Re-Plumbing our house: PEX or Copper??
- Thread starter slojmn
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
I don't know which choice is best, but it may be PEX. I notice a slight flavor in the taps that used PEX (been in 3 years) in our vacation home and not in those that have the old copper. Not sure why.
The metals in the copper pipe and solder would be bad for a reef, but RO/DI will remove them. Not sure whether those metals are a plus or minus for people. Probably some of each, depending on the metal.
I also do not know how long PEX will last. It may outlast most owners, but possibly not the house itself.
The metals in the copper pipe and solder would be bad for a reef, but RO/DI will remove them. Not sure whether those metals are a plus or minus for people. Probably some of each, depending on the metal.
I also do not know how long PEX will last. It may outlast most owners, but possibly not the house itself.
Pex is better then copper- you don't get sediment and calcium build up nearly as bad- it also expands with the weather where copper will bust if frozen, pex will expand and retract.
Pex isn't just a new cheaper alternative- it is overall better.
Pex isn't just a new cheaper alternative- it is overall better.
Pex is definitely better in a colder climate Imo I just finished my house in pex had half copper and half pex it was a brutal winter here in New York had a few copper lines break none of the pex did I would go with pex cheaper and super easy to work with
thejuggernaut
Active Member
If I were re-doing my house, or building a new one, I would go with PEX. However, I would have copper leads that protrude out of the wall. I hate the look of the plastic CPVC that allot of new houses use for under the sink and behind the toilets. I know it probably doesn't make it function any better, but it is just a visual thing for me. I would also look into hot water return lines and a manifold system. With a hot water return line, you have a small pump that recirculates the hot water through the hot water lines and back to the water heater, so that when you kick on the sink , shower, or dish water, the first bit of water is hot, and you don't have to waste 2 gallons waiting for hot water to flush through the lines. The manifold allows you to do maintenance, construction, or add-on to your plumbing system without having to shut off water to the whole house. Say you get a valve under a sink that starts to leak, or won't shut off all the way. You just turn off the one valve (usually in the garage) to that leg of the plumbing, and the rest of the house continues to function.
All this stuff adds a little money, but if you are going to be there for a long time, it may be worth it.
All this stuff adds a little money, but if you are going to be there for a long time, it may be worth it.
I'm going to throw in a vote for CPVC. IMO PEX is not a proven, long term technology yet. I have CPVC throughout our house and its great. Easy to work on too. IMO its more reliable than copper or PEX because the pipe all becomes one with the chemical reaction that takes place with PVC glue. As long as its installed correctly there's no chance of any leaks developing.
And for the aesthetic comment about not liking the look of plastic pipes behind sinks, etc, if the finish plumbing is done correctly by someone who knows what they are doing, you can easily make it so there are no plastic pipes exposed and all you see is the nice chrome or brass fittings you chose.
And for the aesthetic comment about not liking the look of plastic pipes behind sinks, etc, if the finish plumbing is done correctly by someone who knows what they are doing, you can easily make it so there are no plastic pipes exposed and all you see is the nice chrome or brass fittings you chose.
thejuggernaut
Active Member
True
gtbarsi
Well-Known Member
PEX has my vote, you don't need as many fittings if you plan your runs well, as a result you get better flow through the pipes. The plastic outer acts as insulation keeping hot water hotter, and limiting condensation compared to copper. Finally PEX does not burst as easily as copper or CPVC, so when someone accidentally leaves a garage door open on a night that the temp is -2 with a wind chill of about -22 you do not have an insane mess on your hands (happened to me, really big mess). Additionally I would use it for any forced hot water heating lines, for all of the same reasons, which equate to savings in heating bills.
nazzman
Active Member
Pex has been used in Europe since early mid seventies it is more then time tested it will not burst on a freeze up but the tubing will swell out making a weak spot in the line and if it did happen to freeze up again it will more then likely be the same area as the first one pex will also dry out and crack from the outside if it is direct sunlight or strong lighting that is on for long periods of time or next to a heat source CPVC is a great alternative also can be hung and plumbed very easily and way cheaper then copper and alot of times pex just a plumbers opion
