Alright I want to get serious here. I agree before I write this that Copper is king and always will be. I even install it still on water heaters, repairs, even on some remodels. I install PEX on my new construction and large remodels and so does every plumber in my neck of the woods. Don't care to debate on copper vs PEX etc
What I do want to talk about is the alarming amount of leaks i see on PEX PIPING. Not talking about the fitting, I'm talking about the PIPE itself. Uponor is the brand of choice in my area. I personally don't like it, but install it for the most part because that is the only brand I can get at my suppliers. Here in NE Oklahoma it leaks all the time. Recirculating pumps kill it, solution is to run timer or Grunfos Alpha 2 smart pumps. Keep temperature low also. Life span seems to be around 10 years for Uponor here. We have a lot of chloramine in water not sure if that is killing the Uponor or not. PEX A is worst with Chlorine, I'm not a chemist so can't tell you the total difference between chloramine and chlorine other than chloramine has ammonia. Does the ammonia kill PEX? We have high water pressure 120psi + so some are not regulated to under 80 PSI, and a lot of huge homes with recirculating systems running 24/7. I'm not sure if the leaks are a PEX issue or Uponor issue. What do y'all see out there and what brands, what issues do you come across?
What I do want to talk about is the alarming amount of leaks i see on PEX PIPING. Not talking about the fitting, I'm talking about the PIPE itself. Uponor is the brand of choice in my area. I personally don't like it, but install it for the most part because that is the only brand I can get at my suppliers. Here in NE Oklahoma it leaks all the time. Recirculating pumps kill it, solution is to run timer or Grunfos Alpha 2 smart pumps. Keep temperature low also. Life span seems to be around 10 years for Uponor here. We have a lot of chloramine in water not sure if that is killing the Uponor or not. PEX A is worst with Chlorine, I'm not a chemist so can't tell you the total difference between chloramine and chlorine other than chloramine has ammonia. Does the ammonia kill PEX? We have high water pressure 120psi + so some are not regulated to under 80 PSI, and a lot of huge homes with recirculating systems running 24/7. I'm not sure if the leaks are a PEX issue or Uponor issue. What do y'all see out there and what brands, what issues do you come across?
