Replies

1. 
   Fonzie | Jul 23, 2006 04:50am | #1

   My coworker used it in his house. He used a system from Manard's (the tubing is a different size and color than Aquapex. He used a crimp tool (100$) with two sizes built in. The connections are made using copper rings - quick and we had no leaks. He made his own manifold using a few ball valves and a short length of 3/4 pipe (with tees). This allows easy add-ons.

   The fittings aren't prohibitive. With the problem we are having with copper here, I might start with the idea of finding a system with mostly plastic fittings.

2. 
   davidmeiland | Jul 23, 2006 06:45am | #2

   PEX is getting really popular for domestic water and it's only gonna get moreso with copper so expensive now. It's used on most new work I see around here, with copper reserved for either small add-ons to an already-copper system, or expensive new homes where the archy specs it.

   My plumber uses copper fixture stubs that are made to go with Rehau PEX and fittings. What you see sticking out of the sheetrock looks just like it would if the piping were all copper. He does not use manifolds and home runs, rather tees and such as though it were a copper system. He would if I asked and paid for it, but I usually don't see the point.

3. 
   piko | Jul 23, 2006 10:59am | #3

   Pex seems to be the way to go these days...flexible and quite forgiving (not as much as polyB, but look where that went. Industry has at least learnt a lesson) Because of its popularity there is almost every fitting you could wish for. There are at least 2 methods of connecting pex to fittings - expanding the pex over the fitting, or crimping over the same...It might be a Q of where you live as to what's available. And the ease and speed is such that a proficient plumber can do a house in a day.

   All the best...

   To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.

    

4. 
   Matt | Jul 23, 2006 02:44pm | #4

   Copper and Pex are at 2 opposite ends of the plumbing supply line spectrum.  Like comparing a Kia to Lexus.  Not that Kia doesn't make some decent cars... I have not seen copper used in several years in new construction simply because of cost issues. 

   You also might want to look into CPVC.  It is in between the 2 - closer to pex though - and my plumber says he feels that it gives superior flow rates.

   Re Pex, don't get sucked in to claims that you can use 3/8 tubing for sinks or whatever.  Now your looking at the least expensive Kia.  My plumber doesn't use the pex manifild systems either.

   Do as search for pex here at BT.  It has been discussed at length.

5. 
   JonE | Jul 23, 2006 04:17pm | #5

   I used a combination of copper and pex in my house.  I have copper manifolds with pex crimp fittings for both hot and cold water, and every fixture is homerun.  System I used is Watts (Uponor) with their Cinch-Clamps.   The entire system was plumbed up in a day and a half. 

    

1. 
   mbmmd | Jul 24, 2006 01:48am | #7

   just a quick note, wirsbro is uphonor, not watts!

6. 
   RobWes | Jul 23, 2006 09:44pm | #6

   Just went through the same thing. I went with Pex as well as 100% home run. Every line has a shut off both hot and cold. The tempering valves for the toilets are mounted on the manifold as well. Not one leak in the whole job. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The cost was the same for Pex or copper. Pex is more $$ but the labor is less.

1. 
   billd60 | Jul 24, 2006 03:20am | #8

   Thanks.  I go minute to minute on this one.  I really want to use Pex but it's a big house with a lot of runs.  How many fixtures/ runs did you make?  What did you use for manifold(s)?

1. 
   RobWes | Jul 24, 2006 03:15pm | #9

   The plumber used 2 RFH manifolds. One for hot the other cold. Having the house up North required a central chimney anyway. As such the heating system and all of the other related equipment is also somewhat central to the building. I chose PEX also for it's lack of being prone to freezing damage. IF something went wrong the most I'll loose is some fixtures. The pipe will return to it's normal shape and size.

   If your that worried about the size of the system you can also branch it similar to a copper job. If something does happen down the road to a fixture there is no need to shut down the whole house. You only shut off that section of the building.

   Lastly we home ran everything else in the house. Keeping the water supply home run made good since.

    

   Oops, We have a laundry room, powder room and kitchen on the first floor. Second floor has 2 bathrooms back to back on a wet wall. The shower valves and the spray heads are extensive in these rooms. We did use copper for this.

   I'll admit that I had reservations about using it. While talking with the plumber he mentioned that I shouldn't due to the fact that there were thousands of feet of Pex in my heating system. The job was stocked with the copper at the time of that conversation.

   Edited 7/24/2006 8:21 am ET by RobWes

1. 
   greenarch | Jul 28, 2006 12:24am | #10

   I've never used pex, but a mconsidering on my new house. The biggest quesiton I have, especially with home runs back to the manifold, is how do you insulate the hw pipe? I typicaly put pipe insulation on the hw copper pipes and would like to do it on pex. Has anybody done this? Is there a special pex pipe insulation?

1. 
   Tim | Jul 28, 2006 09:40pm | #11

   You can use the flexible rubber foam insulation like that which is used on air conditioner suction lines (i.e. the big one). Rubatex is the one brand name that comes to mind.