Hospital Plumbing: Making a Case for CPVC

By Tina Massel and Bryan Hutton

Large metropolitan hospital.  Research laboratory.  Senior-care facility.  Outpatient surgery center.  Doctor's office.  While these healthcare facilities may vary in size, focus and mission, the plumbing systems in each share similar challenges not commonly faced in other commercial and industrial applications.

Hospital and healthcare facility plumbing systems typically operate in a demanding 24/7 environment.  And unlike office buildings, warehouses and other commercial buildings, medical complexes require a piping system that can manage a wider variety of applications, including potable water distribution and dialysis systems, as well as the handling and disposal of chemical wastes and contaminated water.

With the primary focus on patient safety and well-being, or the integrity of laboratory test results, medical plumbing systems require superior reliability and performance.  The consequences of a pipe or fitting corroding, leaking and/or failing could be acute in these highly sensitive environments, as would be problems with water quality or flow rates.

In addition to these unique challenges, engineers and contractors building medical facilities also confront issues common in most new construction, renovations and retrofits, such as the need to balance tighter budgets and construction schedules with rising labor and material costs.  And long-term maintenance requirements also factor into an operation's profitability.

Until recently, metallic plumbing systems dominated in healthcare settings - especially here in the United States.  But with increased pressure to keep construction costs in check, coupled with skyrocketing metal prices, engineers and builders are more often searching for alternatives that stand up to the unique demands of a hospital environment and provide better cost control and long-term performance.

Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, more commonly referred to simply as CPVC, has proven to be a viable alternative for numerous healthcare applications.  And although it has gained acceptance and is used for fire sprinkler applications in the health care industry, it is currently not utilized to its full potential in other applications.

CPVC was invented in the late 1950s by Noveon (formerly BFGoodrich Performance Materials), and for nearly half a century has successfully been installed in residential, commercial and industrial applications.  It offers a wide variety of advantages that make it a smart choice for many medical plumbing systems today.

Durability/Reliability

Although some building professionals have, in the past, mistakenly believed that CPVC is not durable enough to stand up to the harsh chemical environments and processes often found in hospital settings, it has proven, through years of testing and field installations, that it has the necessary strength and chemical properties to handle not just potable water, but also contaminated water, chemical waste drainage and disposal, and dialysis systems.

In fact, CPVC has a successful track record of being installed in a variety of highly aggressive industrial applications, including wastewater treatment, metal finishing and chemical processing.  Because CPVC is incompatible with certain chemicals, before use always be sure to confirm that it is suitable in the intended application. Always consult the manufacturer for the latest chemical resistance information.

Corrosion and scale resistance

While metallic systems have been subject to premature failures in potable water systems due to pitting and corrosion, these are never concerns with CPVC - even under the harshest pH conditions.  CPVC will never scale even in the most aggressive water conditions, so piping systems maintain their full water-carrying capacity throughout their entire service life.  This combined corrosion and scale resistance minimizes maintenance requirements and related costs over the long term.

Fire-safe material

Safety is always a top consideration but especially in an environment where human lives are at stake.  In the past, misperceptions regarding the combustibility and toxicity of CPVC have limited its use in healthcare applications.  Testing performed on Noveon CPVC by the United States Testing Company, using the University of Pittsburgh Test Protocol, found that the combustion products of CPVC were "not considered more toxic than Douglas fir."

Numerous tests conducted over the years by third-party organizations, such as Factory Mutual and Underwriters Laboratories (UL), however, have proven that CPVC is a fire-safe material.  That is why it has been successfully used in fire protection systems for more than 20 years.

Such tests have repeatedly confirmed the superior flame and smoke characteristics of CPVC, which have resulted in its extensive use in other highly sensitive applications, including aircraft interior construction and the semiconductor industry.  In addition, CPVC has been proven to not contribute to a fire's fuel load.  Nor will it support combustion the way some other non-metallics do, such as polypropylene.  That's because CPVC has a very high limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 60, which means it cannot sustain burning on its own.  LOI is the percentage of oxygen needed in the atmosphere to support combustion.  Since the Earth's atmosphere is only comprised of 21 percent oxygen, CPVC will not burn unless a flame is constantly applied.  It stops burning when the ignition source is removed.

Biofilm resistance and uncompromised water quality

Within the medical field, there is a heightened awareness and concern for products that could attract or in any way contribute to the spread of bacteria or other microorganisms.  For anyone who has mistakenly believed that CPVC was not a safe material to use due to health concerns, it is important to note that medical facilities around the globe (outside the United States) have been installing CPVC in medical facilities for years without incident.  Of special note is the fact that CPVC is today being used in hospitals and other healthcare operations in China and Taiwan, where extraordinary precautions are taken to guard against SARS, bird flu and Legionella disease.

Also noteworthy is the fact that a health study conducted in recent years in the Netherlands confirmed that CPVC is especially effective against the formation of certain biofilms which can cause disease and illness.  In fact, CPVC performed better than all other materials tested, including copper.

A final note with regard to water quality is that, unlike metals, CPVC will never leach harmful chemicals or metals into the water.  CPVC maintains water quality without contributing to water contamination.  In fact, NSF International approves the use of CPVC in potable water systems at any level of pH deemed acceptable for potable water.  In contrast, NSF restricts copper's approval based on pH levels, since low pH water supplies can cause copper to excessively leach into the water supply and compromise drinking water quality beyond acceptable EPA standards.

Ease of installation

A convenient solvent cement joining system is used to quickly and easily install CPVC piping systems.  Since soldering is not required, contractors have noticed a significant labor savings (as much as 50 percent).  In many situations, a joint can be pressure-tested in as little as ten minutes, and there is no fire risk posed from an open torch.  Nor is there need for any other heavy or expensive equipment.

Additionally, CPVC is one-sixth the weight of copper and one-fifth the weight of steel, making it lighter and easier to transport around the jobsite.  And if ever required, repairs and modifications can be made quickly and easily with CPVC.

Quiet operation

No one likes to hear the noise of water flowing through pipes or, worse, the banging sound of water hammer. This is especially critical in a hospital or senior care facility, where there are multiple patients who could be disturbed by a "neighbor's" late-night trip to the bathroom.

Higher energy efficiency, reduced condensation

The natural insulative properties of CPVC are extremely beneficial in their ability to not only increase energy efficiency, but also minimize condensation.  As a result, hot water stays hotter without losing some of its energy (or warmth) through the pipe's exterior.  And, condensation is reduced, often times eliminating the need to insulate cold water supply lines inside conditioned buildings.  This significantly reduces the risk of costly water damage to walls, structure and contents as a result of excessive sweating of pipes.

Project versatility

CPVC is available in a wide range of sizes, making it suitable for most healthcare applications.  It is manufactured in copper tube sizes (CTS) from 1/2" to 2" in diameter, as well as iron pipe sizes (IPS) in diameters up to 24".  A wide array of fittings and couplings also facilitates transitions between CTS and IPS CPVC pipe, as well as transitions between CPVC and metallic pipe.

Lower total installed cost

The bottom line is that CPVC makes economic sense.  With the boom in new medical facility construction and renovations trying to keep pace with the increase in aging baby boomers, project costs (including materials and labor) have also increased.  Whether a healthcare facility is run for-profit or non-profit, owners, engineers and management companies alike are looking for ways to maintain profit margins by controlling costs.

The hard cold cash fact is that the cost of CPVC pipe and fittings has remained relatively constant while the price of copper and other metals has more than doubled in recent years.  This means that engineers and contractors can confidently bid on jobs, knowing that their material costs are likely to remain stable even on projects not scheduled to break ground for more than six months.

More important is the labor cost savings realized by converting to CPVC.  A faster installation means greater work productivity and lower labor costs.  And since repairs and modifications can be completed in record time, the cost savings continue throughout the system's life which is often extended due to the lack of pitting and corrosion problems.

Conclusion

Although no single piping material is ideal for every application, CPVC has proven to be a viable option for numerous healthcare applications due to its reliable performance, cost effectiveness, ease of installation and safety factors.  By putting aside many common misperceptions regarding CPVC, plumbing engineers are in a better position to objectively weigh the benefits of this high-performance alternative and determine the best material for a specific application.  Considering the time and budget restrictions that are common for most medical projects in today's highly competitive market, it is little wonder that CPVC is becoming a more popular alternative than ever before.

Tina Massel and Bryan Hutton are with Corzan" Piping Systems, Noveon Inc., in Cleveland, Ohio. Massel, an engineer by training, is currently commercial water market manager. Hutton is an engineer based in the company's South Central region. You can contact the authors at tina.massel@noveon.com or bryan.hutton@noveon.com. For more information on the benefits of CPVC piping systems, visit www.corzancpvc.com, www.flowguardgold.com or www.blazemaster.com.