Is Chlorine Corroding Your Pipes?
A Guide for Home Builders

This blog contains content sponsored by Lubrizol Corporation. Guest post by Jonathan Simon.

FlowGuard Gold Plumbing Systems and HomeSphere collaborated to gather insights from home builders on plumbing system issues and product knowledge. The survey targeted over 2,800 single-family builder contacts revealing key trends and challenges faced by them.

As a home builder, ensuring that your plumbing systems are durable, efficient and resistant to chemical wear is crucial for long-term success. One of the key findings from our survey uncovered that 64% of home builders were unaware of the potential for chlorine degradation in PEX plumbing, and 65% did not know that some PEX manufacturers prohibit the use of their pipes with chlorine dioxide treatment.

Chlorine-based water treatment can degrade certain types of plumbing materials over time leading to leaks, failures and costly repairs. One of the best ways to protect against chlorine degradation is by using FlowGuard Gold® CPVC (Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride) plumbing systems.

One of the key findings from our survey uncovered that 64% of home builders were unaware of the potential for chlorine degradation in PEX plumbing, and 65% did not know that some PEX manufacturers prohibit the use of their pipes with chlorine dioxide treatment.

FlowGuard Gold can help mitigate these risks and ensure plumbing longevity

Why chlorine degradation matters

Chlorine-based water treatment chemicals are added to water to disinfect and kill harmful pathogens, but can also have a corrosive effect on some plumbing materials like certain types of metal and flexible plastics. Over time, exposure to chlorine can degrade pipes, causing cracks, pinhole leaks and even complete system failures.

A reliable reputation is essential to a home builder. By using plumbing materials that resist chlorine’s impact, home builders can reduce costly risk and protect homeowners from future headaches.

Benefits of FlowGuard Gold for home builders

FlowGuard Gold® CPVC is specifically designed to be immune to chlorine degradation in drinking water, making it an ideal choice for home builders.

Here are some of the top benefits:

• Chlorine immunity: Unlike PEX or metal pipes, FlowGuard Gold’s CPVC material is designed to be 100% immune to water treated with chlorine, chloramine and chlorine dioxide degradation, eliminating the risk of water treatment-related failures.
• Durability: FlowGuard Gold plumbing systems are durable and maintain their structural integrity over time, even in highly-chlorinated drinking water. This helps ensure that homes built with FlowGuard Gold pipe and fittings have longer-lasting plumbing solutions.
• Ease of installation: FlowGuard Gold is easy to install using solvent-welding techniques, making it a cost-effective option for home builders and their plumbers without the need for specialized tools.
• Temperature and pressure resistance: FlowGuard Gold pipes can handle higher temperatures and pressures compared to some other plastics, making it a versatile option for cold and hot water distribution.

Over time, exposure to chlorine can degrade pipes, causing cracks, pinhole leaks, and even complete system failures. A reliable reputation is essential to a home builder. By using plumbing materials that resist chlorine’s impact, home builders can reduce costly risk and protect homeowners from future headaches.

The omission of chlorine dioxide resistance in leading PEX manufacturers

While PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) has become a popular choice for residential plumbing due to its flexibility and ease of installation, it has some key limitations when it comes to resisting chlorine-related damage, particularly from chlorine dioxide. Chlorine dioxide is increasingly being used in municipal water systems as a disinfectant alternative to chlorine and chloramine.

However, many leading PEX manufacturers omit water chemistry from their product warranties and some even prohibit using their PEX products when chlorine dioxide is used for water treatment, leaving plumbing systems vulnerable to faster degradation in areas where chlorine dioxide is used.

This omission can result in:

• Shorter service life: PEX pipes exposed to chlorine dioxide can degrade more rapidly under increased pressure and heat leading to reduced lifespan and future failures.
• Lack of coverage: Since many PEX manufacturers exclude water chemistry in their warranties, home builders may be left responsible for costly repairs and poor reputation if the plumbing fails prematurely due to chemical degradation.

By contrast, FlowGuard Gold CPVC is immune to water treated with chlorine, chloramine and chlorine dioxide, offering superior protection for homes in municipalities where these disinfectants are used.

As a home builder, specifying FlowGuard Gold plumbing systems ensures a more reliable plumbing system that will not be compromised by this common omission in PEX products.

Installation tips for home builders and plumbers

When installing FlowGuard Gold systems, consider the following tips to ensure optimal performance and protection from chlorine degradation:

- Follow manufacturer guidelines: Always adhere to the FlowGuard Gold pipe and fitting manufacturer's specific installation instructions to ensure the system performs as expected.

- Use proper solvent cement: Solvent cement is key to creating leak-proof joints. Make sure to use CPVC-specific solvent cement to avoid issues down the line.

- Test the system post-installation: After installation, pressure-test the system to ensure there are no leaks and that it can handle the required water pressure.

- Plan for expansion and contraction: FlowGuard Gold can expand and contract with temperature changes. Design the plumbing layout with adequate allowances for these natural movements to avoid unnecessary stress on joints and fittings.

As a home builder, specifying FlowGuard Gold plumbing systems ensures a more reliable plumbing system that will not be compromised by this common omission in PEX products.

Conclusion

For home builders, selecting the right plumbing system is key to ensuring the longevity and durability of your projects. FlowGuard Gold CPVC plumbing systems offer a superior solution to combat chlorine, chloramine and chlorine dioxide degradation, helping you avoid costly repairs and providing a better, longer-lasting plumbing system for homeowners.

By incorporating FlowGuard Gold pipes and fittings into your specifications, you’re making a proactive choice that benefits your reputation as a home builder and the home buyers’ long-term satisfaction.

Jonathan Simon is the Senior Segment Manager – North America Residential Plumbing & Solvent Cements at Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.