plumbin'

just finished my plumbing in the basement. This new fangled PEX stuff is pretty cool.

PEX is teh E36 M3 I want to re-plumb the whole house using it.

I just did about two months ago. Good stuff! I'm terrible at sweating pipe.

Don't mean to brag, but I was layin' pipe this weekend!

1988RedT2 wrote: Don't mean to brag, but I was layin' pipe this weekend!

GIGGITY!!

Gearheadotaku wrote: This new fangled PEX stuff is pretty cool.

Sorry to pee in your cornflakes, but it should be called "plumbing for(and by) idiots". Believe it or not, there is a proper way to run piping and a reason to do so. I find it scary that any yahoo now has the capability to connect whatever(and however) to a municipal water system. That's why plumbers are licensed, and why municipalities have plumbing codes and inspectors. Just because someone can, doesn't mean they should. Pex is easy to run and almost anyone can do it. It is much tougher to run that stuff properly. It is no different than taking the garden hose and running waterlines with it. A lot of areas do not allow PEX to be used in a residence by code and that may create legal problems when and if you sell. A cabin out in the middle of no where- run whatever you like. PEX, plastic, lead pipe, hollowed out logs-as long as it doesn't connect to a public system.

I still use copper myself, but what is the downside to pex? besides glue failing?

Grtechguy wrote: I still use copper myself, but what is the downside to pex? besides glue failing?

There's no glue, it's all crimped together. Plastic pipe and brass fittings.

compression fittings?

Not really. The brass fittings are barbed, the plastic pipe slips on, and a copper ring slips on over the pipe and it crimped on. http://www.ardipex.com/pex-fittings-crimp-installation.php

Pecs!

Pex is good stuff. PEX actually stands for cross linked(X get it) polyethylene tubing. It isn't a brand name, merely a type of pipe. Two basic kinds- crimp connectors and expandable pipe and fittings. The later is better as the inner diameter of the fittings is the same as the pipe. So when you install 1/2" ID pipe, you get 1/2" ID fittings. The crimp style has 1/2" pipe but the ID of the fittings is down to 3/8" You get some flow problems with the crimp style, but the install tool is cheap so that's what the big box stores sell. There's also a difference between domestic water PEX and hydronic heating PEX. The downfalls are that rodents love to chew on it, it's UV sensitive so keep it out of the sun, certain types of foam insulation, tape residue, and other plastics will melt it over time, and you can't bond your electrical to it. Unless you are certified by the manufacturer there is no warranty(insurance companies have a field day with this one). As far as I know, it's legal for residential buildings 3 stories and under in all 50 states. At least that is what I was told in my last yearly plumbing code update class, but I'm not going to bother checking that for you. It's legal here in Mass and that's all I really care about.

minimac wrote: A lot of areas do not allow PEX to be used in a residence by code and that may create legal problems when and if you sell. A cabin out in the middle of no where- run whatever you like. PEX, plastic, lead pipe, hollowed out logs-as long as it doesn't connect to a public system.

I think you are mistaken.

As far as I am aware, PEX is allowed throughout the US.

I disagree with your opposition to people doing their own work hooked to a public system. Generally, if a public system exists, so does the requirement for a permit. If permitted, EVERYONE is required to build to code, including unlicensed homeowners.

If a water supply system has the required backflow preventers and water heater blowoff valves, there is not a lot of additional harm that someone can to to the public water line. Sure, a bad joint and they can wreck their own house, but that is a problem between them and their insurance company, as far as I am concerned.

Sewer lines are DEFINITELY different. Stuff can go boom if you screw them up.

PEX actually conforms to commercial code here in TX.

I use it all the time in RV stuff. It takes vibes a lot better than copper.

And, although the crimp is more reliable, its just fine with the proper compression fittings as well.

Any of the plastics are coming under scrutiny these days for what chemicals the leech into the water. PVC is probably the more volatile, but PEX has some nasty stuff in it too.

... then again, so does copper.

I replaced every bit of plumbing in our just-moved-out-of 1949 house but for the main hot and cold 3/4" that ran around the basement. All done w/ sweated copper of which I bought a massive amount on Craigslist cheap from a guy who was redoing his house, bought it, left it in the garage, and found out later his plumber didn't know it was there. So, having an inexhaustible supply, that's what I used.

A perfectly plumbed room of copper is a thing of beauty for sure. That said, I'm going to end up redoing all the plumbing in our just-moved-into 1950 project house, and at this point I'm nearly certain to do it with PEX. especially for a single story w/ basement, having the 2 manifolds to which everything is on it's own home run is very appealing. Plus a friend already bought the big pro-type crimp tools.

Im perfectly happy to pay someone who is perfectly insured. I will put my lif in my own hands installing my own brake lines, but copperwork is for the pros

So I learned a few new things here. 1, If you take a picture off photobucket it disappears here as well. 2, I still can't format lists and columns here on the board. 3, I can't get my threaded PVC connections to stop leaking!! Tried teflon tape first, then "pipe dope" (labeled safe for PVC), now what?

In reply to minimac:

I'm on a well, so I'm not berkleying with anyone's water but mine. I do understand your viewpoint though. I've seen alot of do-it-yourself stuff gone bad, tore out a lot of that out if this place. Would have preferred to run copper, but PEX was less than a third of the cost and much faster. You must really hate that yellow gas line they sell by the coil at Lowes Oddly enough, the "sharkbite" slip on connecters say "do not sell in CA or VT"

I always try to put the copper or steel outside the PVC, If you screw it inside the PVC it tends to split the plastic.

going "inside" isn't really an option. Even my pvc-pvc drips