Pros and cons please. Which one would you install in your to be built cabin for waterlines? Why? Which one costs more? Thanks. Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
My entire house is wired with Pex and a Manabloc... I'd never go copper again.. Pex- just like running a wire, no connections except each end. Will never leak unless cut, nicked, pierced or frozen, same goes for copper but over time, copper will get pinholes. Cost is comparible. Pex is easier, no sodering, no gluing, no flame, no cleaning, like with copper. Pex is quicker. (Yes, I've plumbed copper, pex, plastic) IMO, I don't know why anyone would use anything other than Pex. You can see some of it in the background of the basement bathroom I'm finishing. I used red for hot, blue for cold but you can do any combo you wish.
For a cabin - which to me would be a part time usage/recreational/hunting and vacant for part of the year...means rodents(seem to get in no matter what)...can't chew through copper - So copper is my choice in that case. Otherwise go the easier route.
As long as you don't go cheap on the pex then you'll be happy. They do make cheap pex and it's not worth re doing anything.
Pex 100%. I have plumbed with both on many occasions. Did remodeling and basement finishing for a little over 5 years. I wouldn't do it any other way. 1. So fast its ridiculous. 2. No heat, no chance of firewhilee plumbing it. 3. easy to tap into if you ever need too. Cut, inert "T", crimp and you are done. 4. Easy to color code (as mentioned above) 5. If you do have to repair or tap into, you don't have to worry about the lines being completely clear of water to get the solder to seal. 6. What you spend in extra on the material, you save on time and ease. 7. If it freezes, it is way less likely to burst than will copper. 8. You wont have to worry about someone cleaning your house out as mentioned above. If you decide pex, you will not be sorry. When (and yes I will be re doing all of my plumbing and electrical in a few years) I redo my houses plumbing, It will be done with pex ran in the ceiling.
I'm probably missing something and hopefully learn from this thread. I had my "cabin" done in pex. Over the past 5 years or so I've had a few leaks (due to freezing). I blow it out and drain the best I can, but there were a couple spots that held water. No biggie, stuff happens. But I don't have a 500 dollar tool to fix it with so I had to call a plumber. Can't remember what I was charged, but it was a lot more than a copper coupling a torch and me doing it in about 10 minutes. Right now I have to replace a hot water heater that has pex installed for the supply lines. Again, a job I could do myself but don't own the gadgets to do it. I've been wishing I stuck with copper simply for the easy of repair. Installation wise? Yeah looks 100 times easier and quicker. My problem is I'm forever stuck with calling a plumber for repair.
http://www.pexsupply.com/HydroPEX-HDCLAMPTOOL-Heavy-Duty-PEX-Ratchet-Clamp-Cutting-Tool http://www.pexsupply.com/HydroPEX-HCL0375-3-8-Stainless-Steel-Clamp-100-bag-3853000-p Here is what you need. A ratcheting style crimper for the SS bands below. You can get the crimper for under $80 on the link I provided. Like was stated, if you use good pex, you'll be money ahead. One of our cabins we've re-plumbed in pex has froze solid (fully charged with water) 4 times... not a single leak.
Pex all the way. My trailer is plumbed in Pex and it is the best at withstanding being frozen. Now that I have heat traced and insulated, I don't have any freezing problems. When it comes to things like your cabin, never go the cheap route. You'll only get what you pay for.
I didn't read all the replies.... but one thing to think about is theft. Up here the remote cabins and hunting camps have really been getting hit by thiefs. One item high on the list is copper pipe, along with generators, dishes you name it.... anything not nailed down they can sell for money.
NY, if you have Pex and can access the leaks, there is zero reason to call a plumber... zero! My tool for the 1/2" lines I ran was $75.00 and that is to crimp the fittings, a leak is so much simpler to fix (which I've never had) because you can use a Sharks Bite, any tubing cutter can also cut Pex, the Sharks Bite slides on (coupling) and there is no crimping, no glueing, no soldering, you cannot get any easier than that. I've got a plumbing wholesaler close by but I've also seen the Shark Bite fittings at Lowes... they are the easiest things to use and I've never seen them fail. You can use them on plastic, Pex, copper and you can go from Copper to Pex etc.. I've used these to replace copper pipes in my mothers house to rid her of the small leaks that happen (has happened to her) with copper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RiqhtvgrH8
Whoa! When did these little critters come about? I guess I havent' done as much plumbing as I used to. Are they really as simple as the video? If so that's one hell of an invention. Those things work on copper to pex, copper to copper? Pex to pex is that corrects?
Yes, they are really that simple... and yes, pex to pex and pex to copper, copper to pvc, pvc to pex...
Not that you need any added input, but I love Pex. My sister's entire house is plumbed with it, and every plumbing repair (for the most part) that I've made to my house in the last three years has been with pex. Although, I'm still using the crush rings, I would be curious as to how much easier/more secure those rings pictured above are.
Consensus has it... Pex all the way. Rubbertex it and freezing should never be an issue on an inside wall. But hey, copper would freeze too. $500.oo for a crimping tool is way too much; $50.oo is more in line. Another way to stop freezing and bursting is an inside shutoff valve. Just be sure to turn off the water heater when the water supply is shut off.
I don't know about this. Maybe for extended periods of absence. I have a 20 gal water heater in my travel trailer. It sits in an outside corner of the trailer. I shut off the well pump and open the drains to relieve pressure. I leave the water heater on to prevent it from freezing. It has an internal over temp switch, so it will shut off if it runs out of water and heats up. However, we're only gone for 5 days at a time.
