Water Piping System Experts
Domestic water systems in the Lower Mainland can be expected to last 20 years. In some building the corrosion failure of copper pipes starts after 10 years but some other buildings have lasted over 30 years, although exceeding the 30-year time frame is quite rare.
This problem of systematic corrosion failure of copper pipes (buildings built before 2010 mostly have copper pipes) is a problem unique to the West Coast. Although the corrosion rate is affected by many factors, by far the most significant is the acidity of the water. The water in this area is very “soft” which is preferred for washing; however, its low pH (acidity) has caused a serious corrosion problem throughout the Lower Mainland.
We suggest conducting a domestic water pipe assessment prior to designing the domestic water system (Re-pipe) if there are no major leaks in the existing buildings.
If the pipe assessment outcome suggests to re-pipe the building, or if there are frequent pipe leaks, then we offer resizing and re-piping the domestic water pipes using the latest PEX-A pipes (with 30 years warranty) or stainless-steel schedule 10-40 and in some cases Copper pipe Type-K depending on the size and type of the building.
The PRV (Pressure Reducing Valve) station is always good to replace to match the new domestic water system.
The pipes are sized based on the BC Plumbing Code and the municipalities by-laws. The pipe sizing of stainless Steel, copper and PEX pipes is also based on the manufacturer’s recommendations on pressure and temperature ratings. The fire stopping design for all types of penetrations is based on the ULC standards.
