Water Pipe, Stainless Steel Vs. Copper?

[cuian01 0]

Hi, my contractors provided me different types of water pipe, Stainless Steel and Copper.

Which one is better?

I saw most of the Singapore family use copper pipe for both cold and hot water.

[pro b 0]

Stainless steel should be better, cos no need to paint.

[ryan13680 0]

Hi, my contractors provided me different types of water pipe, Stainless Steel and Copper.

Which one is better?

I saw most of the Singapore family use copper pipe for both cold and hot water.

Stainless steel is less tensile (i.e. harder to bend) than copper. Therefore, for going around corners, they have to make corner joints, which can be quite unsightly. Copper tends to bend more readily so, less joints.

Copper rusts to a green colour, which can be difficult to remove. Stainless steel rusts less, but it will still happen.

Both are quite ok but the humble PVC would not rust, though it looks unsightly. : )

[priyalok 0]

I'm still in dilema whether to change the pipes, coz my contractor quoted me $1000 for changing PVC to Stainless Steel for kitchen and 2 toilets.

Is it really necessary to change?

[sunset 0]

Does $1000 include fixing wc and basin also?

[priyalok 0]

Does $1000 include fixing wc and basin also?

No. Only changing PVC water pipe to SS.

What is the standard pricing? Is it based on pfr or lumpsu?

My contractor quoted lumpsum only.

[yokine9a 1]

My contractor charged me $550 for changing to copper. $1K is too expensive liao.

Actually PVC is ok lor, don't see the need to change. Is your flat a very old unit?

[Nipponho 0]

Priyalok : Your reno contractor subcontractor to a plumber and mark up, that's why $1000. You should go to plumber direct to save on middleman costs. You need to compare around, different people charge different price, and the difference can be very different. Those in Straits times, contrary to what i thought, will not be lowest.

Yokenia9a : I changed my pipe a few months ago. Kitchen plus 2 toilets, using stainless steel S$380. At that time when i was sourcing, i called those adverts on straits times, they all quoted about $500. I thought $500 plus is the market price. So i used this guy that people in forum recommended $380. Then yesterday my toilet kerna choked, so another HDB plumber came, out of curiosity i asked how much would he charge if he were to do for me, he quoted $340.

Conclusion : u need to compare around.

[yokine9a 1]

I didn't compare. I simply got my contractor to do all the reno work for me. So, he earned $210 just for subcontracting the work to a plumber. What an easy $$

[Angel81 1]

Wao. Luckily I read this thread. A contractor quoted me $900 to "change all piping to stainless steel". Wonder if they mark up or it's because my unit is an EM.

[ace_mav 0]

Wao. Luckily I read this thread. A contractor quoted me $900 to "change all piping to stainless steel". Wonder if they mark up or it's because my unit is an EM.

my ID quote me $500 so most likely your ID mark up..the price... my house is a 5i unit...

its always true that you can get cheaper somewhere...but for convenience sake plus quality sake..i don mind paying a bit more..just not too much more...like in your case $900...

Edited October 9, 2008 by ace_mav

[yokine9a 1]

But my house is just a 3i only leh, so small flat also being charged for $550. My contractor really con me liao. Don't tell me he was using gold pipe instead of copper?!

EM might have to pay a bit more lah, double storey rite? Longer distance to lay the pipes lor.

[Nipponho 0]

yokine9a, mine also 3i. If your $550 is from entrance all the way, everything change, then maybe not so bad. That plumber quoted me $500

[yokine9a 1]

yokine9a, mine also 3i. If your $550 is from entrance all the way, everything change, then maybe not so bad. That plumber quoted me $500

Yes, I change the pipes all the way from entrance to toilet.

I thought you said you paid $380 to a recommended plumber, how come $500 now? Can share the contact for the cheaper plumber? Next time I have friends who wants to do reno, I will recommend this cheaper plumber to them. Hopefully lesser people will get conned.

[Nipponho 0]

When i do reno for 2 toilets, i hack wall tiles, so copper piping is gone. My $380 is to run stainless from basin area to toilets. The part from entrance to kitchen is untouched. At that time when i sourced around, $380 was cheapest available, recommendation by some forummers.

But recently, my toilet hole kerna choked & my waste water pipe also picha, so i got the town council and HDB plumber (one each) to fix it, & i realised that they are cheaper, yet better. They can do what i had done for about $300. So i curious & i ask them separately, how much to run whole house, both of them quoted me $500. So that means your $550 is quite OK. I did not run the whole house, everything else looks ok, so i did not change it.

HDB & town council said those 2 plumbers that they supply, their services for me are considered private arrangement, so they can charge me anything, & i can negotiate anything without their interference. But bec they are associated with HDB & town council, they will not "anyhow anyhow". U know what i mean? If they do sloppy work or overcharge, then people will call HDB & town council to complain. HDB & town council give them a lot of business, so they will not want to create trouble for them.

Actually hor, since this is private transaction, i can also enquire from another plumber associated with other HDB area office or other area town council & compare compare with these 2 fellows. But bec my toilet choke & waste water pipe picha, very nice smell, so there's some urgency.

Hope the above is beneficial to people who is contemplating pipe change.