PEX (was Re: Not always joking...)

In article <20080307.1128.108873snz@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
 dbell@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 ("David G. Bell") wrote:

> On Thursday, in article
>      <IrydnUV7X_rpEE3anZ2dnUVZ_oWdnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>      nimshubur@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 "Doug Wickstrom" wrote:
> 
> > On 20 Feb 2008 21:32:23 -0500, "Keith F. Lynch"
> > <kfl@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > 
> > >That's another advantage of older houses -- they were built with
> > >copper pipe.  New ones around here are all built with PVC pipe.
> > 
> > More likely with PEX.
> 
> And people can argue about the advantage. When plastics were fairly new 
> in an application--any application--people wondered how they would last.

> Some plastics do harden and become brittle as they age. But plastic 
> water pipes have been around for a long time now. And, while I don't 
> offhand know of a domestic environment where it might be significant, 
> copper work-hardens

I work in a hardware store.

I would NOT call it an "advantage" for a home to be built with copper 
pipe, for many reasons. Around here, vacant homes are broken into every 
week for their copper. 

3/4" copper, typically 4.99/foot, unless it's gone up again this week. 
3/4" PEX... 0.59/foot

2" copper pipe, 5' long... $99.00  
2" Tee fitting in copper - $23.00 last week.
(Now you know why it's being stolen out of vacant buildings, and even 
new construction.) 

PVC/CPVP pipe is brittle and requires cutting to fit and gluing. You get 
ONE chance to get it right. Lengths are typically 10', but 20' lengths 
are available. (So are coils, but they're very difficult to handle.) PVC 
cannot be used for hot water. CPVC must be used for high temperature 
installations. PVC/CPVC _are_ susceptible to UV degradation. Installing 
a "T" in an existing run of 1/2" PVC will take approximately 20-30 
minutes. 

PEX is flexible, is simple to cut and fit when necessary, and uses 
barbed fittings with crimps to assemble more complex pieces, in a 
fraction of the time and with a lower failure rate than soldered copper. 
It can also use reusable fittings with internal barbs that are easy to 
replace or remove. 100 foot rolls are common. Red and blue PEX can be 
used to color code lines for easier installation. Installing a "T" into 
an existing run of PEX will take about 5 minutes... if you're clumsy, 
and drop crimp rings a lot.

PEX is also far less subject to freezing damage, as it can swell to 
accommodate expansion. It also has a much higher pressure capability. 
I've seen 1/2" PEX swell like a balloon before rupturing... SLOWLY... at 
a pressure of 1000 PSI. 

PVC _is_ marginally cheaper than PEX per running foot... However, 
because it is flexible, it doesn't need nearly as many fittings, so the 
overall cost for an identical installation is somewhat lower. 

On the other hand, with PEX it's both cheap and easy to build a 
"manifold" system for hot and cold water, with shutoffs at a central 
point and color-coded lines to each fixture. This makes future repairs 
MUCH easier. 

A LOT of new construction is going in with PEX around here, and repairs 
are being done with it as well.  We've been carrying it for about a year 
now.

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