Plumbing: Don't Compromise
Plumbing is the single hardest system to fix once a home is finished — every pipe is hidden behind plaster, tile or a slab. Get these right before anything gets sealed in.
Look for the IS 15778 mark on the pipe. CPVC tolerates continuous water temperatures up to roughly 93°C — far above standard PVC/uPVC's ~45–60°C limit — which is why it's the standard for both hot and cold supply lines in Indian homes today. Quality brands like Ashirvad carry service-life ratings of 50 years when installed correctly.
Pipes run inside walls or slabs should still have planned access — false-ceiling hatches or a riser shaft near major joints and shut-off valves — so a future leak doesn't mean breaking open a finished wall to find it.
In multi-storey homes, a dedicated shaft for plumbing risers — kept separate from electrical — makes inspection, repair and future upgrades dramatically easier, and protects finished walls from repeated breakage over the building's life.
Every concealed line should be pressure-tested (typically at around 1.5× operating pressure, held for a couple of hours) and left visible for inspection before tiling or plastering covers the work. This is the last point you can catch a leaking joint cheaply.
