What’s the current view on PEX plumbing??? A new house is going up on my street in Tucson, Az and I wonder what the trades think of it compared to copper??? Thanks,
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Good product, becoming nearly ubiquitous for new building, faster to run than CU with the added advantage of every fixture getting a home run to a nice neat manifold.
the added advantage of every fixture getting a home run to a nice neat manifold.Just curiuos....why is it ever an advantage to HR PEX lines?If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Two advantages:
1. No matter what taps/fixtures are running, the flow from the tap/fixture you care about is consistent. No more wife flushing toilet and scalding you, or washing hands and freezing you (or with newer fixtures, killing your pressure when doing either of the two).
2. Any repairs/additions can be made without taking the house water offline.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
If your hair looks funny, it's because God likes to scratch his nuts. You nut, you.
I agree to the advantages you mentioned. I wonder why Copper was never plumbed with a manifold and home runs then.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
The expense for starters.I love PEX and home runs. Copper is so old school but I too hope I'm not eating those words not that copper never fails mind you......
Too much time / too much cost in materials.
Manifold no, but many homes are plumbed with home runs in ccopper. Mine is one. I do it sometimes in other homes
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You have home runs to each tap in copper? What do you call it where they all come together?
my cousin's house is going up with it installed, seems very good, nice color codeing
It takes studs to build a house
Pex will hopefully push copper prices down in future; if it is allowed to come into it's own.
My son's best friend is a very successful plumber. Does Hotels as well as residential.
He had a home develop pinholes in all the copper lines. Made the manufacturer come and replace said lines.
He is very supportive of Pex. I am also sold on Pex for it's ease of use and the strong connections. Allegedly rare to have a leak with Pex.
the price of copper has nothing to do with using it for residential water lines.It is because of the vast ramp up in use of electricity around the world as third world nations jump into the 21st century headfirst, and as older developed nations convert to more and more electric use. Motors and generators use copper windings and transmission lines use copper also.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I am sorry to have to be a David to your Goliath; but...Yes there always seems to be a "but".
Respectfully suggest that you need to be very careful in using the definitive wording, "nothing to do with". May consider, "very little, minimal, next to nothing", if applicable. Rogets Thesaurus is very helpful in choosing alternate words.
Please carefully reread my post; and you will see that I only said "hopefully" decrease NOT will or should etc..
If copper water lines were to abruptly be prohibited in favor of Pex water lines in homes, commercial bldgs, military etc.; it would surely be expected to have an effect on the pricing of copper, in possibly lowering of the price, since there would be less demand.
I believe that Bill Hartman is an electrical engineer; so he could possibly help to answer my very sincere question to you:
How many feet of #14, #12, #10 copper electrical wire can you get from 10 ft of 1/2 inch copper plumbing ??
I enjoy reading the posts in Breaktime; and also learn a lot from them. I note that Pex is not in the discussion now; so hope you receive this post.
HowardM
Maybe you read too litterally.http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/CP/Wbut tae a look at this chart of copper prices while the American housing market has been in a swoon and tell me that it has hurt the price of copper.strikes in south America make a bigger difference in disrupting suply than our use for plumbing. They simply can't produce copper fast enough to make all the wire that is needed artond the world so the long term trend is up even though new mines and greater production attempt to adress the supply end of things.Yes, if you suddenly started never using opper pipe, the price might quit climbing for a few weeks, but I am talking long term.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Thanks for your reply; but you completely ignored the two most important points of my post to you.
1. "nothing to do with" I gently suggested you not to use definitive "nothing". Are you still going to use it even when it is possible there could be conditions affecting the subject; and thus have something to do with ???
2. My question to you regarding how many feet of #14, #12, #10 electrical wiring can be made from ten feet of half inch copper plumbing. ??? I am serious in asking that question.
My intention is to learn and/or help others. I have no intention of arguing or fighting; however, I do enjoy debating/discussing a subject of which I have knowledge.
Please advise if you can answer me; or if I should post my question separately ??
Respectfully
I answer #1 by saying tht I think you read me too literally.#2 I don't know and don't care."I have no intention of arguing or fighting; however, I do enjoy debating/discussing "With you it is hard to tell the differene.So-long
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Strip the insulation off a 1 foot peice of the wire and compare it to the weight of the pipe.
I won't enter the debate on all the factors that weigh into global copper prices rising, but I will try and answer the question about how long a piece of wire can you make from a 10 foot length of copper pipe.
For 1/2 Inch Type K Pipe, a 10 foot length contains the same volume of copper as:
For 1/2 Inch Type M Pipe, a 10 foot length contains the same volume of copper as:
If you would like to check my math, I attached a simple spreadsheet. You can find references to the ASTM standards for copper pipe dimensions at:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/astm-copper-tubes-d_779.html
and references to the dimensions for AWG wire gauges at:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wire-gauges-d_419.html
Dear Nustad,
Sincerest "Thank you" for your courtesy in taking of your time to answer a question that has been a concern of mine for a long time.
Very respectfully,
HowardM
not that it means a thing... but as a factory certified installer of wirsbo/upnor pex ie... the factory guy came out because i'd been call'n for a year before it was approved in out area... i happened to end up knowing him... he showed us the product & tools and how it was installed... and then in the mail i get "official factory trained installer"
we've run up to 1.5" a ton of 1" 3/4" and 1/2" and... we don't home run it... run it just like we would copper... I order the 20ft sticks vs the 100ft/300ft rolls just because it's easy to handle that way... red blue or white... all the same price but make it easy to remember what you are running... have yet to have a leak... and i'm guess'n we've run 20k feet
far fewer fittings... the tube sweeps vs have'n to have an elbow... easy to install... just about idiot proof...
hope i'm not eating these words in 20 years
p
Beats copper hands down
and
I haven't heard of thieves stripping it out of a half-built house yet either.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I haven't heard of thieves stripping it out of a half-built house yet either.
You don't have thieves out on that island do you!
I'm waiting to hear that the thieves are stealing it for some other odd ball reason, don't know what it would be but thieves are pretty ingenious/creative!
Doug
I'm sure you could make quite a bong from it!Yeah - the thief thing happens here. We usually know just who it is and how to fix it though.
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they'll probably steal the fittings...
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they'll probably steal the fittings...
Yea, the thieves arnt all that picky, they'll take anything if they think it'll get em another hit of crack!
Doug
PEX was developed in the 50's and 60's, was first used in Europe for plumbing, radiant heat, etc., in the 60's and came into use in the USA in the 1980's.
It has a long, solid track record.
It has a longer history than PC's, Disco music and Fine Homebuilding magazine, not to mention, the proliferation of nailguns, digital photography and in vitro fertilization.
It was preceded by outhouses, cast iron drainpipe and steam locomotives.
I do about 5 bathrooms a year and I've always worked with the same plumber for about 7 years. He uses pex almost always now and attaches it to copper where he cuts it and goes pex from there and when hes plumbing a whole house its all pex. and my daughters new 3 year home is all pex . I wouldn't use anything from here on out till the next good thing comes along..... its easy to install , able to keep it neat and runs to a manifold and from there it goes where its needed no cuts no joints to go bad or come apart in a wall. I've even seen it freeze and the only place it broke was the copper baseboard heater,not the pex, so nothing to replace in a wall or ceiling. its the way to go.
Carpentry and remodeling
Vic Vardamis
Bangor Me
No comparison...and that's just because PEX seems to be a better, more flexible (pun intended) product. The projects that I've seen in used in range from residential through commercial.
I've designed a couple of high-end spec houses in the Charlotte, NC area and spec'd the PEX systems for both of them. While down there I checked out other construction and every one had the system installed. Both Cu and PEX get the water to the use point but the PEX system really has an advantage in the installation and being color coded, if you like, while organizing the runs.
The use of copper will probably never go out but it will become more limited. There is still some resistance to it (PEX) in certain local building departments but when OSB hit the market I had a heck of a time getting it allowed to be used.
For those pointing out the price of copper driving prices up I would like to point out that PEX is a petroleum based product and oil just hit $100 a barrel. HMMM.
Hey, that's the hand we're dealt.
ciao. ted
I love it for remodeling.
It's more like wiring--easy to pull thru existing walls.
Easy to tie into other systems--copper, galv.
Easy to put together. I bought the cinch clamp type system which uses different size rings, all clamped by one tool.
Manifold system is great.
Color coding.
Inexpensive.
etc...