Preference Trade-Offs in Choosing Domestic Plumbing Materials

In the USA, about 90% of drinking water home plumbing systems use copper pipes. Pinhole leaks in copper plumbing pipes have significantly increased recently. For majority of homeowners, their home is the most valuable asset. The possibility of falling home value and health concerns have caused considerable anxiety among the affected homeowners. A decision support tool to determine whether to repair or to replace the whole system and which material to use is needed. Plastic pipes such as PEX (Cross-linked polyethylene) and CPVC (Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride) are used along with the copper. Stainless steel is being considered but does not have a significant market share. The material selection process is formalized within the frame work of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Multiple attributes including price, corrosion resistance, fire retardance, health effects, longevity, re-sale value of home, and taste and odor are considered. This methodology is implemented for a focus group. Participant's overall preferences are analyzed and reported in this paper.