Water Flow Noise: CPVC Pipe vs. Copper

Recent testing conducted by Stork Twin City Testing Corporation (www.storksmt.com) revealed that Lubrizol Advanced Materials/Corzan® CPVC is four times quieter than copper with regard to water flow noise, according to a statement issued by Corzan Piping Systems (www.corzancpvc.com). Stork Materials Technology, based in St. Paul, Minn., is an independent, accredited material testing provider.

The evaluation involved noise emission testing on two-inch Corzan CPVC pipe joined with solvent cement and two-inch type L copper with soldered joints. The testing showed that Corzan CPVC pipe had a sound level of 31.7 dBA, and the copper pipe had a sound level of 49.9 dBA. The human ear interprets this difference of 18 dBA as being four times as loud.

Testing was conducted using procedures outlined in ISO-3822(99), "Laboratory Test on Noise Emission from Appliances and Equipment Used in Water Supply Installations." Operating conditions were maintained at a nominal 43.5 PSI with a flowrate of approximately 4.5 gallons per minute.

Noise reduction is an ongoing challenge in many building applications, especially where there are multiple residents, such as hotels, college dormitories, hospitals and apartment buildings.