# When Pex Burns Are The Fumes Toxic & More?



## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

I am wondering....how toxic is pex when it burns?

ANYONE know its ignition point?

In a house fire that starts in the crawl space or basement where most of the pex is , will this cause the house to ignite faster?

How do fireman feel about pex?


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## gladerunner (Jan 24, 2009)

If the pex burned, would'nt it spray water and put out the fire?


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

It's real hard to get pex to actually burn. However like all plastics the fumes are toxic.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Awesome, Well thats news I didnt expect,


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

gladerunner said:


> If the pex burned, would'nt it spray water and put out the fire?


well, depends, if the water main burned first and that was across the way, the spray might not reach


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

gladerunner said:


> If the pex burned, would'nt it spray water and put out the fire?


 

Has homes with CPVC had this same success?


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## Marlin (Aug 14, 2008)

Ever try to burn a paper cup full of water? Wouldn't pex adhere to the same principal? I could see the pipe expanding and bursting from increased pressure as the water turns to steam (or blowing off through the water heater relief valve) but not the pipe actually burning through. If you have a fire hot enough to burn your pex lines up you have much worse things to worry about then the pipe releasing toxins.


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## duckky (Feb 13, 2009)

burning plastic is never a good thing, and pex is very popular from what ive read b4, so im assuming its all good with firemen and stuff, if they had a problem im sure it wouldnt be so popular, but im guessing during a house fire or something it would melt where copper or other metals wouldnt, so i dunno.. but its cheaper to use and easyer to install..


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

duckky said:


> but its cheaper to use and easyer to install..


Actually pex manifold system could cost more the copper by far, especially if you can bend copper.

so sorry you're wrong


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## duckky (Feb 13, 2009)

Marlin said:


> If you have a fire hot enough to burn your pex lines up you have much worse things to worry about then the pipe releasing toxins.


yeh, im guessing smoke from afire and other things would override any burning pex, so isnt really enough of a concern to matter toxic wise


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## duckky (Feb 13, 2009)

******* said:


> Actually pex manifold system could cost more the copper by far, especially if you can bend copper.
> 
> so sorry you're wrong


hmm how so? its cheaper, and easyer to install, how does it get more expensive?


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

They *firefighters* say that vinyl siding by far is the worst flammable when dealing with a fire at a home.

Something in regards to the plastic acting like a propane fire. I don't know enough about it, other than that.


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## duckky (Feb 13, 2009)

Roast Duck said:


> They *firefighters* say that vinyl siding by far is the worst flammable when dealing with a fire at a home.
> 
> Something in regards to the plastic acting like a propane fire. I don't know enough about it, other than that.


yeh, but would have to be a major house fire for that to be a concern, and in that scenario there would be many other toxins and such in the air so would make the pex toxins irrelevant


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Try burning it sometime. It never really catches fire, it just sort of liquifies and melts all over the place. PVC on the other hand burns very well indeed and gives off the nicest green and purple flame as well as really thich black poisioness smoke.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

duckky said:


> hmm how so? its cheaper, and easyer to install, how does it get more expensive?


Have you heard of manifold systems?

Price $224 just for that.........


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

So now check this out 

Still think copper is easier and cheaper?

BTW: SOURCE:  *PIC of 5500 sq ft house 3KINGS did .*


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## duckky (Feb 13, 2009)

******* said:


> Have you heard of manifold systems?
> 
> Price $224 just for that.........


suppose it all depends on how much pex your actually running


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Well you just said it was cheaper.......do you still stand by that statement?


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## duckky (Feb 13, 2009)

******* said:


> Well you just said it was cheaper.......do you still stand by that statement?


i think it may be if your running a lot of pex in the house.. all the time saved with the pex's easyer installation and such, not to mention pex is less likely to get buildup and temp change damage, so its atleast cheaper for the home owner.. hard to say tho, i think it just may be depending on the job


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Ain't dem pictures purdy? Wonder if those 3/4 brass fittings are the dezincification ones? The whole set up looks a bit like an open can of Chef Boy ar Dee...:thumbup:

Maniglod systems use a crap load more pipe than standard tee off systems and a boat load more pipe than a modified manifold system.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

******* said:


> So now check this out
> 
> Still think copper is easier and cheaper?
> 
> BTW: SOURCE:  *PIC of 5500 sq ft house 3KINGS did .*


 

Wow, 

Those are impressive pictures of some nice work. Big house indeed but didn't realize those systems take up so much wall space to install. But given the size of the house, it shouldn't matter.

Now, given that is a "home-run" system, 


if by remote chance that product was defective, could it easily be replaced without opening the walls? connecting the two together and pulling it through the house?


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

My question is how are they going to rock the walls now?


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

maybe no rock>

This is the utility room?


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

If it was all copper and after five years on acidic water you start springing leaks all over the place could you replace the lines without opening walls? This is really getting old, almost comical!


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

nhmaster3015 said:


> My question is how are they going to rock the walls now?


Obviously it's a basement utility room.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

ironranger said:


> If it was all copper and after five years on acidic water you start springing leaks all over the place could you replace the lines without opening walls? This is really getting old, almost comical!



I will agree on the opening the wall part......Pex or copper, when something goes bad.....you have to open the wall


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Oh yes, quite obvious. All those other framed walls are just holding the house up:laughing:


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

I see someone had Mcdonalds while plumbing that job 

See the soda


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

ironranger said:


> If it was all copper and after five years on acidic water you start springing leaks all over the place could you replace the lines without opening walls? This is really getting old, almost comical!


 
Why would a plumber install copper, if he/she knowingly understands the problem with ph levels that are detrimental to everything, not just copper piping, 

and why wouldn't a neutralizer be installed to correct the problem...


Sometimes the fool installing the pipe has to have accountability.


Comical is finding another PEX piping manufacture that is failing, DURAPEX, just today on another site.


The lineup is looking just as bad as what you see on Law & Order.


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Roast Duck said:


> Why would a plumber install copper, if he/she knowingly understands the problem with ph levels that are detrimental to everything, not just copper piping,
> 
> and why wouldn't a neutralizer be installed to correct the problem...
> 
> ...




Agreed 100%


No one trained these guys , thats the issue, They were just "born into pex" I bet.....

Its ok, they might not be old school like us.

Its kinda how like the young guys today say they can't live with a pc.....

WHAT did we all do in the 80's

Like PlumbCrazy says: Are you a PLUMBER or a tech.........

Plumbers Plumb,, Techs change parts


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

Here is the plumber of the future:

Caption: My Rep told me it was better, I must listen to my REP


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Oh yes, quite obvious. All those other framed walls are just holding the house up:laughing:


Good! That's because you're a carpenter too! :laughing:


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

He told me to say it was better, I must fart in parking lot NOT in house ( robot voice)


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

******* said:


> Agreed 100%
> 
> 
> No one trained these guys , thats the issue, They were just "born into pex" I bet.....
> ...


What do you mean "we" in the 80's? You said you started plumbing in the late 90's? Weren't you in grade school back then?:laughing:
Old school like us? :laughing:


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## Wethead (Oct 13, 2008)

I was mostly referencing the computer part to the 80's

and when I was in grade school, I was learning about plumbing, might have not been a professional but I was learning 

ironranger, when did you start plumbing?

Just curious, Cause I have no idea who old you even are or anything......


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

******* said:


> I was mostly referencing the computer part to the 80's
> 
> and when I was in grade school, I was learning about plumbing, might have not been a professional but I was learning
> 
> ...


I started in the late 80's in northern California after getting out of the Marine Corps after four years, worked for one company for the required time and then obtained my license. Been doing it since then. Moved to Mn. and obtained my Master license here.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

ironranger said:


> Good! That's because you're a carpenter too! :laughing:


 
Not sure how to respond here except that yes, I can indeed recognize framing for the other rooms and the project most probably is slab on grade with a 2nd floor or it may be a finished basement. Either way the utility room if it is withing the living space needs to be rocked per building code.


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Not sure how to respond here except that yes, I can indeed recognize framing for the other rooms and the project most probably is slab on grade with a 2nd floor or it may be a finished basement. Either way the utility room if it is withing the living space needs to be rocked per building code.


Well I guess we don't really know do we? Which building code? Where? Does a utility room in a basement need to be rocked on the inside of the room, or just the outside of the room? IMO they have it figured out already and we're just guessing.:thumbsup:


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Not "we" thee.


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Not "we" thee.


I guess I should have said "you" since it was you that had to question it. Sorry if you're confused.:whistling2:


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

nhmaster3015 said:


> My question is how are they going to rock the walls now?


Rotozip!! Then, Point n' Paint :thumbup:


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Hey stumpy, that's for a radiant system not potable.



******* said:


> Have you heard of manifold systems?
> 
> Price $224 just for that.........


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