Real Estate Investor · liberty township, OH · Member since 2008 · 149 posts · 6 votes
alright I know this has probably been posted before.. but i need to replace some hot water copper pipe and i was thinking about changing to pex.. what are peoples thougths on pex?
i figured as much, i guess i was thinking about replacing all the copper of time.... keep the thiefs away
From the outside all houses will look the same. It might reduce the damage after they kick the door in.
Is there any way to make it clear that your PEX property is a bad choice so they just avoid you? Maybe a bit much to ask but still I figured I could ask.
If you only need to replace one or two pipes it isn’t worth it. If you are going to do a lot of work, it is definitely the way to go. The initial cost of tools makes doing a small job too expensive. You may wish to check your local building codes to be sure that it is allowed. Most areas are ok with it.
i figured as much, i guess i was thinking about replacing all the copper of time.... keep the thiefs away
From the outside all houses will look the same. It might reduce the damage after they kick the door in.
Is there any way to make it clear that your PEX property is a bad choice so they just avoid you? Maybe a bit much to ask but still I figured I could ask.
It depends on jow much it is, We have used pex out here in N.Cal for the last 3 years and they still dont let you use it in parts of the bay area, if you are going to do the job yourself then then tool you will need will cost more in $ than all the material and time it would probably take you to do it in copper- I like the pex when used with a mana-block ,meaning each run is a home run, otherwise to me it looks like a drip system.
I have never seen either fail,but on one job we were at, the mice were eating through the plastic (they could smell the water I guess.)
just to let everyone know i went ahead and did the pex. It has worked out wonderful and as soon as i can get the retaining wall rebuilt that just fell down in the rain i plan on replacing on an on going job.... But it was way to quick and easy to install
Next time I have a job I'm going to do it in pex. I figure it might cost me a bit more on the first job but the next job it will have paid for itself and then from then on out it's golden. Who knows what it's going to cost for copper 2 or 3 years down the road.
Hmm... since there's a mad rush on silver right now for people to hedge against inflation maybe I'll go out and buy tons of 14-2 wire since I'll probably use it in the future :-)
surprisingly pex cost as much or a little less than copper.. Granted i only did 1 hot water line but i used sharkbite fittings, and yes they are a little costlier than than the standard copper fittings... but in my humble opinion the savings in time is well worth it... and for the record I have NO affiliation with this company.. just love the ease
sharkbites are expensive but they are great for emergencies. My father in law was just telling me that he had a place that someone broke the outside spigot by using it in freezing weather and not draining it so he ran out, cut the pipe off and threw a sharkbite cap on it to fix it until spring.
Someone recommended CPVC to me. Not as flexible as pex - about the same resilience as copper - but a lot cheaper. He's been a contractor for 10 years and told me CPVC is pretty much legal wherever pex is and takes about 1/3 the time to install, and that repairs are a breeze. I have about 50 spare feet of copper for my next repairs but will be trying cpvc in the near future.
CPVC takes 1/3 the time as copper to install but PEX takes about 1/3 the time as CPVC to install. To install PEX all you do is measure, cut with the pipe cutters which is pretty much like cutting paper then slip on the copper ring, slip it into the fitting then crimp. Way faster than waiting for solvent and glue to dry on CPVC.
shark bites are a little more expensive... but in my mind well worth the time and effort..or lack of effort. Plus no costly expense of buying pex tool..
CPVC takes 1/3 the time as copper to install but PEX takes about 1/3 the time as CPVC to install. To install PEX all you do is measure, cut with the pipe cutters which is pretty much like cutting paper then slip on the copper ring, slip it into the fitting then crimp. Way faster than waiting for solvent and glue to dry on CPVC.
Cool.... I'll have to give that a try. And hey, if it gives me an excuse to buy more tools - so much the better. :mrgreen: Are there fittings to attach Pex to copper and galvanized steel pipes?
Had a break in yesterday at a house I'm rehabbing for a guy. They kicked the back door in - only damaged the door, not the jamb or the frame. My heart sank at first, till I walked downstairs and remembered the whole house was CPVC. :-) I'm thinking of making signs and putting them on doors, "CPVC Plumbing in this house. No copper. Don't waste your time."
I have interest in PEX too, but I just have a couple of questions:
In product manuals the manufacturers suggest you don't use pex where you will apply termite poison. Apparently the pex absorbs chemicals. In my area termites are endemic, and tenting your property is inevitable. How much of an issue is this?
Has anyone seen issues with mice eating thru pex?
What about long term, 5 or 10 years+? Does pex get brittle and break easy, or become unrepairable?
In my opinion superior pex tube plumbing is the way to go. Maybe not if you are only replacing one section though. If your whole plumbing system is pex you can expect to realize a 20% savings in your water bill. No Joints...
forgot to mention that is easier to replace in the event it needs to be down the road. in my area, I find that the slight increase in material costs is offset by cheaper labor costs to install so it pretty much balances itself out.. It is also a great for marketing your home.
I used pex in my recent rental. I bought a crimp tool for $75. That was the biggest expense. I can crimp 3/8 inch, 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch and 1 inch all with the same tool. I use copper crimp rings. I went this way because I anticipate a lot of my rentals will need pex run. It was super easy and idiot proof...this is evident because I was able to do it fast, easy, and no leaks! :o)
others may have different answers, but I don't really care. I don't pay for water. I'm not really sure it would have a different effect than any other supply type.
I'd like to hear that answer, too. I can understand how the lack of joints might make a difference in the energy required to pump water or some other fluid in an industrial location, but residential water usage is going to be determined by how much you open the taps. Unless you have a leak, I don't see how the type of pipe can make any difference. And a leak would likely make much more difference than 20%.
You can cut down on the amount of water you use with pex, but this is if you use a home run system as opposed to a traditional. To supply a bathroom, a traditional system will often run ¾†line from the water heater to the bathroom, and then branch into 1/2 “ lines feeding the sink and the shower. In a home runs system you usually run 1/2 “ line from the manifold all the way to each item. The result is less water being run before getting hot water. While in theory this can save you water and energy, 20% seems high. You could also do a home run system with copper and see the same savings, but the installation costs would be higher.
Here is an article at HGTV that gives a better explanation than I do.
HGTV home run plumbing