New tub: cast iron or steel?

Q: I’m ready to redo my bathroom. Should the new tub be cast iron or steel? Steel bathtubs cost about half as much as cast-iron tubs, but what are the other pros and cons?

Rob Carroll, Neptune, NJ

A: Ed Cunha, a plumber from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, replies: A steel tub is lighter and easier to maneuver than a cast-iron tub, which can weigh more than 300 lb. However, a steel tub is louder than a cast-iron tub when being filled with water, and a cast-iron tub keeps water hot longer than a steel tub does. Also, the enamel finish on a steel tub will chip more easily than that on a cast-iron tub, and exposed steel eventually will rust.

Fiberglass is comparable in cost to steel, holds heat well, and is lighter than cast iron or steel. However, a fiberglass tub can be loud during showers, and it stains more easily than other materials.

Finally, Americast (American Standard; 800-442-1902; www.americanstandard.com), a combination of enameled metal and composites, looks like cast iron, costs about the same, and holds heat well. But it’s about half the weight of cast iron, so the expense of installing an Americast tub is less.

January 1, 1900