(AMM) Plumbers caught between copper quality, higher cost

New York 09 January 2009 16:23

Plumber Tom Gasperetti knows that plastic tubing is the product of choice in the residential building sector these days, but when it came time to remodel his own bathroom, he opted for traditional copper tubing.

"(Plastic tubing) just rubbed me the wrong way," he said. "I've got 30 years in the industry, and we were taught to make things straight and square and plumb and true. With PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) tubing, it just looks like spaghetti in a wall."

Gasperetti, a master plumber and a lead organizer with Plumbers Union Local 75 in Milwaukee, isn't alone in preferring copper over PEX tubing. But with plastics cheaper to buy?ringing up at around 25 cents a foot compared with $1 a foot for copper?and quicker to install, commercial...

You are currently only viewing a sample of a 632 word article. To view the full article you must be a subscriber to Metal Bulletin or sign-up to a free trial to the Metal Bulletin website

Not a subscriber? Register for your FREE Metal Bulletin seven day trial now

As a subscriber you will receive:

Access to the Metal Bulletin website, with live news and the latest iron & steel, non-ferrous and scrap metals prices - plus access to archive news and prices data.
Daily emails every working day of the year giving you the latest market-moving news along with our own reference prices and exchange-traded quotations;
A weekly hard copy magazine featuring news, reports, metal prices, analysis and comments;
Plus much more.

Quite simply, no other information service can offer you the same frequency, breadth and depth of steel and metals market intelligence as Metal Bulletin - subscribe now and become one of the continually better informed.

Already a subscriber?

If you are an existing Metal Bulletin subscriber please enter your username and password to continue.

If you are experiencing any difficulty please call +44(0) 20 7779 7390 or email help@metalbulletin.com.

(AMM) Plumbers caught between copper quality, higher cost

Not a subscriber? Register for your FREE Metal Bulletin seven day trial now

As a subscriber you will receive:

Already a subscriber?

If you do not know your login or password please click on the "Forgot Password?" link above or contact customer services at (0)20 7779 7390.

Non-Ferrous Prices

Iron & Steel Prices

Scrap Prices

Email Newsroom