When it comes to plumbing repairs and installations one of the most crucial elements of any job are the various plumbing pipes being used. While clay was the most common materials used to create plumbing pipes in ancient times, in more modern times there have been generally five types of plumbing pipe in use. These materials include copper, stainless steel, galvanized steel, PVC, and CPVC. Cast iron was used at various points throughout history but is not currently in use today for plumbing applications.

Galvanized steel pipes were commonly used for underground applications, such as sewage and waste disposal. While they were quite popular in the early 1900's, their popularity began to dwindle. While the ability of galvanized steel to resist rust made them well suited for being buried for long periods of time, their brittle nature made them susceptible to leaks and cracks, often causing greater damage down the line. Eventually, galvanized steel pipes gave way to copper.

Copper was one of the most common of all the various piping materials being used during modern times At one point in time, the majority of jobs a Dallas plumber completed each day would have involved copper pipes. They were not only easy to manipulate into various shapes, sizes, and bends, they were also highly affordable. On the downside, copper pipes required welding to ensure watertight seals and eventually, the cost of copper made it an less than optimal choice for pipe making material.

Stainless steel, unlike copper, was never a practical material for piping applications in residential or general commercial applications. Its cost and weight have always made it impractical for pipe making. The primary benefit of fashioning pipes from stainless steel was the resulting pipe's ability to resist corrosion. While this meant little to a San Diego plumber specializing in residential jobs, the ability of stainless steel pipes to resist corrosion made it ideal for marine applications, particularly when exposure to sea water and other elements was involved.

One of the most common materials a Boston plumber will encounter on the job today is PVC piping. Known for its lightweight nature and extreme durability, PVC, also known as polyvinyl chloride, is the ideal choice for moderate climates and general usage applications. While it may be unable to handle extremely hot or cold temperatures, PVC makes an ideal general purpose pipe, commonly found in a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The weakness of PVC lies in the fact that it can warp easily when exposed to extremely hot external temperatures or materials, while also being susceptible to cracking when exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Because of these limitations, a Boston plumber would generally use PVC pipes in residential environments for cold water applications and a more heat tolerant materials such as copper for hot water needs.

CVPC is a variation of PVC that was formulated to be able to withstand both hot and cold temperatures in a greater range than standard PVC pipes. While this eliminated one of the greatest weakness of these plastic pipes for plumbing applications, CVPC pipes were still limited by the fact that they were not well suited for underground applications.