update: plumbing/pump change in '95 BB

[Pete Masterson]

It's interesting that when I Googled the "california plastic
plumbing" I got (part of) an article entitled "PEX [plastic plumbing
pipe] makers sue California" It goes on to state that the California
Plumbing Code left _out_ PEX when it approved an updated code ... (it
breaks off there...)

Another 'hit' brings up the Plastic Pipe CPVC approval (which I saw
in a local paper). The hardware store had a few CPVC fittings on the
shelf, but they're not (directly) compatible with the PEX.

The article on the CPVC goes into some detail about how a combination
of plumbers unions and environmental groups (including the Sierra
Club) have joined to attack plastic pipe of various types based on
"safety." The environmental groups claim there are health risks while
the unions object to the "loss of work" that the more efficient to
install plastic pipes represent.

Actually, I did recall seeing a CPVC article in the paper a couple of
days ago... but CPVC isn't PEX ... CPVC is chlorinated polyvinyl
chloride while Pex is "cross linked polyethylene". Frankly, the CPVC
is still more labor intensive than PEX as it requires glued fittings
while the Pex can be bent around corners, eliminating all joints and
fittings between the source and the destination of a run... The
unions certainly will do all they can to keep it out of the state ...
and there's always an environmental group or two that will complain
about any technology lurking around this state...

Pete Masterson
aeonix1@...
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42'
El Sobrante, CA




On Feb 2, 2007, at 5:41 PM, Don Bradner wrote:

> Google "California Plastic Plumbing" (on the news pages) and you
> will find that CPVC was approved a couple of days ago. Don't know
> if this will include Pex or not, but the state is finally joining
> the rest of the nation on plastic vs copper.
>
> On 2/2/2007 at 4:23 PM Pete Masterson wrote:



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