A: Cast iron pipe prevents the spread of fire much better than plastic pipe because cast-iron is not combustible. It will neither support a fire or burn away, leaving a hole through which smoke and flames can rush through a building. On the other hand, combustible pipe such as PVC and ABS, can burn away, Firestopping from the combustible pipe is labor intensive, and the materials are expensive, but fire-stopping for cast iron pipe, a noncombustible pipe, is relatively easy to install and inexpensive.
B:One of the most impressive qualities of cast iron pipe is its longevity. Because plastic pipe has been installed in large quantities only since the early 1970s, its service life has not yet been determined. However, cast iron pipe has been used since the 1500s in Europe. As a matter of fact, cast iron pipe has been supplying the fountains of Versailles in France for over 300 years.
C: Both cast iron pipe and plastic pipe can be vulnerable to corrosive materials. Cast iron pipe is subject to corrosion when the pH level inside the pipe drops to below 4.3 for an extended length of time, but no sanitary sewer district in America allows anything with pH below 5 to be dumped into its sewer collection system. Only 5% of the soils in America are corrosive to cast iron, and when installed in those soils, cast iron pipe can be protected easily and inexpensively. On the other hand, plastic pipe is vulnerable to numerous acids and solvents and can be damaged by petroleum products. In addition, hot liquids above 160 degrees can damage PVC or ABS pipe systems, but cause no problem for cast iron pipe.
Post time: Jun-02-2020