ABS Piping: Pros and Cons of ABS Pipes For Your Home

What do Lego pieces and drainage pipe systems have in common? They’re both made out of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic. Just like each Lego brick is essential for building different sets, ABS pipes are necessary for every house’s sewage and drainage systems, but what are the pros and cons of ABS pipes?

With a working drainage system, your house will be able to transport waste away into city sewage systems. When it’s time to repair or replace your drain pipes, ABS pipes are one of the types of pipes to get the job done.

The pipes in your home broke, and suddenly, you find yourself dealing with a necessary repair that requires immediate attention. You need a new pipe material to take care of your home’s plumbing for future decades.

At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we’ve seen firsthand how efficient ABS pipes are in home waste drainage systems. We’ve helped thousands of homeowners fix their plumbing issues with ABS pipes and see their worries flush away.

Most homeowners aren’t familiar with or haven’t heard about ABS plastic pipes, but we’re here to change that. Once you gain valuable insider knowledge on the pros and cons of ABS piping, you will feel confident knowing your home’s sewer and drainage pipes will work effectively for decades to come.

The 7 Benefits of ABS Pipes For Your Home

Every functioning home needs the right set of pipes to remove waste safely. Without suitable pipes for waste transportation, your home will smell horrible with all the sewage buildup. For multiple reasons, ABS pipes are the go-to material for plumbing companies in Los Angeles.

1. ABS Pipes Are Shock-Resistant: Many plumbing companies in California trust ABS pipes because they can handle impacts. These pipes can survive minor earthquakes (magnitude 3 or lower) without breaking. Thanks to its shock resistance, you can add a portable shed to your yard, and the underground ABS pipes can handle the weight. ABS pipes underneath a driveway can handle the weight of a car.
2. Rust-Resistant: Pipes made out of ABS will not rust over time. Rusty pipes are prone to breaking and causing significant leaks, but that’s not an issue with ABS pipes.
3. Cold-Resistant: Southern California is primarily sunny year-round, but when it’s cold, some pipes, like copper, can freeze crack. ABS pipes are popular with plumbers because they can withstand cold temperatures. They’re ideal for outdoor underground usage because they won’t freeze and break unless temperatures fall and stay under 32 degrees Fahrenheit for multiple days.
4. Easy to Install: ABS pipes are lightweight and easier for plumbers to install than other pipe materials such as steel and iron pipes. Your home will have a running plumbing system sooner since installation takes a few hours. Less time spent on your home’s plumbing system means less time without your home’s fixtures.
5. ABS Pipes Are Inexpensive: ABS pipes aren’t just easy to install; they’re affordable. Plumbing companies in Los Angeles can pass on savings to you thanks to how inexpensive ABS plastic is. Some businesses charge $150 a foot for cast iron pipes, whereas ABS pipes cost $25 per foot.
6. ABS Plastic Is Durable and Long-Lasting: ABS pipes are low in price but high in value, thanks to their durability. When installed in your home, these pipes can last a long time since they have a lifespan of 50 years.
7. Eco-Friendly ABS Pipes Are Recyclable: ABS pipes are thermoplastic, meaning they can be melted down and recycled. If you’re an earth-conscious homeowner, then it’s worth having ABS plastic pipes for plumbing, thanks to them being recyclable.

ABS pipes are easy to identify since they are all black. Another advantage of ABS pipes is that they’re compatible to connect with other drain pipes, such as PVC pipes. Some homes have PVC pipes for their sewage systems which have their share of pros and cons you can learn more about.

Cons of ABS Pipes in Your Home

In a perfect world, every fixture in your house would work flawlessly without any issues. Imagine the ideal house where nothing breaks and your home’s sewage system with ABS pipes works efficiently forever. That’s not reality, however, since there are a few disadvantages associated with ABS plumbing pipes.

1. ABS Plastic Is Weak to Direct Sunlight: ABS pipes should not be stored or installed in direct sunlight but can be used underground. Direct light from the sun can cause these plastic pipes to warp, which can cause them to break. Some ABS pipes have a special coating that protects them from sunlight.
2. Better Suited For Outdoors Instead of Indoors: ABS pipes are great for drains and sewage, but it’s best used outside under the ground instead of indoors. You can’t hear running water underground, but you may listen to it using ABS pipes inside your house. The noise isn’t always audible, so there’s still the option of using it indoors for water supply transportation.
3. Contains BPA: Bisphenol A is a chemical used to make ABS plastic solid and hard. Using ABS pipes for your home’s water supply system is not recommended since it can get contaminated with BPA. BPA is being researched for potentially causing harmful effects on a person’s brain and body.

History of ABS Pipes in Plumbing

According to research, ABS pipes have been around since the 1950s when they were first used in the chemical industry and oil fields. In the late 50s, an Arizona builder, John F. Long, hypothesized that ABS plastic pipes could be used for residential plumbing.

Twenty-five years later, Long’s experiment was tested by researchers from an independent firm. The researchers studied a section of the ABS pipe and found no evidence of corrosion or rust. By the time they confirmed their research, the Federal Housing Administration had already approved ABS pipes for drain, waste, and ventilation purposes.

Since then, multiple major standards organizations like ASTM International have approved and recognized ABS pipes for use in outdoor plumbing. ASTM International is responsible for developing technical standards for various services, products, materials, and systems.

Choosing ABS Pipes For Your Home

Home improvement projects are a great and exciting way to improve your home’s functionality. If you’re thinking about updating your home, then one choice to consider for updating the plumbing system is ABS pipes.

At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we’ve helped homeowners go from panicked about broken pipes to reassured and confident that their new ABS pipes will last for a long time. We’ve seen on the service end and through homeowners’ experience how successful ABS pipes are in sewage. We’ve gathered all the pros and cons of ABS pipes to share the knowledge with you.

If you have questions about ABS pipes, contact us online or at (818) 213-1773 for more information. If you want to make a side-by-side comparison of different pipe materials, check out this article on the differences and similarities between PVC and ABS pipes.