 |
|
Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
|
By Ed Del Grande
Q: Howdy, Ed. I'm a builder in Texas, and my plumber is switching over to the new PEX water piping in place of copper water lines. I trust my plumber but am a little hesitant about him switching over to another style of pipe. Does this stuff hold up? How does it work buried in concrete? Arnold (Texas)
A: Howdy back, Arnold. I love Texas and enjoyed the time I have spent there working with Habitat for Humanity on several builds over the years. You asked the right person about PEX piping, believe it or not I was one of the first plumbers in my area to start installing PEX way back in the early '90s! We started using it on radiant heating systems since no other pipe worked as well when it was buried in concrete. PEX is one of the big reasons that radiant heat has become so popular!
PEX worked so well on heating systems that over the years it also was accepted for use in plumbing systems. There is a difference however between PEX plumbing pipe and PEX heating pipe. Heating PEX piping usually has what's called an oxygen barrier to help prevent a closed loop system from becoming air bound. Potable-water PEX usually will not have that barrier. So just make sure your plumber uses the proper PEX piping to meet your local codes, and you should be fine.
Another thing to look out for: Make sure the PEX piping stays out of direct sun light. Ultraviolet light may damage PEX piping over time. Other than that, I have had good luck with PEX, and so have a lot of other plumbers across the country. I don't know what will happen 50 years down the road, but all I can say right now after using it for more than a decade is so far, so good. It really has taken the industry by storm and it appears this is the way the plumbing industry is heading. So, since your plumber trusts it and wants to use it, it looks like you'll have to go with the flow and give PEX a try!
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
| 
)
