Pipes and Fittings for Bathroom & Kitchen - Choosing Them Right

If you are building a house, suitable pipes and fittings are one of the most integral parts of the structure. Pipes and fixtures are part of the plumbing system that allows easy inflow and outflow of water from the property. In today's age, we are all used to one-touch access to fresh running water, and kitchen pipes and bathroom pipe fittings make people's lives easier and hassle-free.

This blog discussed everything you need to know about pipes and fittings, starting from  the common types available,  the perfect fittings for your house and more.

What are Pipes and Fittings?

Pipes and fittings are integral parts of any home construction (Source: Unsplash)

Water flow

Heating And Cooling (HVAC)

Waste removal/drainage 

High-pressure applications

In any city now, improper plumbing systems can cause chaos and increase the risk of infections. The same holds true in any house. Stagnant dirty water, improper drainage, or blocked pipes can lead to sanitary problems, and these have to be fixed by tweaking the existing pipes and fittings.

Types of Pipes and Fittings

A wide range of pipes and fittings are available in the market these days. We will list the common ones and discuss in detail three of the most popular piping materials available – PVC, UPVC, and CPVC.

Copper pipes and fittings

Copper pipes and fittings can withstand hot and cold water

Copper is one of the safest materials for making pipes and fittings. It is resistant to both temperature and corrosion and can easily endure hot and cold water. Copper looks great on the eye, too, and if you have exposed pipe fittings somewhere in the house, copper can be a good choice. The only problem with copper pipes is that they are very expensive.

Stainless steel pipes and fittings

Stainless steel pipes and fittings are rust-resistant and corrosion-resistant (Source: Unsplash)

Stainless steel is the next best option when it comes to pipes and fittings. Although more expensive than plastic pipes, stainless steel is best for coastal areas with high corrosion rates. Stainless steel may not be very flexible, and pipes made of this material need to be designed in exact dimensions.

PEX pipes and fittings

PEX pipes and fittings are gaining popularity as they are more affordable

PEX pipes (cross-linked polyethylene pipes) slowly started replacing stainless steel and copper, offering the same advantages as these pipes but being super affordable. These can be installed faster than the previous two types. But external components like rain and sun can also affect these pipes and fittings, making them ineffective for outdoor installations.

PVC pipes and fittings

PVC pipes and fittings are lightweight, durable, and leakproof (Source: Unsplash)

The modern-day solution to affordable and high-quality pipes and fittings came after the development of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipes. This hydrocarbon polymer is mixed with plasticizers to make it flexible and malleable. 

Most modern-day plumbing systems use PVC pipes for indoor as well as outdoor purposes. PVC is corrosion-resistant and temperature-resistant to a certain extent. 

PVC pipes are extremely durable and can also be used in high-pressure applications. With a long life and affordable prices, definitely talk to your plumbing team about installing PVC pipes and fittings in your home.

It is to be noted that PVC pipes cannot be used for carrying usable water inside the house. It is mostly used for the following purposes:

Drainage

Cold water supply line

High-pressure applications

UPVC pipes and fittings

UPVC pipes and fittings don’t contain plastic additives (Source: Pinterest)

UPVC pipes (Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride pipes) are similar to PVC pipes except that the production process does not use plastic additives, especially BPA and phthalates. 

These pipes are relatively more rigid than PVC pipes because they don’t contain plasticizers. However, some people don’t prefer using BPA and phthalates in their plastic fittings; UPVC pipes and fittings may be suitable in such cases.

UPVC pipes are also not used for carrying drinking water or really hot water. They are used for the purposes listed below:

CPVC pipes and fittings are ideal for building exteriors

CPVC pipes, or Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride pipes, can be called a more advanced version of PVC pipes. These are especially designed to carry very hot and cold water within and outside buildings and are super resistant to extreme temperatures. For instance, CPVC pipes can handle water temperatures of up to 93 degrees Celsius or 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The added chlorine in these pipes makes them corrosion resistant too, and these pipes and fittings last a lifetime. CPVC pipes are chosen by plumbers for their flexibility and strength too.

CPVC pipes are used for the following functions:

Drinking water supply

Hot water supply

Main water supply line

PVC, UPVC, and CPVC pipes are all lightweight, durable, and leak-resistant too. The best thing about these pipes is their affordability. They have made plumbing processes cheaper and quicker.

What type of kitchen pipes should you choose?

CVC kitchen pipes can be used to transport drinking water (Source: Unsplash)

If you want to install pipes for the inflow of drinking water or hot water, choose CVC kitchen pipes, as they are safer to use. You can even use copper pipes for drinking water if you can afford them. Copper pipes have a lot of health benefits too.

What kind of bathroom pipe fitting to choose?

Make sure your bathroom pipe fitting is leakproof and temperature-resistant (Source: Unsplash)

Since bathroom pipes don’t supply drinking water, it is safe to use PVC pipes here. However, for the hot water inlet, make sure you use CPVC, as these handle higher temperatures better

If you are looking to buy CPVC pipes in India, then Prince pipes and fittings is a good brand to check out. Their Flowguard Plus CPVC pipes withstand temperatures of up to 93 degrees Celsius and are free from toxins and odours.  

What to do if your pipe and fittings burst due to cold weather?

Low-quality pipes and fittings have the risk of breaking or bursting when the weather is really cold. While this often happens in colder countries like Canada and the United States, some parts of India get very cold in winter. The plumbing system is not often designed to handle such cold temperatures. 

Some symptoms of a burst pipe are discoloured and smelly water, increased or decreased water pressure, dripping noises within the wall, or consistently high water usage. 

If you suspect burst pipes, make sure you turn off the main water supply and call a plumber to check. A plumber will be able to track the exact spot of breakage and fix it quickly. 

Quick History of Pipes and Fittings

Copper pipes and fittings were used to transport hot and cold water in the olden days (Source:

According to records, the Mesopotamians had clay pipes and sewers installed throughout their cities to help discard wastewater and get access to fresh water in public bathrooms. So, people thought of such pipes and fittings as early as 4000 BCE.

With time, people moved from clay piping to cast iron, copper, lead, and stainless steel.

Many of these materials have their own disadvantages, and water flowing through lead pipes can even be toxic. Slowly, different, safer options were introduced, and today, we have so many types of kitchen and bathroom pipe fittings to choose from. 

Conclusion to Pipes & Fittings for Home

Choosing the right pipes and fittings for your home is important in the long term and will help save money spent on frequent repairs and leaks. Using poor-quality plastic pipes may turn the water toxic, which is dangerous for everyone in the house.

Low-quality PVC pipes and fittings can leak or burst, leading to you having to spend more money on repairs. 

It is best to seek professional advice and choose the right fixtures in your home.