Re-piping a house is no joke, it requires an extensive amount of effort and, let’s not forget, your hard-earned money. So, you must take piping material into consideration before making the final call. Let’s battle between the two most popular options, pex vs copper.
PEX pipes or most commonly known as Cross-linked polyethylene tubing, were initially formulated for radiant heating applications. Soon after, PEX pipes gained popularity for pipes in homes and professional areas.
The main advantage of using PEX pipes is their flexibility and lower price range. They are also color-coded, making them easy to work with.
PEX vs. Copper Pipes
Some key differences compared:
Lifespan
PEX tubing vs copper can last for around 50 years, provided the conditions are apt for its survival. PEX has the issue of degrading much easier and quicker compared to copper pipes.
In contrast, copper pipes also fail or suffer from pinhole leaks as early as 5 years.
Cost
If we compare the average price range of both, copper pipes are 3x more expensive on the market than PEX pipes.
It is estimated that repiping a house with PEX will cost around $7,500 for an average-sized home.
Copper vs pex will cost you around USD 3 to USD 5 per foot; therefore, a repair or repipe job that involves copper piping will cost you around USD 5,000 to USD 20,000.
The good news is that copper pipes are 100% recyclable, so you can sell your scrap pipes to lower the cost of new ones.
Sustenance
Copper pipes have recyclable properties, whereas PEX can only be repurposed. Just like other plastic pipes, PEX releases toxic fumes upon ignition.
That is why it is very important to pulverize them into sand-like substances so they can be reused for fittings.
Comparatively, the process of mining and making copper pipes has a high impact than manufacturing PEX pipes.
On the flip side, PEX pipes easily maintain the temperature of water flowing through them, making your plumbing system efficient in flowing water from the water heater.
Installation Process
You can easily install PEX pipes via an easy DIY tutorial by professionals because it is not that difficult to install.
The flexibility of the tube eliminates the requirement for most connectors or even the presence of a master plumber.
Moreover, if there is a modification job required, there is no need to bring out heavy tools to cut through your pipe.
Other than that, you can also use crimp rings to connect PEX pipes and brass fittings together. Therefore, use PEX pipes vs copper for plumbing projects.
Copper pipes need soldering first to fuse pipes and fittings for access to all of the plumbing fixtures.
You can opt for copper pipes from the market. Make sure there is no bad or improper installation that may cause leaks that will speed up the degradation of your copper pipes.
Final Words
Both copper and PEX have their unique set of abilities and advantages. Choose whichever fits your final vision. To help you select the best choice, you can get in touch with professionals from ER Ideal Plumbing for a repiping job in Houston. Dial (281) 799-9694 to connect with us.