Can anyone help? I recently read an article (I thought it was in Fine Homebuilding or Fine Woodworking, but can’t find it now) comparing copper water lines to plastic to some new plastic-like product. Now my husband in ready to plumb, and I can’t find the article, or even remember the materials. Any opinions out there on what to use. B. is good with copper, but is that the best these days?
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You (usually) can't go wrong with copper.
"Can't go worng with copper" (and I know you said usually) That what I thought until I move to western NC. No one uses copper here -- because it will not last with our local ground water. This is country, most of us are on well water. Today they use either CPVC or PEX -- used to use galivanized. Copper is usually fine -- but ask what others are using in the area. I myself like working with CPVC.
Deblacksmith
I agree, I was changing a cartridge in a poorly installed water filter in our 44 year old copper plumbed house and the 1/2 inch line broke off. It was paper thin but looked great and had not developed any pinholes yet. When we added on to the house I used cpvc which I use on remodel and repair jobs. Our inspector would not allow pvc even for the cold supply except to bring water to the house. I read the existing code ( the previous one) and sure enough it did not list pvc for in-house use.
Many are going to pex but the fittings are very expensive and tooling to make permanent connections where they would be covered up is expensive. The only complaint I have heard is if you are sloppy in your glue-up getting blockages and chunks of glue coming loose. It is also subject to being broken if not protected. Generally it is very cheap, fast, and requires very little tooling or skills. Maybe our water here in the hills has too much moonshine runoff.
Cold H2O lines do PVC
Me am color blind, but
dw convinced me to replace 35 YO copper pipes as she was starting to see green in the water. Who am I to argue, even tho parents house is 78 YO with copper pipe, GPa was colorblind too though
PEX/Whirsbo is the way to go, particularly if it is remodel/replumb work.
Yea, the fittings are more, but you only have 2 per run. One at the manifold and one at the fixture.
Very flexible, quick and easy to run. Valves are at the manifold, so you know each fixture has one and they won't corrode to the point that you can't turn them off.
Depending on local water issues I vote Pex or copper. I don't like PVC or CPVC for the long haul. Each one becomes more brittle with age. In ten years or so it is tough to repair and its amazing how many times a water line gets bumped or something hung on it. With age and brittleness (word?!) these products are not the best solution in my opinion. DanT