Cpvc & Pvc

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Without codes, we would have nothing to base our recommendations on.

Just remember this - "codes" are the bare minimum requirements for a residence to be legally habitable. Anything less, is "illegal."

[waksell]

Originally Posted by jpope

Without codes, we would have nothing to base our recommendations on.

Just remember this - "codes" are the bare minimum requirements for a residence to be legally habitable. Anything less, is "illegal."

All other codes that I can think of have something to do with safety or preventing damage.
I cant think of anything that is a code without a reason.
How does legal have anything to do with a home inspection? We have no authority.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by waksell

All other codes that I can think of have something to do with safety or preventing damage.
I cant think of anything that is a code without a reason.
How does legal have anything to do with a home inspection? We have no authority.

The purpose of the building codes, as stated in the IRC, is to "safeguard the public."

As Jeff Pope is indicating, Buildings built under the Code requirements of the IRC would or could endanger the occupants, and therefore, our inspections for the condition of the house along with the safety of the occupants all revolve around the bare minimum requirements of the Code.
As we can not enforce it because we are not Code Enforcement Officers, we can use it to compare it's requirements to existing conditions that we may observe, and note whatever would condone to the hazards caused by such deviation of that Code.

Hope this helps.

Marcel
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[jlybolt]

Wesley, my mothers house has PVC installed for the cold supply in her house. Should never have been installed but the house is in the country and no code inspections required. To make a long story short her water heater in the attic would always leak at the fittings were the flexible lines connect to the pvc supply line. She must have had different repair companies fix it ten different times until I told her to take the pvc out and install copper at this line. The leak went away. The temperature in the attic was affecting these fittings. I dont want to be the inspector with the customer calling up to want the house entirely re plumbed.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by waksell

How does legal have anything to do with a home inspection? We have no authority.

Do you feel that you need some "special" authority to inform someone that something is unsafe or substandard?

How do you determine that something is unsafe or substandard, when it's not blatantly obvious?

How do you support any statement/recommendation you make when its implications are not obvious?

PVC does not have the heat rating required for hot water distribution. How do we know that? Manufacturers tell us the rating of their components and the "codes" set a base line for what is acceptable.

What are the implications of using PVC for hot water distribution? What documentation/research do you use to support your statement?

[Brian E. Kelly]

http://www.ppfahome.org/pdf/PPFA_CPV...klist_2006.pdf

[waksell]

No, I don't need any authority to tell someone that something is unsafe.
I need a reason why it is unsafe.
Now I know the reason is because it cannot withstand the temperature.

I just had a problem telling someone that something is wrong when I don't know why it is wrong.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by waksell

Now I know the reason is because it cannot withstand the temperature.

and you base this statement on what?

[Greg Veal]

Bingo Marcel !!

PVC used as sewage drain matl's and low-temp moderate pressure piping on interiors all the time, here.
CPVC (last 10-15 years or so) piping used mainly as potable, heated, chiiled general usage throughout.
Blu-Poly being replaced with CPVC all the time, New Const. almost exclusively using CPVC, until the 300k+ level, then back to copper, usually.
I have never really found a problem with the CPVC. I guess time will tell.

[waksell]

Originally Posted by jpope

and you base this statement on what?

From what I have learned in this thread.

[Jason A. Sieg, CMI]

Does anyone know if PVC was ever OK for indoor distribution of cold water?

Just wondering, some things change with time and this could be one of those things. We all know that when it comes to electrical, things change but are grandfathered in when codes change.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by waksell

From what I have learned in this thread.

Is that what you will tell your clients?

[waksell]

Yes.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

More power to you Wesley. I guess we're done here. . .