On Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:10:33 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

Post-Roman?


Right off hand I would call any PVC system "modern."
Don't know if municipalities/contractors are using PVC for feeder
lines from houses to main sewers.
But tile lines are prone to breakage and collapse, and the mortar
joints get infiltrated by tree roots.
I'm sure everything here underground is tile.
Inside, my house - circa 1959 - the sewer stack is cast iron, with
oakum stuffed/lead-filled joints.
Supply pipes are all galvanized steel.

Some of this is determined by code. When I was working as a plumber's
"assistant" in the early '80's PVC wasn't allowed in Chicago, for
sewer or supply.
Don't know what's changed.

If I ever redo my plumbing here I'm as likely to replace with
galvanized as copper, because I've worked with steel pipe all my life.
It's just stronger than copper, and no question about joints leaking.
But I might go with copper. Might depend on price.
Scale isn't a big issue here with Lake Michigan water.
So far I've got excellent flow.
I replaced all my galvanized in my last house when it got constricted.
That pipe was about 50 years old too.
Found the only serious scaling constriction in the piping from and
close to the water heater. The heat must encourage the minerals to
precipitate onto the pipe.

That water heater fed two families though, this one doesn't get as
much use.
I suspect constricted flow will show up on the hot water side, and
just replacing the outlet pipes there will fix it.
Depends on my energy level at the time.

Anyway, whenever I see PVC in a sewer system, that's "modern" to me.
I hear they use rubber boots with stainless steel band clamps to
connect cast iron stack pipe now, instead of oakum and lead.
Probably wouldn't call that "modern." Just an "advancement."

--Vic