The three most common types of plastic pipe are ____. These abbreviations refer to the composition of pipe

• A. PVC, PE and ABS
• B. PVC, CPVC and ABS
• C. PVC, PE and CPVC
• D. PVC, ABS and PE

Answer: (A)

Piping materials are identified by the actual polymers they’re made from, and the three most common plastic pipe materials are PVC, polyethylene (PE), and ABS. PVC is rigid and widely used for cold-water supply and drainage. PE is flexible and great for buried service lines and gas piping where allowed. ABS is impact resistant and commonly used for drainage in many regions. The abbreviations reflect the composition: PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, PE for polyethylene, and ABS for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene. CPVC (chlorinated PVC) exists and handles higher temperatures, but PE’s versatility and ABS’s drainage use keep PVC, PE, and ABS as the typical trio in many practice contexts.