Let's talk about your pipes

Raise your right hand if you've often ignored your house's pipes and plumbing. Chances are, at one point in our lives, we have failed to give the necessary attention that these essential--yet "invisible"--materials need, to ensure our houses run smoothly and hiccup-free.

Tucked away behind walls or floors, many homeowners (even office owners, for that matter) fail to give enough attention to their plumbing, focusing more on visually appealing aspects such as light fixtures, furniture or home appliances.

But while pipes are hidden, resulting damage from pipes of poor quality will certainly be visible—clogging and leaking which may result in unwanted flooding; watermark on the ceiling that form “maps” whenever rain comes.

Not only will these potential problems be visible, they would be most likely require immediate attention. Worst of all, there’s a good chance it’s going to be quite expensive to fix ‘em.

“In a typical house or building, pipes account only for an estimated three percent of the total cost of construction,” said Tony Sy, Neltex vice president for sales and marketing, during a press briefing recently in Manila Hotel. “But it’s this three percent that makes sure the rest of the 97 percent of your investment is protected.”

Neltex is a leading manufacturer of PVC pipes in the Philippines. With 50 years of experience in producing pipes, Neltex has become the authority in manufacturing quality pipes that ensure those headache-inducing pipe problems do not happen at home. It manufactures PVC pipes in its factory in Las Pinas in Laguna. A second factory will soon rise in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

During the press briefing, Sy reiterated that repairing damaged pipes already installed cost more to repair compared to building the damaged portion from scratch. Nobody wants to see plumbers smashing through your walls or floors to get to the damaged pipes.

“Leaky pipes do more than cosmetic damage. They can also mean bigger water bills or poor water flow in places where you need it,” he said.

As if those potential problems aren’t yet enough for you to pay attention, leaks could also lead to build-up of invisible pools of water that could become spawning pools for mosquitoes and bacteria.

Sy reiterated that there should be no cutting corners when it comes to pipes—as what other contractors often do to lower the cost of a housing project.

This year, Neltex continues to conduct “The Hataw Challenge” at all major construction expos and conventions all over the country. Here, anyone is invited to use a hammer to hit a sample of a Neltex (Saniguard 600 series pipe) as hard as they can to show how strong the pipes are.

I personally tried hitting the pipe myself, with all my might, to no avail. I admit I was turned into a believer right there and then. So far, more than 3,000 individuals have taken up the challenge and no one has apparently been able to break or even crack the pipe.

During the press briefing, Sy led a demonstration in which a Neltex pipe, along with two other non-Neltex pipes, were driven over a six-wheeler truck. The Neltex pipe survived the challenge—it bent but did not break. The other pipes were not so lucky—they crumbled like a brittle candy in a child’s mouth.

According to Sy, many pipe manufacturers replace PVC resin with fillers (calcium carbonate), which reduces pipe strength. It’s not as different as TV ads showing cheaper brands of detergent powders containing too much chalk, apparently. Often, other PVC brands have as much as 65 percent calcium carbonate.

Neltex, on the other hand, particularly the Saniguard 600 that survived the might of six-wheeler truck, has a composition of 90 percent resin, 5 percent impact modifier and 5 percent calcium carbonate.

Sy said: “That’s why we are not afraid of hammers or six-wheeler trucks. Neltex can survive them all.”

 
*** This article was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on June 28, 2013. It has been edited accordingly for TWIST. Enjoy! ***