Is Process Piping the Same as Plumbing?
No. Plumbing brings potable water into a building and carries waste out, under plumbing codes and plumbing inspectors. Process piping carries the materials a facility produces or uses in production, meaning product, chemicals, gases, and process steam, under industrial codes like ASME B31.3. The two trades use different materials, different joining methods, and different licenses. Many industrial projects need both, just not from the same crew.
Where the Two Trades Split
What the Pipe Carries
Plumbing moves water and waste. Process piping moves whatever production depends on, from food product and CIP chemicals to compressed gases and steam. When a pipe’s contents become part of the product or the process, it is process piping.
The Codes That Govern It
Plumbing follows local plumbing codes with municipal inspection. Process piping falls under industrial standards, most commonly ASME B31.3, with rules for materials, welded joints, pressure testing, and documentation that plumbing codes never touch.
Who Does the Work
A licensed plumber is not automatically qualified to weld stainless product lines, and a process pipe welder cannot legally run your building’s water service. Stakes drive the split. A plumbing leak is a mess. A process line failure can mean lost product, a sanitation event, or worse.
Process Piping from PEC
PEC has installed process piping for 30+ years, with AWS-certified welders and a fabrication shop in Covington, GA. For the full picture, start with our guide to what process piping is. Ready to scope a project? Contact PEC and let’s talk it through.
