Question: Is the whirlpool plumbed with Rigid Schedule 40 PVC or Flex Hose?

All LifeLong Whirlpool Baths are plumbed with Rigid Schedule 40 PVC Pipe which meets ALL of the requirements of the Standard and International Building Codes. Other manufacturers use Flexible PVC Hose which is NOT code compliant.

Flex.PVC.com states "The Building Industry refers to Flexible PVC as a hose not a pipe. Flex PVC is not resistant to insects and wholesalers of Flex PVC will not be responsible for failure due to insect damage."

Rigid, heat formed, PVC piping on a LifeLong Whirlpool Bath insures lines stay clean and drain 100% after each use meeting U.L. requirements for drainage.

Some companies state they use Rigid PVC pipe on their baths, but a close inspection of their baths will reveal a mixed use of rigid pipe and flex hose. Flex hose often sags which allows bath water to collect in low areas and not drain when the whirlpool is emptied. This "trapped" bath water can lead to dirty, contaminated water re-entering your tub the next time it is filled.

It's widely known that flex hose (garden hose) eventually dries out and cracks and needs replacing, the same problem exists with flex hose when installed on a whirlpool bath. We are regularly asked, "If flex hose doesn't meet code, why can manufacturers use it on whirlpool bath?" Whirlpool baths are listed as an "appliance" that fall outside the purview of Building Inspectors, who would never approve of flex hose in a new home construction or remodeling. This "loophole" will eventually be changed, but for now the consumer has the responsibility to select a whirpool that they find acceptable in quality and performance.