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Copper used to be king for pressurized water lines.
Is PEX king still? Or has copper resurfaced as the best plumbing lines?
Early versions of non-copper water lines had some issues.
PEX doesn't have these and copper prices are still high.
The appeal of PEX is that the guy that got hired last week can "pipe" a house
almost as fast and almost as well as a twenty year veteran...
so that on top of much lower material costs the labor costs are slashed.
PEX is great for water lines. It's cheap and easy to install. Plus you're not lighting fires in your house. PVC is the best choice for drains but I'd never use it for supply lines (especially hot water)...it's too susceptible to damage and degradation.
I like copper plumbing. The big bad issue with copper plumbing is copper theft.
Nobody steals PEX out of a vacant house. PEX also has the huge advantage that it does not split when it freezes.
However, I will not give my final blessing to PEX until 45 years have passed. I've got 2 houses with polybutal plumbing that the the best thing ever, until 45 years later when it is crumbling to dust and getting constant pinholes. PEX is plastic and plastic degrades. So, time will tell.
I can't speak to market share, but as someone who has owned old houses, PVC is best for drain lines; copper is best for supply lines, either hot or cold, for durability and ease of repair and modification. Steel is best for gas lines. Cast iron is durable as heck for drain lines, but the spigot-oakum-lead joint is a bear to make up.
I do not trust any plastic line under pressure for decades. Especially for hot water. You don't know what's dissolved in the water that could contribute to embrittlement. Embrittlement is not a concern with copper lines.
I like copper plumbing. The big bad issue with copper plumbing is copper theft.
Nobody steals PEX out of a vacant house. PEX also has the huge advantage that it does not split when it freezes.
However, I will not give my final blessing to PEX until 45 years have passed. I've got 2 houses with polybutal plumbing that the the best thing ever, until 45 years later when it is crumbling to dust and getting constant pinholes. PEX is plastic and plastic degrades. So, time will tell.
I can unfortunately vouch for the fact that PEX can still split when it freezes!
The only problem is you can't use Schedule 40 PVC inside of homes for supply piping. CPVC is fine, but Schedule 40 PVC not.
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