It is generally agreed that plastic has become the new building material most widely used. Whether we are talking about vinyl siding or about PVC plumbing.

Vinyl actually dates back to WWII but advancements have come in leaps and bounds to the point where the plastics of today aren't even recognized as being related to earlier plastics.

Today's materials are light weight, durable, environmentally friendly, UV resistant, fire retardant, versatile, easy to maintain, and very affordable.

In fact as a society we have found thousands of uses for PVC or polyvinyl chloride often referred to as just vinyl. Without looking very hard you can find a PVC item in your home.

Most plastics are made form petroleum but only 40% of PVC actually comes from petroleum with 60% coming from chlorine which comes from salt. It is the chlorine that makes PVC fire resistant and so durable.

PVC will loose its shape when it is heated and when it cools it becomes rigid again. Heat is used to shape PVC into all those useful forms. It also makes PVC very easy to recycle.

We are all familiar with rubber which I a natural product from the sap of the Hevea tree. It become in very short supply during WWII so scientists looked for alternative substances to use.

PVC has many uses and plumbing is one of the uses. In fact it is the main type of piping used in plumbing these days. You can get PVC in either rigid or flex form. In construction materials rigid is used while flexible is used in shower curtains. Almost 75% of all PVC is used in the construction industry.

PVC has actually improved life and not just in the US but in all of the world. Millions of miles of old metal pipes have already been replaced with the PVC pipe. With very little maintenance, no rust, and no corrosion it only makes sense that it's the choice of this century. Areas around the world that only a few years ago had no clean water now have an excellent source of clean water. It's truly remarkable. There is still some controversy over the use of polyvinyl chloride or any plastics for that matter. But in general a good balance has been reached and all parties have come to accept it and the thousands of uses. Some uses have been eliminated over time but other uses remain strong. Plumbing is one of those uses. It's going to be difficult to find another product that would be as reliable, cost effective, and durable.

And sizing is never a problem. All pipe sizes are readily available and so are all the fittings to join the pipes. All that you need is the proper glue and you'll have everything attached in no time.

Today PVC is to plumbing like peanut butter is to jam. You simply don't have one without the other. And when it comes to learning all about PVC plumbing there's plenty of information online.