New Kitchen Faucet Selection: To Pex or Not to Pex ?

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We need to replace the 4 yr old p.o.s. Krauss faucet on our kitchen basin. Is this newer pex stuff any good? Looks cheap and flimsy. Maybe it works great and is better than copper, but I'm skeptical. What say bitog about pex?
 
Yep. Copper is for old boomers.
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Easier and cheaper than copper. In my area it's almost used exclusively in new residential construction and has a long history of use outside the US.
 
I learned about PEX in 2005, when I met a plumber who built celebrity and zillionare houses in places like Vail. He said all these mansions were all built exclusively with PEX. At the time, PEX was pricier than it is today.

I replaced my copper with PEX about three years ago. The reason I replaced the copper is I was getting pin hole leaks in the copper.

I use PEX A, which requires a Milwaukke tool. A ten year old with a few minutes of training can make a less leak prone connection with PEX A than a Chicago union plumber with 30 years experience with copper. Yes, PEX A is that good, and easy, and affordable.
 
When my copper pipe started leaking under the slab, I had PEX installed in the attic. Works great, snakes through walls with relative ease and can be conformed to fit nearly anywhere due to it's modest flexibility. No need to joints and corners everywhere.
 
My house has a problem with freezing pipes. My contractor replaced all damaged pipes and any upgrade remodeling with PEX. TIt is freeze resistant.

My only question is... How many decades will it last? Except for corrosion, metal lasts forever. Plastic degrades with time.
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
My house has a problem with freezing pipes. My contractor replaced all damaged pipes and any upgrade remodeling with PEX. It is freeze resistant.

My only question is... How many decades will it last? Except for corrosion, metal lasts forever. Plastic degrades with time.


pex is usually guaranteed 20-25 years and lasts 40+

https://www.pexuniverse.com/types-of-pex-tubing

I have pex-B and for all that people seem to love pex-A, B seems the way to go for me. Half the price, less chemicals, still very easy to work with.

PS- Its not different grades of pex, its different manufacturing process. There is A,B,C
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
... Except for corrosion, metal lasts forever. Plastic degrades with time.



LOL..This is a funny statement. Copper tubing has a life span of 50+ years but it will develop pinhole leaks well before that.
 
The copper pipe of fifty years ago was better than the stuff today. As for the plastic degrading over time, that would happen if it had uv exposure. It may depend on the quality of the PEX being installed.
 
I have replaced some plumbing to well tanks and such with pex-b, its a little stiff in 1" or bigger but manageable.. and a dream to work with vs cpvc or copper.



-I wish the edit window was longer on bitog.
 
a lot depends on your water supply! if needed i would use regular glued plastic made for domestic hot and cold water, cheaper than pex and easy install as well. problems with girlfriends copper due to well water, so soon to get plastic and be sure to up size as the id of plastic is smaller even thou od is the same!
 
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