Why are pipes used in plumbing more than hoses?

ALostInquirer@lemm.ee to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world – 125 points –

I have some decent ideas as to why, I'm asking mainly as a hopefully fun contribution here, and to maybe learn some interesting plumbing info!

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Over time the rubber of the hose dries and cracks, and the elements/movement can expidite that process. I guess a hose inside of a wall could last much longer depending on the material. If they were made in the same way Fernco fittings are made, they could last a just as long (Fernco claim the fittings can last 50 years, but the company has only been around for ~50 years so the claim can't really be tested).

Pvc is designed to last 50 years but some people claim that its useful lifespan is 75-100 years, but Pvc hasn't been around long enough to test the 100 year claim.

I have seen some houses with hoses inside pipes. By doing it this way, they can just pull the hose and replace it with a new one. Even if it’s leaks it will leak inside the pipe not inside the wall.

Labor is the most expensive part: isn’t that just doubling the labor cost? Or is it that when a house is converted, they just thread through the existing leaky plumbing?

Labor where I live is not expensive.

To clarify, it’s done for clean water only.

They install a 4 inch pvc pipe and thread a 1/2 inch hose inside. So when the hose breaks, the water wouldn’t damage the building. Itll just leak inside the pvc pipe.

The one ive seen was done while being built.

That’s what I wonder. I definitely see how cpvc and pex are a lot more convenient, much lower labor costs to instal, but my house is 80 years old, and I have not had to replace any plumbing in the 20 years I’ve been here. It’s mostly copper, which I assume is not original (several decades ago, my area had major assistance programs to remove leaded pipes), but there’s cast iron and galvanized where I have no idea how old it might be.