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How do you feel about PEX?

Going to start redoing some old ass plumbing in my house today.

Some old copper, some galvanized, some PVC.


SERIOUSLY considering smashing that easy button and going with PEX.


It won't be a full replacement....sorta having to replace sections at a time.



Thanks.

Who ever invented it deserves a medal,

Pard, Pard our entire water system for our house is PEX extremely easy to work with. Pard

Pex rules pard.

the only plumbers I know that do not like PEX either do not have the correct tools and / or do not like to read and follow instructions...

The cool thing about PEX and similar is the ability to thaw out frozen pipes with a hair dryer/fan etc. and less chance of burst pipes like trad. copper.

Buy the tools and go for it.

Go for as few of joints as you can while replacing sections at at a time.

Personally if doing sections I would be tempted to put a ball valve at termination points. Yes, it's a joint but can turn it off while doing another section but still have H2O at the same time. Once the other section is done you could remove the ball valve and replace with a standard splice.

PEX is great!

BUT, rodents will chew a hole through it that you won't find until it makes a mess.

and 10% the cost of copper. Or was when I had the house copper system extended underground out to the detached garage about 10 years ago - that's all PEX -100 feet cold and hot combined. Insulated and with a heat tape- just in case. Latter never needed yet.

I re-routed some of the copper pipes in the house, using shark-bite connections instead of sweat 3 or 4 years ago.. Don't you love it when the wife decides to change everything needing plumbing in a bathroom remodel? I know some rag on Sharkbite fittings, but we have no problems. Yet.

I think one can get shark-bite for PEX too, but the tooled connections would be the way I'd go, except if as noted above, you are putting in a temporary ball valve.

Trying to sweat wet copper fittings on extensions, replacements, etc. is a real PITA. PEX bypasses that chit entirely.You can color code it too.

PEX is great on remodels because it's flexible, but the tools are not cheap. So it depends on how much you have to do and how much you want to spend. Copper is cheap to install, you just need a cutter, solder, and a torch and it will outlast you.

It’s a great material. I’d do it if I built another house. You can’t go wrong with it.

Thanks everyone.

Negative Norm. 100' of PEX 3/4 inch was, as I said 10% of the cost of the same amount of copper when I did it. Copper itself is NOT cheap. The cost differential of tools vs sweat installation at some point will pay for the PEX tools if purchased

Can rent PEX tools from rental places or Home Depot probably - or resell them. Or use Sharkbite fittings if available - then all one needs is something to cut with. I repeat - working with wet copper sweat fittings/pipe is a REAL PITA!!! Given the choice, I'll never do it again, unless replacing an entire section out from the last valve - also replaced with a Sharkbite there, or can use a Shark bite from the wet cut. It's been awhile since I looked, but I think there may be Sharkbite copper to Pex adapters, as well as the crimp ones my plumber used.

PEX, as noted, is more flexible than copper, giving a bit more lee-way in "exact" length. You can bend it a little when installing - even leave a bit of bend in it., or muchly around wide bends eliminating a joint. Waaaay easier than copper.

Jim

Some pex supplier will lend you the tools necessary.

Consider using one inch diameter main with step downs to 3/4 and 1/2 inch. Have a overall plan. Use blue for cold and red for hot so it is easy to recognize years later when you forgot how you did it.

As mentioned already, put shut offs at every branch for future needs. Cheap in the long run and less hassle when issue or change is needed.

You can do it yourself and once you do a run or two you will be a believer.

Let us know how it goes.

Pard Jim, pex and dont look back. It makes plumbing so much easier my friend!

Is there a preferred pex version? A or B?

One thing I found out is 1/2" pex does not flow the same volume as 1/2" copper
If I had it to do over again I would replace my 1/2 copper with 3/4 pex.