Originally Posted By: hugh macginnis This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
We are building a house and I went to it and noticed there is no copper piping, It is all this clear plastic line. The connectors are all red and blue, which I guess would be hot and cold. what is this and is it better than copper?
Originally Posted By: ccrooker This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hugh, please let us know how you make out with the building inspector and your builder, make sure that the installer has adequate support for the lines and is installed correctly. Chuck Crooker
Originally Posted By: away This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I just attended some training that included plumbing and mechanical. One half of the class was classroom and the other half was actual field inspections at new home construction sites.
The only thing being used in both the subdivisions we visited was the PEX. The plumber who did the lecture portion told the class that while it is relatively new, it has been used extensively for radiant heat systems in the past.
He is in his late 40's and "grew up" on copper. He was very suspicious of it at first and decided to do some ad hoc testing on his own before he started installing it.
He cut sections, filled them with water and then plugged the ends. Then he subjected them to freeze, thaw, and heat cycles over the course of a few months. He said his freezer is set at around 10 degrees and for heating he would place the sections in near-boiling water.
During these cycles he would alternately smack the sections with a hammer, stomp them and even drove over them with his truck (I am assuming he meant when frozen) and they never leaked or ruptured.
And yes, this is all very unscientific and only based on his word. As for what happens 20 or 30 years down the line, who knows.
One benefit that all the builders love about it is that they can have the plumber come out on Monday and on Tuesday it will still be there. Unlike copper, there isn't really a scrap market for it.
Originally Posted By: wdecker This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Maybe I am just an old traditionalist, but I vote for copper.
To have the same track record, PEX would have to last >100 years with no problems.
I think that your builder is just trying to pul;l a fast one and sabve money. If he claims that PEX is better for you, either make him puty in it writing (a bonded guarantee for 50 years on the plumbing) or have him lower his prices to you by the difference between the two costs.
He claims its better and can probably produce anecdotal evidence, but is he willing to put his money where his mouth is?
Originally Posted By: bgentry This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I agree with Will about having the builder put something in writing, and I would go one step further and have the price difference reflected in the price you pay at closing. The only reason I have this opinion in this case only is that you already had copper in the contract.
I built a home last year that is fairly long from end to end and the noise that our copper pipes produce gets old after awhile, so if I had it to over again it would be PEX. It would also make it easier to plum my basement.
-- Bradley S. Gentry
Superior Home Inspection, LLC
Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, &
Elkton, VA
www.superiorllc.net
Chuck Crooker