Professional repiping is a great option for homeowners and business owners who want to replace old and outdated pipes. The question now is, what do you repipe with? Today, it often comes down to choosing between copper and PEX piping. While you’re likely familiar with copper, in this blog we’ll look at what PEX piping is, its benefits, and provide some PEX piping installation tips.
While some plumbing problems can be repaired at little cost, if you’re experiencing continual issues with your plumbing a complete repiping is going to be your better option in the long-run. Repiping is the process of replacing all existing water pipes and installing a new system throughout your home or building. A repipe is necessary when there have been serious pipe corrosion problems or slab leaks, which can occur in older properties with copper piping. Signs it’s time to repipe include:
First off, what is PEX piping? PEX is crosslinked polyethylene tubing that has become very popular in recent years as an alternative to copper piping. It is specially designed with distinctive properties that make it an effective solution for radiant floor heating and plumbing systems.
While copper has some advantages that PEX can’t claim (for example, copper is better able to fight bacterial growth and it is resistant to ultraviolet rays, making it well-suited to outdoor applications), copper is susceptible to high pH, acidic water. When copper reacts to this type of water, it can cause corrosion and deterioration to the inside of pipes. This can lead to unhealthy levels of copper in your water supply and pinhole leaks, which can damage your floor, walls, ceiling, carpeting, furniture, and more.
In fact, if you’re in the Sacramento area, you may recall the pinhole leaks in the copper piping of Folsom, CA residents’ homes caused by high pH levels (a class action lawsuit against the city, involving more than 2,300 reports of leaks, is still pending).
PEX piping offers many benefits. The decision to choose PEX will depend on what you value most (and your plumber’s recommendation). Here are 7 advantages of PEX piping.
Of course, we haven’t even talked about pricing. So, is PEX pipe affordable? Get this: Due to the ease of installation and the overall priciness of copper, you can save up to a third of the cost of repiping when using PEX piping. That’s some serious savings!
Ready to take on some repiping as a DIY plumbing project? PEX piping installation will require the following tools:
Now that you've gathered your tools and materials, you can get started. PEX pipe is installed in continuous runs, so there are fewer seams and fittings than other piping methods including copper piping. Installing PEX pipe is pretty straight forward and plumbing tips all start with the same advice: Plan your project and you will save time and wasted material. The following should give you a good idea how the use of PEX pipe can make your next plumbing job easier. Let’s get started.:
Flexible and easy to install, PEX piping projects may be able to be completed by a skilled DIYer. However, doing it wrong on your own can create additional problems that will cost more money by the time you call in a plumber. So, if you’re unsure of your DIY skills, contact the professionals at Express Sewer & Drain in Sacramento. We will be able to assess the situation, give you an estimate on different plumbing pipe materials including PEX vs copper piping, answer any questions, and more. Contact us for Sacramento plumbing solutions today.