Jonathan Simon, Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc. CPVC is one of the most widely used plumbing materials in the U.S. and has a number of advantages that make it ideal for residential plumbing. To follow are some tips for working with CPVC to ensure a fast, professional installation that stands the test of time. These tips Read more
plumbing systems
Jonathan Simon, Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc.
CPVC is one of the most widely used plumbing materials in the U.S. and has a number of advantages that make it ideal for residential plumbing. To follow are some tips for working with CPVC to ensure a fast, professional installation that stands the test of time. These tips are specific to Copper Tube Size CPVC (which is typically tan in color) and may not apply to IPS Schedule 80 CPVC (which is typically gray in color). As with any plumbing system, always consult the manufacturer’s instructions for specific handling and installation information.
Cutting and Welding Copper Tube Size CPVC
When installing CPVC, the pipe should be cut square, and any tailings and bevel on the pipe end removed by chamfering. Ratchet-style cutters can be used for new CPVC. For older CPVC pipe, a C-style tubing cutter, fine-tooth saw or wheel cutter is suggested as CPVC pipes become more rigid with age.
CPVC pipes and fittings are solvent welded together to create a bond that is the strongest part of the system. Copper Tube Size CPVC can use one-step solvent cement, such as FlowGuard® Gold 1-Step Yellow or new High Contrast Green Cement. The use of green solvent cement with CPVC was added to the 2024 codes of major bodies, including the Uniform Mechanical Code, Uniform Plumbing Code, International Plumbing Code, and International Mechanical Code.
Because service plumbers often need to make repairs quickly and get to the next job, a specially formulated solvent cement, Oatey® Orange Lava, was developed. It enables one-step cure times as fast as 15 minutes for cold water lines in certain conditions.
CPVC pipes and fittings use an interference fit to ensure a strong bond and it’s a good practice to test the fit before applying solvent cement. When you insert the pipe into the fitting, you should feel some resistance before bottoming out the pipe, which indicates a proper fit.
When applying cement, a good practice is to apply a heavy, even coat to the outside of the pipe end. Then, using the same applicator without additional cement, apply a thin coat inside the fitting socket. After the cement has been applied, the pipe should be inserted until it bottoms out against the fitting.
Always verify code requirements and follow the solvent cement manufacturer’s instructions for cure times and installation procedures.
Avoiding Dry Fits
The friction between the pipe and fitting in a tight interference fit can hold for a long time at pressures above 100 psi without being solvent welded. That means if a joint in the system isn’t solvent welded, the system can still pass a pressure test. Over time, natural movement and stress on the system will cause an unwelded joint to fail. These dry-fit installation errors are extremely rare but can be very frustrating because the failure may occur after the building is occupied.
To avoid dry fits, never pre-assemble the system and then come back through with solvent cement. The best practice is to weld each joint as it is assembled. This also results in a faster installation. For added peace of mind, some contractors may require plumbers to initial joints with a after they are welded. Systems should still be visually inspected and High Contrast Green Solvent Cement makes this quality assurance process easier than ever.
Protecting CPVC pipes
Because CPVC resists degradation from chlorine, chloramines and chlorine dioxide in drinking water, using CPVC eliminates a key factor – incompatibility with local water conditions – that can shorten the life of other plumbing systems. Here are three things you can do to ensure a long life for CPVC pipes and fittings:
- Accommodate expansion and contraction: FlowGuard Gold CPVC can expand about 1 inch per 50 feet of straight length of pipe per 50°F temperature increase. In many cases, normal changes of direction can be enough to account for expansion and contraction provided the natural movement of the pipe is not restricted and there is adequate spacing between elbows and hangers. Overtightening pipe hangers may also restrict lateral movement of the pipe. For long, straight runs, loops or offsets can be used. Consult the manufacturer’s installation guidelines for instructions.
- Check for chemical incompatibility: If properly installed CPVC pipe experiences a failure, one possible culprit is contact with incompatible chemicals. The FBC™ System Compatible Program can be used to identify materials that are compatible and incompatible with FlowGuard Gold, BlazeMaster and Corzan CPVC. For other brands of CPVC piping, consult with the specific manufacturer(s) for compatibility information.
- Protect against freezing: There is no such thing as a freeze-proof pipe. All residential plumbing materials will fail if ice forms in the pipe, blocking water flow and creating pressures that exceed the material’s burst pressure. Always plan for cold weather – even in areas where it is uncommon – and follow best practices for protecting against freezing including those recommended by the pipe manufacturer.
Showcase Your Craftmanship
Professional plumbers appreciate CPVC because it is easy to work with and results in a clean, professional installation that highlights the plumber’s craftmanship and commitment to quality. Builders and homeowners appreciate CPVC because it can handle aggressive water conditions that can cause premature failure in other residential plumbing systems. For more information, visit flowguardgold.com.
These tips are for informational purposes only and do not replace any manufacturer’s instructions for handling or installing pipe.
Jonathan Simon is the North American residential plumbing manager for Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., the parent company for FlowGuard Gold Pipe and Fittings.
NSF Health Sciences and Urban Sustainability Directors Network report recommends electronic cooling tower registry to help public health investigators quickly pinpoint the source of outbreaks. Ann Arbor, Mich. — A new policy report, Electronic Registration Systems for Cooling Towers – Improving Public Health and Sustainability Outcomes, published by the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) proposes a Read more
NSF Health Sciences and Urban Sustainability Directors Network report recommends electronic cooling tower registry to help public health investigators quickly pinpoint the source of outbreaks.
Ann Arbor, Mich. — A new policy report, Electronic Registration Systems for Cooling Towers – Improving Public Health and Sustainability Outcomes, published by the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) proposes a standardized yet flexible template for cooling tower registries that are designed to improve health outcomes, address disparity in affected populations, and increase water and energy efficiency.
NSF Health Sciences LLC, an NSF International company, and GroveWare Technologies developed the report for USDN with workshop input from more than 20 federal, state, provincial, city health, environmental, sustainability, water and/or building agencies.
Cooling towers are the point where heat extracted from a building is dissipated to the atmosphere through an evaporative process. As such, they are a critical component of many cooling systems in commercial, industrial, health care, hospitality and residential facilities. There are more than 2 million cooling towers in the United States, making them more common than elevators, yet much less regulated, according to the report.
Poorly maintained cooling towers can disperse Legionella through contaminated water droplets that are created as part of the cooling process. Once inhaled, the bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease, an acute form of pneumonia, and the less severe Pontiac fever. According to a study published in April 2018 in Current Environmental Health Reports, cooling towers were implicated or suspected in the majority of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak-associated deaths examined during the study period between 2006-2017.
With Legionnaires’ disease at a record high, the report argues that cities, states and water utilities should create electronic cooling tower registration systems to improve surveillance and response to cases, as well as to prevent exposure to Legionella bacteria by encouraging proper maintenance of cooling towers.
Additionally, since poor energy conservation practices increase water demand on buildings, registries are an important sustainability tool that can help evaluate the effectiveness of maintenance plans and identify areas for improved efficiency, the report highlights.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a record number of 9,933 Legionnaires’ cases in 2018, a more than eightfold increase since 2000. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in a 2019 report estimated as many as 70,000 people per year in the United States alone may suffer from the disease, and recommended adoption of cooling tower registries to help prevent or to rapidly respond to outbreaks. Response time is critical in an outbreak and proactively knowing the locations of cooling towers can help public health investigators pinpoint the source for remediation.
According to the CDC, one in 10 cases is fatal, and 90% of the outbreaks are preventable.
“Establishing a cooling tower registry is the crucial first step to dramatically improve the ability to meet public health and sustainability goals. This touch-stone document provides the scientific basis for creating cooling tower registries and the road map to ensure their successful implementation,” said Chris Boyd, General Manager of Building Water Health at NSF Health Sciences.
Most North American cities do not track the location of cooling towers and are “forced to rely on imprecise methodologies during public health emergencies,” the report says, adding that there is a “continued tolerance of widely divergent maintenance practices by building owners.”
“Cooling tower registries are a demonstrably effective and proactive tool for improving public health and fulfilling water efficiency goals,” said Patrick Ryan, M.Sc., P.Eng., Chief Building Official from Vancouver (Canada), a key participant city in the new report.
According to the report, registries provide municipalities with a management tool for maintenance record-keeping and support to building owners to meet regulations.
“The City of Vancouver is a true leader in North America in advancing public health measures in urban water systems. The uptake of this work is incredible to watch, proving the need for resources to support city inventory of cooling towers to prevent Legionella outbreaks. USDN is pleased to have been able to provide support for such an important effort,” said Nils Moe, USDN Executive Director.
New York City was the first U.S. city to create an electronic cooling tower registry system after a large outbreak in 2015 that sickened 138 people and led to 16 deaths. A handful of other cities and states, including Austin, Texas; Hamilton, Canada; Vancouver, Canada; the State of New York; Quebec, Canada; and Victoria, Australia, now require cooling towers to be registered. National registries also exist in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The report details IT specifications to create and rapidly implement an electronic cooling tower registration system.
“Technology plays a key role in nurturing a healthy urban living environment. The USDN workshop provided us the opportunity to share our experience deploying the New York City Registration Portal with participating governments and provided attendees with a roadmap for a successful program implementation,” said Hrair Achkarian, President and CEO of GroveWare Technologies Inc., the software firm that developed New York City’s cooling tower registration system.
Registries can also be a crucial tool to measure key sustainability performance indicators, aiding jurisdictions in evaluating the effectiveness of a building’s water conservation plans and identifying areas for improved energy efficiency.
Cooling towers can be a significant source of water demand for a building, representing 20-50% of total water usage, according to the report, which added that poor management practices result in millions of wasted gallons of water per year in a single cooling tower. In Los Angeles alone, for example, it is estimated that more than two billion gallons of water per year are wasted, according to the report.
The report reflects information collected from participants in webinars on April 15, May 17 and July 16, 2019; as well as a two-day workshop conducted Sept. 9-10, 2019, at the annual Legionella Conference in Los Angeles co-hosted by NSF Health Sciences and the National Environmental Health Association. NSF and GroveWare also conducted interviews with several agencies participating in the USDN project to gain insight into what criteria and factors were critical to their public health and sustainability missions.
NSF Health Sciences is presenting the findings of the report at upcoming events, including the AWWA Sustainability Conference in March 2020 in Minneapolis, AWWA ACE in June 2020 in Orlando and the National Environmental Health Association annual meeting in July 2020 in New York City. Public agencies interested in receiving a training/workshop on cooling tower registration systems, Legionnaires’ disease outbreak response investigations and/or sustainability strategies for cooling tower systems should contact NSF Health Sciences LLC’s building water health team at +1.734.769.8010. Read the report with a full list of participant cities at USDN and NSF.
Mokena, Ill. — IAPMO Training and Education introduces the new Plumbing Systems Interactive Workshop, a fun, hands-on course that teaches the effective uses of four basic plumbing systems, why/where/when to use each, how to apply code compliant configurations to design and installation, and actual assembly of each system using scaled 3D-printed drainage pattern fittings. The Read more
Mokena, Ill. — IAPMO Training and Education introduces the new Plumbing Systems Interactive Workshop, a fun, hands-on course that teaches the effective uses of four basic plumbing systems, why/where/when to use each, how to apply code compliant configurations to design and installation, and actual assembly of each system using scaled 3D-printed drainage pattern fittings.
The eight-hour course, developed and instructed by Steve Hart, senior plumbing plans examiner with Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC), is delivered in three parts repeated for each plumbing system addressed:
- Part One: Attendees learn/review the code requirements for one of the plumbing systems—horizontal wet vent, circuit vent, vertical wet vent or combination waste and vent
- Part Two: Separate into groups of five and apply this knowledge to assemble the particular plumbing system using 3D-printed fittings, focusing on best engineered practices for mitigating health and safety risk and achieving code compliance
- Part Three: Discussion and debrief, repeat for next system
“IAPMO is constantly looking for ways to improve the learning experience for our students,” said Tony Marcello, vice president of IAPMO Training and Credential Services. “This hands-on offering is unique and innovative, and allows for a large amount of learning to occur in a fun and engaging way. Steve Hart, the developer of the concept and primary instructor, has poured his heart and soul into this learning method and we could not be more excited to introduce this training opportunity to the plumbing industry.”
The Plumbing Systems Interactive Workshop seeks to facilitate cooperation between building officials/building inspectors, apprentice/journeyperson plumbers, and design professionals to enhance public health and safety.
“I found the Plumbing Systems Interactive Workshop to be one of the best workshop experiences I have attended,” said Robert J. Heavey, plumbing plans examiner, city of Bellevue, Wash. “Instructor Steve Hart knows his subject inside out, and is able to present it in a way that reaches all levels of attendees, from the experienced plumbers and designers to those who are still struggling with the multiple venting options offered by the code. The interactive experience of actually building scale models of a waste and vent system, showing in turn each of the venting options, allows the attendees to try out the knowledge they gained in the first half of the session. Mistakes are made, and the collaboration within each group works well to help reach a correct resolution.”
Three upcoming workshops will be presented at the Simpson Strong-Tie Training Center in Kent, Wash., on Sept. 11, Oct. 5, and Dec. 4. The cost is $250 ($225 for IAPMO members). For more information or to enroll in an upcoming workshop, direct your browser to www.bit.ly/iapmo-psi-signup.