gregbolshoy
Banned
Have any of you used the PEX tubing instead of copper when plumbing your homes? Here in Seattle it is being used often as a cheaper alternative to copper. Just wanted to hear your experiences with it.
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PEX tubing
- Thread starter gregbolshoy
- Start date
I had my whole house re-plumbed with PEX a few years ago as part of the poly pipe recall lawsuit. It was much easier to work with than copper and you can rent the tools from most tool rental places.
PEX offers better insulation properties and should handle freezing better than copper too.
AFAIK - the stuff is pretty slick. I have no complaints so far.
PEX offers better insulation properties and should handle freezing better than copper too.
AFAIK - the stuff is pretty slick. I have no complaints so far.
Thanks the freezing was my main concern as well as how long it will hold up.
Ditto what he said.
I had my cold water (blue) and hot water (red) connected to a manifold in the basement and from there individual lines run to all the outlets in the house. That way if there is a leak on one particular tap I can shut it off at the manifold and still have water to the rest of the house.
As for freezing, the plumber said he carried out an experiment where he filled a section of pex pipe with water, capped both ends and put it in the freezer. He said he froze and thawed it 10 times without any damage. In his opinion it handled freezing better than copper or pvc.
gregbolshoy
Banned
PEX is immune to bursting from freezing or just resistance?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-linked_polyethylene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-linked_polyethylene
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thcri
Gone But Not Forgotten
We give our customers the option to go with PEX or copper. PEX material is more expensive than copper but the labor is less than copper. They wash each other out.
As for me, I hate the taste of the water in a PEX system. When we built ten years ago I had copper put in my house.
As for me, I hate the taste of the water in a PEX system. When we built ten years ago I had copper put in my house.
The taste of PEX goes away after a while . . . or you get used to it. I don't notice it anymore.
If you are on a well, and have acid in your water, you will hate the taste of the water running through copper pipes. The simplest thing to do in this situation is to replace the copper with PEX, which I'm slowly doing.
The acid in the water causes small pin holes in copper pipes. My copper is about 40 years old now, and as a piece gets a small pin hole, I replace it with PEX.
With the new Shark Bite fittings, PEX is very simple to install. The fittings cost a little more, but you don't have to rent a tool. You can see the fittings at this link: http://www.pexsupply.com/SharkBite-Fittings-595000?gclid=CJma0cX90qwCFQ5T7Aodx0cotQ
Bob
thcri
Gone But Not Forgotten
All of my infloor is PEX. I just didn't like the idea of the taste. Maybe I would have gotten used to it don't know. As for freezing my house that should not be a problem in my house. Two furnaces and a boiler for the Infloor I should be ok. If my house freezes I think I have bigger problems.
My only concern with PEX is the compound used in plastic products to keep them soft over time. If presant it could leach out into the water. The product I refer to escapes me right now, but it may be involved with serious health problems. Hopefully the people who make PEX have done there due dilligence about this.
Regards, Kirk
Regards, Kirk
I have PEX tubing in my camper at the ranch. I was damm pissed the first time I had to fix something. But I bought the tool for 1/2" as everything was that size. Then went about the repair.
Amazingly easy and I get patent seals everytime.
The new house will go up with PEX.
The Laundry room remodel in town will go with PEX
I swear by it.
The only advantage to Copper is that it helps kill bacteria in the water. That and it conduct electricity so you can ground electrical things to it.
Amazingly easy and I get patent seals everytime.
The new house will go up with PEX.
The Laundry room remodel in town will go with PEX
I swear by it.
The only advantage to Copper is that it helps kill bacteria in the water. That and it conduct electricity so you can ground electrical things to it.
I have it in my home.. and thank God for it.. otherwise I'd have pipes bursting left and right during the hard freezes we get here in winter.
I have it in my cabin that way if i have some left over water in the pipes after I drain it it wont brake them like it use to do the copper.
I use to pump 1 gallon of RV antifreeze in now I drain the system and suck a pint or 2 in to the pump (RV pump)and I am done.
tom
I use to pump 1 gallon of RV antifreeze in now I drain the system and suck a pint or 2 in to the pump (RV pump)and I am done.
tom
jwstewar
Active member
When we built the house about 4 years ago now, I traded the builder copper plumbing for pex plumbing and a tankless water heater. According to our bills with the new house the tankless water heater is saving us about $150 - 200 a year on propane. We are happy with the Pex and the tankless. I think we made a good trade.
You need a better wholesaler, right now I'm paying .38 a ft for aquapex (potable water not heat) VS $1.86 a foot for 1/2 L copper
That is really strange Al. 40 degrees is well within the working temp range for pex. I try to warm mine up to at least 60 but that is because I am lazy and it works a lot easier when warmer. Wife helped me roll out warm 1/2" heatpex at 20 degrees in the snow with no problems for the greenhouse. The fittings can be tough when it is cold.
I think Murph was saying that PEX "material" was more expensive meaning all inclusive of the connectors and such. I know I don't pay much for the pex tubing itselft but those elbows can add up to some serious money.
I was wondering if any of the other members have experienced any PEX failures that pertain to the PEXMALL.Com pex plumbing system recently. I have read a few threads, but it appears that the problem(s) have not been mentioned for some time. This product was manufactured by PEXMALL, but they have delisted the product from their sales catalog and it is no longer made. Regardless, this system has been installed in many homes across the nation.
We continually have issues with either the actual PEX fittings (look like http://www.pexmall.com/pex-fittings) dezincifying and/or the Oetiker SS clamp breaking, both of which cause catastrophic damage. If anyone knows of issues that pertain to this product, please speak up.
We continually have issues with either the actual PEX fittings (look like http://www.pexmall.com/pex-fittings) dezincifying and/or the Oetiker SS clamp breaking, both of which cause catastrophic damage. If anyone knows of issues that pertain to this product, please speak up.
If I see this page http://failures.wikispaces.com/PEX+Plumbing+Failures month ago I definitely good old copper 
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With PEX no one will strip your vacation home of copper pipes while you are gone.
Jus' Sayin'.
Jus' Sayin'.
The striping of copper has become a problem around the lake.....and co-mo had a artical about copper theft in their paper/mag. the last addition.I have started taking note of every time I see a pickup loaded with old copper piping in the back...just jot down the tag number and turn it over to a depity when I see them.......same with old wireing....sherif has said it has pointed them in the right direction more than a few times.....oh yes to keep on subject.....we put pex in our place and havent had any problems with it to date.......as to the taste....a beer or 10 seems to solve the minor problem.