PEX (plastic) vs Copper Tubing: What is Better? | What a Master Plumber Would Install in His House
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- Опубликовано: 5 май 2024
- PEX vs Copper tubing? What is the best plumbing piping to install in your home? Regardless if it is a remodel or a new build, Jim shares his experience installing, repairing, and using PEX (plastic) tubing.
Jim has seen everything during his 48 years of plumbing. He started plumbing when galvanized piping was all the rage. Now PEX is the new flexible plumbing piping that everyone loves. Is it right for your home? This is how to decide.
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PEX vs Copper tubing video discusses the following topics:
00:00 Intro
02:03 Why PEX tubing better
03:20 What a Master Plumber prefers
04:20 CPVC piping
04:42 Funny taste or odor from plastic piping
05:39 The taste difference between plastic (PEX) vs Copper piping
06:37 Summary: Why choose plastic (PEX) tubing
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Alaska is colder
Jim doesn't seem grumpy at all! Seems like a sweet, smart guy. Thanks Jim! -Homeowner preparing for a full DIY Pex repipe!
Thanks for this "down to brass tacks" approach, you've helped me decide that I'm replumbing my home with pex. Keep the greatness coming!
Thank you for sharing, I am in the process of updating my pipes to PEX tubing for my entire house. At first I was a bit nervous about plastic and with this info I feel much better now. Thank you again for posting this video! 👍👍
Good to hear I just purchased PEX A expandable pipe for my house and I can hardly wait until I finish the install
About to build and learning about PEX so this was great to watch. 🌟
I spent my life as a plumber. I retired about five years ago. I live in an ancient house and started by tearing out all the old galvanized and replumbed the house with copper. In the process of digging a basement beneath the two-storey house, I had plenty of problems with the copper freezing and bursting. So I started replacing it with polybutylene. Eventually, I finished the basement and did the entire house with a polybutylene manifold. It's been great, but now my city is concerned with boil order problems and plans to permanently chlorinate the water, which is death to PB. So now I'm replacing all the PB with PEX. In theory, PEX will last from 50 to 100 years. They're saying the life of PB is ten to fifteen years, but mine's been in for about 30 and I've never had a single problem with it.
I fear plastic and I like copper so I'm going to switch out the old galvanized with the pricey copper.
Thank you grumpy plumber for your service.
I'm at the copper / PEX decision point myself right now. Well water with pH around 5 has eaten my copper piping in the 35 years since the house was built. I actually have perforations to fix at two different locations on the same day recently. I'm very good at soldering, have done a lot of it without a single leak ever. However, I can't justify the dramatically higher cost of copper, so I'm going with PEX. Consider this: type L 1/2" copper pipe $4.30/lf...type B 1/2" PEX tubing $0.30/lf. TCopper is 14 TIMES MORE Expensive. Price of fittings (factoring in the cost of crimp or cinch rings) isn't dramatically different. About the ONLY advantage I can think of for copper is its resistance to UV light, which PEX can't tolerate.
I was looking for this exact information and you described it very well. I live in a 1940’s farmhouse and think I’m going to do it! Thanks and keep it up!
I’m looking to use PEX for my renovation.
Thank you this was great. Doing my first repipe with pex tomorrow
I have built 2 homes myself with no formal experience and I've done copper pipe repairs, water heaters, valves etc. The first home I chose CPVC lots of connections very affordable and durable (some sections froze multiple times and thawed with no leaks). The second home I chose PEX, not as many connections but absolutely no leaks when I charged the system for the first time. Hands down PEX is superior. Also, we know you are an honest contractor when you aren't afraid to recommend the less expensive option!
Contractors often pass on the cost and don't profit from it. Offering the cheap thing and seemingly being honest is easily a gimmick, where are the reality is it's easier to work with and would charge you for the same time.
cpvc seems good, far as I can tell it's locking in the dangerous stuff better. ( i read research on it as a hobby) but the endocrine disruptors in pex does show a real issue and there is evidence still sitting on the to-do list of the NIH to begin some strong research towards it's effecting people's sense of sexual identity. 6:33
It doesn't seem to kill you faster so that is good, but it does seem to increase the likelihood you kill yourself =/
As someone who is in the beginning stages of planning a new build home in Michigan, this is good to hear.
I've been a tile contractor for 46 years and I've found that all good plumbers are grumpy. :- )
Too much exposure to chemicals?
Because they have to fix the junk of decades ago. Carpenters are not called up to’ fix my studs’ , electricians do not fix ‘ worn out copper or even worn out outlets’.
I did DIY of my whole house in Pex with manifolds years ago. Glad I did.
Helped me get through the 0 degree freeze in TX without any problems.
Thanks. I'm going to refurbish a home and was going with copper. I'm going to use PEX now.
We just had our first leak with 32 year old cpvc. I'm getting ready to replace most of it with pex. Thanks for the video.
I’m sure you will like it!
a good conversation.
I was really curious how the grumpster would feel about pex as I really respect his experience and tells it like it is. I've had for 23 years and never had a problem.
Thank you for this video I appreciate it. God Bless you.
Very informative thank you!! Wise man
During the recent housing boom, I watched some of those projects go up, everything is pex. When my plumber replaced my HWH, he used ProPress fittings on my copper pipes, and when it was last replaced, I recall; how much longer it took for them to solder the pipes. Tech moves forward!
You need 18 to 36 inches of metal pipe coming off water heater before you transition to pex or CPVC.
We had all 3 in our house... galvanized iron, copper and Pex. After 3 failed attemps at trying to do our copper to pex conversion and them all busting... we said screw it and literally redid all our plumbing, changing it all to pex. Our house is small and we were redoing our bathrooms.. so it was feasible. But it was the best decision we ever made, and it was SO EASY!!!
I tell you what we hated was dealing with cast iron piping.. that was crazy.. they were so gunked up we were glad we were able to just redo our sanitary lines to plastic. It was 70 years of filth lining those can't iron pipes. So gross 🤣
I'm gonna do this Jim!!
Hi Jim! I am a licensed plumber in Australia who has been involved in the building industry for over 50 years, and I have operated a plumbing design consultancy for the last 30 of those years. I agree with your assessment of Pex pipe systems and the product is very popular with both cottage and commercial plumbers here. There is no doubting it is a good product, but I see a lot of bad installations when I carry out site inspections, and it should be stressed that the product needs to be installed correctly if it is to be trouble free.
Allowance for expansion and contraction in the material is crucial, and the manufacturers have specific requirements to achieve this. However, I regularly see the manufacturer’s specifications for installation totally ignored.
DYI installers love the stuff, as it is easy to install, and they generally have no issues with it. However, they should take care with the product, and a search for advice on the manufacturers website is recommended.
As I said it is a good product, but as an old plumber, it is hard for me to look at a ‘spaghetti - like’ installation with any admiration. Give me copper every time!
Gary, really looking forward to visiting Australia and New Zealand when finally able to. Been there once already and loved it. Thanks for your comments.
Thumbs up. JIM ROCKS!!!
🤗Thank you for this information. Bought an older home & the city's water is at the top level of allowed chlorine!! The chlorine fumes from the water burns our noses & eyes when the cold water is on. Toilets, tubs, & shower are turning blue! Someone told me to change copper pipes to pex.
I wanted to see what Grumpy 😊had to say about pex
I would look into a chlorine filter like a water softener. That would be a lot cheaper than repiping your house. Replacing copper to Pex will not get rid of your chlorine problem. P. S. I really like Pex tubing.
Just watched several videos about copper vs pex. Yours was the best. Short but you covered all the main points. I don’t need to ask the gardener.
Thanks for the comment, that is what we are trying to do. Good luck with your plumbing!
I’m in the middle of re-piping my house. I have copper and I’ve had 4 pinhole leaks in the past year. The last leak did a lot of damage so I decided to try to get ahead of this problem. I’m switching to Pex-A. I’ve been a copper guy but Pex is so easy. The only problem so far is sourcing parts and the cost of the expansion tool.
You can resell the expansion tool very easily. The price of the fittings outweigh the labor.
And before galvanized pipes were lead pipes. The Latin for lead is "plumbum", hence the person that works on it is a "plumber". Great video.
now with pex they will be called dum dum..any one can run pex buy the fittings and the crimp tool and advertise as being a plumber... cut and splice, cut and splice...
In the periodic table of elements, the symbol for lead is "pb".
@@robertivey3268 Actually it is Pb.
Also check out PE-RT piping and expansionable Zurn Pex B piping.
PE-RT piping is recyclable, and allegedly stands up to chlorine/chloramine.
I spent most of afternoon trying to solder the pipes to replace a broken shower. Ended up cutting it out and going to the store to get some PEX tubing.
Got the PEX in the morning, put it together, Worked the first time, no leaks and I was done in less than an hour.
Love it. My dad is a grumpy electrician so I learned a lot about electric but the one thing he wouldn't mess with was plumbing. He always said "electricity and water don't mix"
Could you tell us about radiant heat? I know it's not technically plumbing but it's an integral part of the system.
Leslie, a radiant in-floor heating system, installed properly, is a wonderful system. Your dad gives good advice too!
I'm learning more and more. I am now sub'd!!
Debra, thanks for subscribing! Life long learning is important!!
Just the savings in labor makes it a winner.
I prefer PEX water lines everywhere but for drinking water. Copper is antimicrobial. If I were building or remodeling I would consider installing
a high copper "loop" for my cold side kitchen sink and for icemaker water supply. The longer loop would allow more time for the copper to kill germs.
Copper is anti microbial you are correct, however the effect is highly variable depending on which bacteria, whether oxygen is involved and flow rate and many other very complex mineral chemistries. Chlorine does a thousand times more. The trend towards copper handrails is only that, a trend. In fact copper oxide ( green) is quite toxic and occurs in slightly acidic conditions such as skin acid and atmospheric. Renal grade pex is perfectly clean without trace chemicals and can be glued , which is rarely used residentially but should be as it is much much simpler.
@@callmeishmael7452 interesting, I would assume plastic would be toxic in some way especially if a lot was in water possibly in hot climates as thats when it could transfer into water, i better look into this issue im trying to build a small new house with guest house and idk what yo use, plastic seems dangerous off initial thoughts but copper doesn't sound much safer i suppose.
@@epg423 PEX is not toxic.
Wife's little cousin bought a ratty house on a crawl with gacked galvanized that flowed at a leisurely tinkle and tasted like a boiled egg shoved up a robot's undercarriage. It was a joy to Sawzall that out and install a Viega Manabloc and replumb the whole place in PEX. Of course I let her do the crawlspace part because she's young and skinny and I'm old and fat.
And hello from Downriver!
My house Built-in 1880 has CPVC and it's so easy to fix
Grumpy Plumber, thanks for the advice, I found this video very helpful! My 1 year old son enjoyed it too! I live in Richmond, VA and have Quest piping in my house, and had a leak recently that caused damage to my home. Should I replace the Quest piping with PEX piping or just roll the dice and keep my quest?
Yes, I would definitely replace the whole house with PEX. Get that old Quest piping out of your home ASAP as it will continue to fail and cost you money. Thanks for the question.
I like this guy! He reminds me of Dr. Emmett Brown
Sure would appreciate the Grumpy Plumber's guidance on draining a hydronic heating system and boiler.
Spencer Ballard, you can’t drain a hydronic system but you can add new water to the boiler drain at the bottom of the heater and force the old water out at the drain valves above the zone valves. Why do you want to do that?
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Several plumbers recommend flushing the system because they claim that over time water in the system becomes contaminated by various minerals and corrosion. The same plumbers, by the way, recommending an annual flush of the water heater--and I welcomed your perspective on that.
Spencer Ballard, a boiler system should have a back flow valve connected to the main water system. Of course the water in the boiler is contaminated but it doesn’t matter. The back flow will protect your house water. Those plumbers sound like they are looking for work.
Great video, thanks for the advice, can you insulate the pipes from freezing and some how keep the rodents out? 10k for copper 8K for plex insulation & rodent prevention extra!
@johnpavon799, yes, you can insulate the pipes. People who claim that rodents eat Pex are feeding you a line of bull.
DIY homeowner here. I vastly prefer pex for its ease of use. My old copper system had erosion issues so I swapped it all out with PEX. Did all the PEX in a single day whereas it wouldve taken me 4x as long to put in new copper.
same here
@@lxmzhg I have copper that has sprung 3 damn pinholes... What PEX connection type did you end up choosing? Holding up well?
@@dcam91
I also have exactly 3 damn pinholes in my 20+ year old plumbing system. But I employed hose clamps and C-clamps to clamp the rubber from inner tubes to patch the leak temporarily, and they have been holding up for well over 1 year so far, & beyond that I'm not touching them yet.
For now I only did a partial upgrade from copper to PEX-B, when I replaced my bathtub/shower faucet. I only upgraded the tubing associated with those components, until I have time to deal with the rest of the system.
I have all the tools for PEX-A & PEX-B and when I have time I will have a hybrid system employing both PEX types.
PEX-B restricts the flow considerably compared to PEX-A, so I use PEX-B at the end where a plumbing fixture is supplied. But for the main lines I use PEX-A.
Of all the connection I made, none leaked. Although my PEX upgrades were in place only a few months with no problems, I've never heard of complaints from others.
Since PEX is so easy to install, unlike copper, if you ever have a leak develop it is easy to fix.
@@dcam91
Oh, btw, for pinhole leaks you could use a Sharkbite fitting in many situations, depending on where the pinhole leak is on the pipe/fitting. That would be the easiest.
Lowe's & Home Depot carry them.
@@lxmzhg Thanks! I'm halfway decent at soldering but the allure of quick install is making PEX look like a great option. I'm a bit weary of using sharkbites in non accessible places. Funny enough, I also used some rubber gasket and a hose clamp after cleaning up the pinhole with abrasive mesh. Was so fast and easy to stop the drip! Obviously not permanent but nice seeing that it lasted you well over a year. I have some mold to tackle and at least it bought me some time before either soldering in some fresh copper or replacing it all with PEX!
I want to install lead pipes because I think water tastes better with them. It has a clean taste. Would you consider making a video about this?
Bill Bopperton, you can’t buy lead pipe. It wouldn’t be a good idea no matter how good the water taste.
Can you comment on probability for leaks? Particularly related to connections? A fair amount of litigation has occurred over the years relating to failed connections. Of particular concern if the tubing is behind walls
I have not hear of leaks on PEX piping but I know that the polybutylene fittings have had problems and litigation. Polybutylene pipes were subsequently outlawed because they became brittle and cracked over time. It was installed in the 70’s and now some of the older homes with polybutylene piping have had to be replaced. Copper piping can also incur leaks. PEX and copper piping are good choices. So it’s the consumer’s decision but it often comes down to how much you want to spend.
Thank you
I agree that PEX is a very good system. My question is, what clamping system do you recommend? What do you think of Shark bite fittings?
Cornnutz Gazpacho-Libre, I recommend Pex A because you don’t decrease the flow and they use the expandable sleeve. If you were to do a whole house in PexA or a big job, buy the tool and when you’re done with it, sell the tool. I highly recommend shark bite fittings. I only use them in repair work. They are more expensive than copper fittings or Pex fittings. I hope this answers your questions.
Pex-A Uponor pipe is the only plumbing lines I would use. You can do it yourself.
Can heat tape be put on PEX?
@@lonnieclemens5131 I don't see why not.
I agree, Uponor Pex has the best track record of all the pex styles out there.
Please do a video on Quest pipe. From what I've seen it looks like I need to replace it.
Tim, you can’t buy Quest anymore so replace it with Pex. There are lots of videos on RUclips to explain how to use it.
He doesn’t seem grumpy at all!
hi! thanks for that, this was really helpful. can paint PEX? is it meant to be installed outside the wall?
Meant to be installed in the walls, the UV rays will degrade the pipe unless it is well covered. Also, could be damaged easier.
If the outside wall has a chance to freeze I would bring that pipe in further or double wall the outside wall.
I'd like Jim's insight on propress technology, when you factor that into the plastic vs copper debate
Thanks for ❤️ on my comment! I’m getting ready to replace short sections of 1/2 inch PB piping, with PEX B, but have to stay with 1/2 inch Pex, vs 3/4 inch. I will be using Sharkbite barb fittings and crimp rings. Will this be sufficient for water pressure? Any info would be appreciated. And Cheer up, stop being so dang Grumpy! 😲😳🙄😁😀😃😂🤣👍✌🏻🇺🇸
Hi George, if Pex recommends them, it should work. These fittings and pipes are tested under water pressure and while they are under pressure, they freeze the pipe. This really creates a lot of pressure. It’s the ultimate test. I’m working on my holiday cheer! Appreciate the question.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks for the reply! I didn’t word my question very well. What I meant to ask, was would using the 1/2 inch PEX pipe provide sufficient water pressure for a bathroom? The fittings for PEX tend to constrict the water flow some, according to the experts? 3/4 inch from the water heater, transition to 1/2 inch midway through the basement. The Pipes come through the basement and up into The first floor. I’ll let you get back to your Holiday Cheer! 👍✌🏻🙏🇺🇸😁
George, you have pressure and you have volume. Volume gives you more water per fixture so you should run 3/4 and then branch off to the fixture with 1/2 inch. The larger the pipe, the more volume. Then you hope the well or city water service gives you the pressure. Hope you understand this. Thanks for clarifying your previous question. Now back to enjoying my Christmas cookies.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks for your reply. Yes, I understand the difference between pressure and volume. Again, my question would have been better if asked about the ‘volume’ of water, using the PEX barb fittings. Unfortunately, I don’t have 3/4 running close to where I branch off to 1/2 inch. I am on a well, with pressure tank, and we have adequate ‘pressure.’ Guess I will find out once everything is hooked up! Now, I will let you get back to those cookies. 😁. I do know it’s not wise to come between a man and his cookies, let alone a grumpy one! 😁😂. Enjoy your Holidays sir! Peace and Goodwill to you and yours.
I didn't realize they had been using plastics for so long!
I appreciate the both of you! I have a Century double wide built-in 1994. What a nightmare! It has the old Poly grey tubing. First to go was my kitchen floor! Woke up one morning to a puddle in my living room!. Pin hole leak under my sink cabinet and it swam under the lanoleum to the living room!. Lost the "who said that particle board was okay for floor board!?" Kitchen floor. Frustrating and to just make a long story short. I myself am going to rip all of it out and replace it with pex A. Please wish me luck (I am a girl) I'm not a plumber but I can follow a pattern. Frankly very tired of washing dishes in a dish tub in the bathroom.
Carla Biddle, I would recommend buying a Milwaukee Pex tool and use Pex A. This is a type that expands and you don’t clamp it with a metal clamp. The fittings don’t decrease the volume. When you are done with the job, sell the tool. Good luck! I have a lot of faith in you. P.S. Our son had that same tubing in his house in Virginia and he had to repipe it after it flooded. P.P.S. Your homeowners insurance will pay for the water damage but they won’t pay for the repiping job.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber I trust you,
Not to sound rude but I think you're a real man and I am going to say it handsome with value and integrity.
Thank you for your insight...
Is there an outdoor PEX pipe solution available? As I reside in a tropical environment 🌴 yearound with primarily concrete structures that do not easily lend themselves to modifications . Therefore, most copper pipe replacements are performed using Schedule 40 PVC run on the exterior point to point... This has its limitations as wildly varying pressure at glue joints becomes an issue even with regulators( that last only up to 2 years on average).
You're grumpy thoughts please...
Robert, PEX does not like ultraviolet rays so it can’t be in the sun. If there is a way to run it inside another pipe like PVC or ABS, that might help you out in your situation.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you
Can you put heat tape on PEX?
Being from NW Minnesota I challenge his coldest place on Earth! But if he's from the UP close enough.
I have a question can you do a partial re plumbing in a home? Thank you for your time.
@thinkforyourselfjohn3167, you can definitely do a partial repiping of your home.
Hey Grumpy Plumber! Great Videos! I am in the middle of the Snow Apocalypse in Texas 2021. My question is this: I was told to trickle my faucets to resist pipe freezing. We have had almost 10 days of below freezing temps unheard of for Tx -I have pex piping in a manifold did i waste water and money by trickling my water to avoid freezing since pex can withstand freezing and thawing?
Arnold, it was a safe thing to do. You want the flow of water about half the size of a pencil. The Pex tubing will withstand 500 lbs. of burst pressure. Hang tough....I came from northern Michigan so I know what it’s like.
Tx here w busted copper pipes. Inside and under the house. Thinking about using pex on copper repair
@@henryrobinson3965
Why didn't you turn off the water and drain the pipes?
@@iamchillydogg I had chilly dogs 4 lunch lol. Did u read the initial comment? West texas isn't use to that long of a cold freeze. Do u have any points on using pex?
@@henryrobinson3965
It doesn't matter how infrequent a freeze is when it's a freeze and the power goes out turn off the water and drain the pipes. That's just common sense.
Hi Jim,how do i keep the shower pressure from dropping when someone flushes the toilet or waters the garden? I have city water,open. I have net yet checked my pressure with a water test gauge. Your suggestions are welcomed,Thankyou !
Donald Girome, you need to install new tub and shower valves that are pressure balance valves. That’s the only way to solve that problem. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The most reasonable valves are Delta or Moen single handle valves. Pressure balance valves are only in single handle. You can add an inline pressure balance valve on the hot and cold water line (one for each shower) but you can have a problem and they are hard to repair.
A tub and shower valve is easier to repair.
What a beautiful young ladie. I liked this vid.
This was great. My home was built in 1973 and I may have a leak. I have been told it would be smart to just go ahead and re-pipe because a leak detection service will cost around $3-500 for them just to say yes or no on the leak. My water bill is increasing steadily but it's not exorbitant. I do not have a pool, btw. What do you recommend?
Nancy, I would recommend a leak detection service. It is usually a flat rate....last I knew it was $350 in my area. Any leak detection company I have used, they have always found the exact spot in the concrete or in the yard. In the long run, a leak detection service is the way to go. Good luck, I hope you don’t have a leak.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks! I got a quote for about $6k to repipe with pex. My pipes are copper, apparently. I don't WANT to spend the money if I don't have to but my house was built in 1973 so does that change your response at all?
Nancy, my house was built in 1973 and being a plumber, I would find the leak. If the leak is below the concrete, I would repair it. The $6k is a fair price to repipe the house plus you will have to repair and repaint the drywall.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you so much and I will check on the leak repair. Incidentally, the company that gave me the estimate does any re-paint and drywall repair, which is nice. Re-pipe Specialists out of Orlando.
Nancy, good luck and I hope it works out for you. Thanks for reaching out for my recommendation.
We had six breaks in our copper pipes here in Houston this last 2 weeks of cold weather.
@df4480, sorry to hear that. Pex has a higher burst strength than copper.
If the water pressure from the street in many California cities have such high water pressure, would they not set the regulator on the house to a lower setting?
People that claim that their water delivered in their new PEX piping system tastes different, might just be tasting "normal" water for the first time in a very long time, especially if they have converted from galvanized piping.
Water testing in Pex, PVC, and CPVC do have a considable amount of phthalate given off the materials. it is currently under testing to see how safe/harmful to humans, as it is becoming more popular. This is a reason why it is not allowed in many parts of the world.
@@ezekieo32 The testing was done prIor to releasing pex on the market. This video is from the labs that test all plumbing pipes. ‘All’ pipes leach some kind of chemical into the water supply, the question is always how much is safe. A water filter at the faucets seems to be the best idea, regardless of pipe type.
@@huejanus5505 I’d rather have a bit of copper leached into my water, which is an element by body can consume, rather then plastic.
I agree 100%. Our old plumbing was a mix of galvanized and copper. We always had to let the faucet run for a bit to get the bad tasting water out and fresh water to the tap. Now since I repiped with PEX-A, the water always tastes the same, even if it is the first glass of water in the morning. No more "letting it run" to get a glass of water to drink.
I have a question for Jim, Mr Fromholz my house is plumbed in 70yr old galvanized pipe is it possible to is it possible to flush the pipe or do I need to replumb with pex ?
Ryan, I would replumb with Pex....it is much easier.
Thanks you for the video! Is there a particular brand you recommend? I would prefer a non-made in china brand, preferably something made in the USA, Canada, Japan, Western Europe. Thanks!
Charlie, Pex is made in the U. S. In Minnesota.
plumbed my new house with pex and shrink clamp rings in 1/4-1/3 the time of copper and half the cost.
I hear the fittings can leak ?
@@jamescalifornia2964 the pinch rings may relax and leak but not the shrink rings.
@@edradtke287 Thanks 👍 This requires a special tool that expands the PEX to install the fittings *?*
@@jamescalifornia2964 No.the shrink ring slips over the pex and a special tool is used to shrink the copper ring down on the pex.the other kind of ring system uses a ring in wich you pinch one side of the ring like they use in the automotive field.that's the one that if not done right can loosen. the tool is kinda pricey so its not the answer for a small job but for a whole house its the most cost effective.
@@edradtke287 ~ Thank you my friend 👌
Been many types of "plastic tubing", CPVC I dislike, PB (Polybutylene) caused all kinds of issues. Copper is best IMO unless you have certain water conditions, acidic comes to mind. PEX -A is great. They all fail over time, but a pinhole is sure better then a snapped off pipe (CPVC).
Yes I hate cpvc copper is great if you have a good water filtration system if not I myself would steer away from it and go to PEX .
Are shark bite connectors worth it? Do they leak? What is the nest way to use them?
I like using them and I have had a good experience with them, no leaks. I wouldn't use them to plumb a whole house due to the high cost. I use them for remodels like changing out a sink. Thanks for the question, Jim.
Amazing product in a very tight enclosed space or where you just don't want to get in there with a torch to solder. Limited space repairs can be an issue with the large clamp or crimp tool used for PEX also. I use Shark-Bite caps quite often to temporarily cap a pipe as they are easily removed with the ring tool and can be re-used over and over. Shark-Bite "slip joint couplings" are a real problem solver when making repairs. I've just started using some Shark-Bites on PEX, but used them for many years on copper with no issues.
Would Jim be a fan of propress? Pretty much the same reasons for instal. Easy and efficient. Frameless and safe. That said it’s not inexpensive like PEX but it’s all copper.
I’m a big fan. Just did a job with it.
Dear Jim, I have a 1928 home with pre-EPA 'water-wasting' toilets. I seem to recall reading that 'back in the day' (1920's) soil pipes leading to the main sewer were at a *different* pitch than modern soil pipe pitch specifications. That would mean that when using modern low-water toilets, water would run ahead of the solids causing build-ups and clogs in the main. (Ugh!) My local Master Plumber accused me of 'smokin' the drapes,' with the drapes being woven from the finest hemp. According to him there has been no change in the specification of the main pitch from the home to the sewer. What do you remember about the pitch of the main soil pipes to the sewer?
Clinton, the pitch of the drain line, old or new, should be no more than a 1/4” per foot. The reason for that is that you don’t want the water to leave the waste behind. You go ahead and smoke any curtains you want to smoke!
My brother asked the gardener what to do & the gardener hooked up the new sprinkler system to the fire sprinkler supply & when the sprinklers come on so does the fire alarm! Bueno amigo.
Mike, so sorry but too funny!
@@TheGrumpyPlumber the funniest part is that it's a true story. Take care bud.
Do you like brass or plastic fittings for pex? Thank you!
Good Time, I like the plastic fittings and have had no problems with them. Definitely cheaper.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber thanks so much I bought brass for my tub install but will use plastic next time.👍
Would you use pex on a Hydronic Boiler exposed system ?
Super Nova, you don’t want to use Pex on a hydronic heating system. You need to use copper.
Super Nova, another thing, they use plastic tubing in in-floor heating but they don’t exceed 110 degrees on the water temperature. Hydronic heat operates on 180 degrees.
Hello Mr Grumpy what type of connection do you prefer? Uponor or Crimp?
Sam want, I prefer the Uponor over the Crimp. If you’re going to do a whole house, buy the battery operated tool and when done, you can resell it. Do not buy the hand crimp tool.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Why do you say not to use the hand crimp tool? I repiped my house with Uponor Pex A, almost 50 connections/fittings, and used the manual tool, and had absolutely no problems at all with it. It is very easy to use, especially with 1/2" pex. I even used it on the 3/4" supply line coming from the meter. No problems at all. 3/4 needs a bit of muscle, but maybe you're just keeping this new generation of kids in mind...??? There is nothing at all wrong with the manual tools, they work very well.
BKD70, you probably had a newer manual tool that rotates. The old ones needed to be turned every time you expanded it.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber No, I have the old non-auto rotating tool.
As a 32 year Master Plumber, I would agree. I resisted it at first because I was trained copper and PEX looked like trailer piping. But after two rough in's, I was convinced. PEX all the way. Just keep rodents out of you crawl space. They will chew through it for water during a dry spell.
how do they know?
Ohhhh not after plumber call homeowner have to call pets control too 🥵
Thanks for the heads up about rats. We live in an older area with lots of old trees, so we have rats. Plus we have been in a drought here in California for a few years. I have seen plastic that was chewed by rats. I wouldn't want it to be an expensive repipe job!
Do you trust shark bite style connections to last a long time?
Rick, personally, I never had any trouble with shark bites. I always use them on a repair. They have been around for awhile.
We put PEX in our old house, replacing the galvanized.
Is there any risk/danger of micro organisms etc. living in the PEX?
My wife is not happy with me for not putting in copper...
BTW, I’m in Milwaukee.
Thanks.
City water has chlorine in it.
As a plumber doing insurance call outs in Spain, i would never use pex in my house,.i get many call outs for pex, its easy to repair ( i use rtm pieces i wont buy the expander because i dont instal it)but its prone to fissures pinholes and blow outs if a thermostat fails
Hi Grumpy Plumber, I'm a grumpy shade tree mechanic. LOL. We have a small get away house in Utah and I normally turn the faucets on a little to keep from freezing. I didn't make it up there before the pipes or pipe split. I haven't exactly found where the leak is coming from yet. Once I do find it and replace the copper with PEX will it not split open if I have a brain fart next winter? Asking for a friend. LOL.
Dear Mark’s friend, yes, replace the copper with PEX. What I would do is turn the water off at the get away house and open up all the faucets. That will relieve the pressure and maybe give you room in the water lines for expansion if it freezes. I would recommend doing this every time you leave, even in the summer. You never know when a water line will break.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you so much, I never thought about it for summer time. It will be a while before repairs are under way. I'll chime in again.
I wanted to say something I learned from a plumber about 47 years ago. I was 20 and just starting to work at a block plant. We have some boiler water line to replace, I was helping and Matt was the plumber. Matt tells me to take a union loose and gives me two pipe wrenches, I couldn't break the joint, I look at Matt, he says watch. He taps the joint with a small hammer a few times and then he says, Now try, tada....... it broke loose like really easy. He says, It's the same as hitting the pickle jar with the butter knife handle. I've told and showed numerous people over the years that trick. Hahaha, and I still work for the same block plant today.
Thanks for sharing these words of wisdom. I do that too...and also with the pickle jar.
@@pmdiamond I'm not a plumber but I remember one telling me when converting between metal and plastic joints you always put male plastic connectors into female metal connectors and not vice versa. Something about splitting under pressure. Probably not a big deal on new stuff.
🤔 DIY PEX ...? Sounds interesting.
I'm buying a home in LA built in the 1930s. Inspector said foundation plumbing looks to have poor workmanship. Pipe mix of copper and galvanized. I plan on replacing the plumbing. Saw a video saying if property is prone to rodents, copper would be best. So i plan on doing copper foundation plumbing, and thinking pex for the water fixtures. Do you think good idea? Im refrigeration tech btw...
I agree with you. Use copper to replace the plumbing and Pex for the fixtures. However, I have not yet seen damage done by rodents eating Pex.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber thank you for your professional opinion sir 🙏
Grumpy Plumber is correct. Pex-A Uponor.
PEX is okay except I have trouble making a good solder joint. Maybe a bigger torch?
Tin Man, you already know that you need to clean the pipe and fittings. Then you flux both pipe and fittings and wipe off excess flux. I recommend a Knapp gas torch. It burns hotter. Propane works fine too. The torch head should have about a half inch tip. When you heat the fitting, heat it on one side and add the solder on the other side. The solder should flow like water. I hope you understand this.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber
And the dummies at the hardware store ran out of PEX flux.
Tin Man, I also hate it when they run out of blinker fluid! 🤣
You need that new plastic solder. And cold heat torch.
@@tinman1955 🎅 HO HO 🌟 to you !
What about the recall in that other plastic?
Harry Lumsdon, that recall was over thirty years ago and it wasn’t in the plastic but in the clamping device.
Awesome. Grow the channel. Rocks.
Hi Jim, I recently had a repiping done to my house, after three months, the guy who did it (not a licensed plumber) had to be let go for many reasons I won’t get into. He did complete the job, however, when I turn the cold faucet on I get hot water and have to let it run a while until it comes out cold. Is there a fix to this? I don’t want to ever see the guy again so I won’t be calling him to fix it. Thank you for any advice to can give.
Is there a three-way valve on a bathtub or in a shower or a dog wash that is connected to a hand shower? Did you install any new faucets? Do you install a temperature balance valve? It sounds like you may have a valve that is open all the time or in a mixing position. If you have a diverter valve, that means it has three positions, that valve is causing the water to mix. That is probably causing the problem. You might have a two handle valve that is open (like at a laundry tub), that has a shut-off at the spout or a two handle valve like you use to wash the car. If you do, shut them all off at the hot and cold handles. Good luck.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber
I asked a young plumber this question and he told me that because the flex pipes were now in the attic (I live in Florida), the cold water pipes run hot until I run the water and it eventually it gets cold. Is there any truth to that? He said I shouldn't complain because I'm getting HOT water for free. Didn't like that answer much.
Your young plumber told you correctly. The attic is hot so you’ll have that shot of hot water until it turns cold. In the winter, you probably won’t have that problem. You could have the cold water pipes insulated where they run through the attic.
Thank you, I always like to get a second option, especially from a much experienced, long time plumber. 😉
Looking for a replumb of my home renovation is Grumpy Plumber available to hire
Wayne Hoch, sorry but this Grumpy Plumber is retired and only offering advice. Buy Pex A, buy a Pex rigid battery operated tool and go for it! Sell the tool when you are done.
Copper has skyrocketed the last couple of years.
What about cost difference?
Pex runs about a dollar a foot and copper runs about 2.50 a foot. Much less labor with Pex.
Besides copper pipe bring antimicrobial I don't see much of a difference but that is a plus that people don't think about.
Hey Grumpy Plumber, the estimates I keep getting for a whole house repipe is 17K to 20K, is this right?
Jesse Cruz, my son has a 31/2 bath house and they repiped two of the bathrooms and it came to $8,000 plus drywall and painting. Not knowing how big your house is, use this to give you an estimate. If it’s $17-20k plus drywall and painting, that’s a lot of money.
Pex life expectancy is generally considered 50-100 years. Type M copper is 25-50 years. Type L copper has about the same life expectancy of pex. Type K copper is over 100 years. Failures on copper for me are generally on old 90 degree fittings where the water turbulence rubs a pin hole in it.
Hello, doing my own plumbing do I need a permit
Jypsea Moon, no you don’t need a permit unless you are building a complete house. If there is a building permit, then you need a plumbing permit.
By the way - I would assert that the taste of water is affected by the choice of copper or PEX. The copper piping in my primary residence has an unpleasant taste created by the oxidation of the inside of the copper pipes due to the pH of the water being around 5, and I cringe every time I drink tap water there. The plastic piping in my second (leisure) residence has no such taste, and I thoroughly enjoy drinking the untreated tap water there. Both houses are on deep wells, though obviously the geology and aquifers are not identical.
Plastic also busts easily dries out etc. Not saying soldering isn't a ton of work. And not saying I haven't had some of my copper pipes led to pvc. But. I have no idea what pex is lol so there is that.
Love the advice and the knowledge, but with this specific issue I'd have to disagree and that's only because I've spent countless hours researching the negative effects of pex tubing in terms of what is being added to the water supply. There are lots of studies going on illustrating the harmful affects that plastic piping such as pex can cause. I'm not sure we as a society have given such products enough time to see what's happening to our water supplies.
I would stick with a natural material such as copper, but if you had the money (I mean a ton of it) the ultimate solution in terms of water quality would be medical grade stainless steel such as 316, but again, who has the cash for that kind of commitment?
Pex is obviously cheaper overall like Jim explained, but I just don't trust plastic in potable water situations. To each his own.
Unfortunate thing is copper pipe now a days is made up of 60-90% recycled copper. With no way of telling what that copper was used for in its previous life you run the risk of contaminating water supply there too. But like you said to each their own
@@Cripples23 well that would highly depend on how the copper has been recycled.
don't know if you will see this new comment so long after your post. just a ball park figure, how much would a plumber typically charge to re-pipe a mobile home with pex. 2 full baths and a kitchen. better to get to the pipes from top or under the home?
Damon Pearcy, our son repiped his home which has 2 1/2 baths, laundry room and kitchen. It was an emergency piping job, two store house with crawl space. Water heater was in the garage. I believe the price was a little over $8,000. I think it would be better to install the Pex from underneath the home. A mobile home has a crawl space underneath with a finished ceiling usually done with a 1/4” board of some sort. If you were to remove the board and reinstall, it would save you some money. If you are able, I would suggest doing it yourself. If there is grey plastic tubing, you can remove and replace with Pex as they are the same size. There are RUclips videos to show you how to do it. I recommend type A Pex tubing.