There are countless reasons why a pipe would need to be replaced in a home: it could be a renovation, low water pressure, or discolored water. The most common reason Americans replace their plumbing is that it is old, and if you still have lead pipes, you need to have those replaced.
“Nearly nine and a half million homes across America still get their water from lead pipe service lines and more than 500,000 kids in the U.S. have elevated levels of lead in their blood, primarily from lead paint and pipes”.
Whatever your reason, you have two primary choices, standard copper or cross-linked polyethylene pipes, commonly referred to as “PEX”.
Copper
Most new home builds still use copper despite its inflexibility, difficulty to cut, and tendency to flavor the water. Copper has a tendency or lasting for about fifty to seventy-five years under normal conditions, and falls short of highly acidic water. Copper is also costlier than PEX, as its recycle value has increased substantially in recent years and can set you back by more than twice the price of PEX.
Benefits
- Able to handle the pressure of up to 1000 psi
- Ability to withstand both cold and hot temperatures
- Does not leach dangerous metals into the water
- Durable and long-lasting
- Require little-to-no physical supports to hold it in place
- Environmentally friendly and recyclable, releasing less harmful contaminants during the manufacturing process
Drawbacks
- Copper is expensive
- Cannot withstand acidic water
- May add a metallic flavor to your water
- Condensation can form inside the pipes, if this condensation freezes, it blocks water flow.
- Copper is considered biostatic, which means that it inhibits bacteria growth
- Copper is more costly to repair
- Much more labor-intensive installation
PEX
PEX was first conceived by irradiating the extruded tube with an electron beam in the 1930’s, but the process was not perfected until the 1970s with the advancement of technology. The process was still too costly to have a wide-ranging appeal, but was used commercially in Europe for hydronic heating. It wasn’t until 1986 that the technology was perfected for mainstream use and started gaining popularity in North America in the 1990s.
Benefits
- Far more cost-effective, about half the price of copper.
- Considerably easier and more flexible to use, especially for tight spots, providing a direct routing for pipes.
- You do not require a torch, solder, or glue to cut it.
- Because PEX has little-to-no ninety-degree angles, you get greater water pressure at the fixtures.
- Unlike copper, PEX does not corrode under normal circumstances.
- You can connect PEX to existing copper systems.
- More likely to swell and bulge when frozen, where copper tears open and ‘bursts’.
Drawbacks
- Deteriorates far quicker if left exposed to sunlight.
- Perforation by insects is rare but possible, the Western conifer seed bug is known to feed on the tubing.
- There are 3 types of PEX (A, B, and C), and there have been reports of types A and C leaching, but further studies need to be done.
- PEX is not antibacterial.
- It is not recommended to install in high heat areas, which means that it cannot be connected to a hot water heater.
Your friends at Icon Plumbing are here to answer any questions you have.