Pex or Copper - Which is Better for Repiping?

Anthony's Plumbing

March 1, 2020 - Thursday

Pex or Copper - Which is Better for Repiping?

Have you been thinking about repiping your home lately? Are your home’s pipes damaged or corroded? If so, you may be wondering whether you should use pex or copper to get the job done correctly.

In this article, we’ll talk about the differences between pex and copper pipes so you can make a more informed choice. We’ll also go through the advantages and disadvantages of each to help you answer the questions about whether to choose pex or copper for your repiping job?

Pex vs Copper Pipes – The Difference Between the Two Materials

Don’t worry if you have no idea which type of pipe to use in your home! There are really only two options and neither one is the wrong choice; each material has its pros and cons.

Pex piping is a flexible material that’s easy for plumbers to install. It’s made of cross-linked polyethylene, which ranges in size from 1/4-inch to 4-inch, but 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch are the most  commonly used sizes. Most pex that you see comes in red or blue and relates to whether the water in hat section is hot (red) or cold (blue).

Pros of Using pex pipe vs copper

* Pex piping has fewer joints, which lowers your overall repiping cost

* Pex can be used with hot and cold water

* Pex has a higher resistance to breaking during extreme cold weather, so it’s less likely to burst, since it’s a much more flexible material

* Pex has a shutoff valve at each supply line (which is convenient in the event of repairs)

* Lower shipping and handling costs, as pex pipes are stored on spools and weigh less

* Cross-linked polyethylene can turn 90 degree corners and doesn’t require plumbers to use elbow fittings

* Pex piping is safer to install (it doesn’t require a torch to make connections)

* It more efficiently keeps heat inside

As you can see, there are many advantages to using pex piping within your home; however, there are also many advantages to using copper pipes within your home.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of using copper in your repiping job…

Advantages of Using copper pipes

Copper pipes have been used by plumbers for quite a long time for hot and cold tap water, as well as within home HVAC systems. There is soft copper and rigid copper, both of which are ideal for different piping purposes.

Soft copper is ideal for air conditioners and heat pumps; rigid copper is more commonly used for water lines, as it can be heated and bent without cracking.

The pex or copper debate – a few reasons to choose copper

* Copper is the only material that comes with a 50-year warrantee from the manufacturer

* For more than 70 years, plumbers have been successfully using copper for piping

* More than 80% of modern homes are built using copper piping

* Copper is a natural material that’s environmentally friendly; you can count on it staying in good condition, even years after being installed

* Color coding makes it easy to know which pipes are hot and cold (again, red is hot, blue is cold)

* Copper fittings create joints that are leak proof when they’re installed properly

* In the event of a fire, copper tubing will not give off any toxic gases

* Copper tubing prevents harmful bacteria from growing

* You can use copper outside, as it’s not affected by ultraviolet rays

Pex pipe vs copper – the disadvantages to consider

Now that we’ve gone through the advantages of using both pex material and copper material when repiping your home, let’s be sure we cover all the bases by looking at the disadvantages of both.

Cons of using pex

* Pex piping can’t be used outside

* Water damage is possible, as the material is not impermeable (copper is)

* As far as sustainability, pex cannot be recycled after use

Cons of using copper

* Copper can corrode over time

* In cold weather, copper pipes can freeze and burst

* Copper is more expensive than pex (pex costs 1/3 of what copper costs)

As you can see, there are good reasons to use pex piping in your home, as well as good reasons to use copper piping in your home.

If you’re performing the repiping job yourself, you would have an easier time using pex piping material. If you’re hiring a professional plumbing company to get the job done, copper may be a better choice since it requires soldering, or connecting pipes together using a propane torch.

After reading this detailed article, we hope you’re walking away with a better understanding of the differences between pex and copper piping. In the end, it’s up to you! Just be sure to consider the pros and cons of each material before investing. Ultimately, if you have any questions or need help choosing, ask your friendly, professional plumbing friends at Anthony’s Plumbing. We are here 24/7 and if we can’t take your call [because we’re out in the field], we will be sure to get to you as soon as possible.