage. At only 1 4 inch in diameter ice maker water supply lines are small but make a huge mess when damaged. Pex also comes in blue for cold water and red for hot water use. Replace copper pipes with pvc cpvc or pex pipe of the same gauge and type as the copper pipe you are replacing.

Of course if your refrigerator doesn t have an ice maker or water dispenser or if it has one or both features but you prefer not to use them. Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride cpvc pipe has a higher resistance to heat than pvc pipe and the california plumbing code specifies its use for. But using pex would cost just 4 000 to 6 000 according to gove. A survey conducted by cda of water systems in 45 states with 155 municipal water utilities responding indicated a clear trend back to the use of.

Replacing all of the plumbing in a 1 500 square foot two bathroom home with copper piping costs between 8 000 and 10 000. As municipalities and water systems look to replace lead service lines many have examined the technical and cost benefits of copper versus plastics as a replacement choice and have chosen copper. Plastic and copper water supply lines are both used to. Connecting a water line to your refrigerator will provide it with the water necessary to make ice and dispense filtered water.

You can replace your plastic water line with a copper tee fitting a high quality shutoff and a braided steel supply line in a half hour and never have to worry about leaks again.