If you’re considering using PEX piping for your upcoming plumbing project, you’ve probably done your homework on the different options available. While copper and CPVC are great materials, PEX has some definite advantages in certain conditions.
LOWER COST
PEX pipes cost about one-third the price of a similar copper pipe. That doesn’t mean your entire plumbing job is going to reduce by over half when you use PEX over copper, but it does mean you can use simpler and more easily maintained designs for the same price of a traditional scheme with multiple connections.
MORE VERSATILE
Copper pipes can be eaten away over time by acidic water. PEX piping is just as durable as its cupric counterpart, but without the fatal weakness to acid. The tubing is also more flexible than copper pipes. That flexibility lets it deal with another common hazard — freezing water. Water expands when it freezes, which is a property anyone who’s ever had a burst pipe can attest to. Unlike copper and CPVC, PEX has some flexibility that allows it to perform better when the temperature drops down.
