Ever seen this plastic pipe?

[Robert E Lee]

The inspection this afternoon was on a 1966 model home, all of the interior plumbing lines consisted of this type of plastic pipe, the aqua pipe was the cold water, the orange was the hot water, no evidence of any problems in 40 years. The transition from the plastic to the copper was glued. This was the first time I have ever encountered this material.

Robert E Lee

GENERAL Home Inspections, Inc

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[Brandon Chew]

Yeah, I've seen it in a previous life. PVDC pipe is usually used in industrial applications to convey highly corrosive materials. Looks like somebody probably found some laying around and decided to plumb a house with it. Maybe they liked the color. I don't know if it is a listed material for potable water supply piping in homes, or what kind of glue is used to join it.

[Brian G]

You gotta love this business. No matter how long you do this, on any given day you're liable to go out and run right into something that makes you feel ignorant all over again. Never heard of the stuff before.

Brian G.

Poly Vinyl Devilish Confounder [:-boggled

[kurt]

The orange stuff is usually associated w/residential fire supppression systems, i.e., sprinklers.

Probably right; guy found the stuff cheap & used it on his house.

[Les]

Kids!

This is standard pvc pipe for the era.

Color coded because the aqua (blue) is for cold potable use only. Orange product was a completely different material.

Method of fastening was solvent welding. The procedure was initially different that modern solvent welding in that the surface had to be abraded and softened then glued.

Most of that material was made and developed by Amoco and used extensively by the mobile home and modular industry. If I recall correctly, Genova bought the rights and patents and phased it out in favor of what we now know as pvc.

It will last a long time, if not exposed to sunlight.

So much for the history lesson.

ps: your photos show mixed materials from a transition period.

[kurt]

They were using plastic supply pipe in 1966???

[Les]

Yes they were. Was not common, but specifically Capp Pre-Cut homes sent in along with the package of materials.

If I remember correctly, Morley Brothers pre-cut package did also.

I will look up the material in the Reader's Digest Home Repair Manual of that era and see if they were giving advice on how to repair. That resource is more important than the "codes", because it reflects what was rather that what should be.

[Jim Baird]

"...You gotta love this business. No matter how long you do this, on any given day you're liable to go out and run right into something that makes you feel ignorant all over again. Never heard of the stuff before...."

Brian, most of my days are the lucky kind when I see something I never seen before.

Les,

The first time most of us even heard the word "plastic" was when the guy whispered it into "Graduate" Dustin Hoffman's ear.

[Brandon Chew]

Kewl. That makes sense Les. It was overkill for residential so it was probably phased out once a cheaper but suitable alternative became available. I've only come across piping made of that material on chemical feed lines at factories. I'm always willing to learn so go right ahead with those history lessons!

Brandon