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When I was a young, inexperienced plumber and just started my career in this profession, sewer pipes were still made of cast iron. It was very difficult to mount them, because such pipes weighed an incredible amount. Imagine how difficult it is to lift a cast-iron tee to some fifth floor, or even higher. In addition, the details had to be minted, the connections had to be filled with sulfur, and the fixtures had to be fiddled with. Continuous difficulties!
I saw how the riser joints were raked out when they changed cast iron pipes to polymer ones. Not a fun activity!
What properties do polymer pipes possess and why have they practically replaced cast iron pipes?
Installers love to work with plastic pipes. First of all, they are light, they are perfectly cut with almost any improvised tool. The socket joints contain rubber bands, which makes it easy and quick to make a sealed joint. In general, some pleasure.
Also, practice has shown that blockages appear less often in plastic pipes. The inner walls of such pipes are smooth, grease and hair do not stick to them. The service life of polymeric materials exceeds 50 years.
But plastic pipes have one significant drawback - a low level of sound absorption. People living on the first floors of high-rise buildings know this firsthand.
Why were cast iron rather than plastic pipes popular in the Soviet Union?
Metallurgy was well developed in the USSR, which could not be said about the chemical industry. Practically no plastic products were produced, since this area stood still.
The authorities did not want to increase the volume of polymer production, improve their quality and characteristics. At the top were metallurgists who defended their interests. The factories were working, it was unprofitable for the management that metallurgy went into decline due to the development of the popularity of plastic.
In addition, cast iron pipes had their own advantages:
- 1. Fire safety of cast iron at the highest level.
- 2. The cast iron sewerage system is durable and reliable.
- 3. If the sewage system is installed correctly, it is distinguished by good tightness.
When capitalism triumphed, they began to save on both material and repair work. Therefore, pipes made of cast iron gradually became a thing of the past, and plastic sewers came in their place. The plastic world has won!
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