# Copper vs. Pex (round 37) Ding!



## user2091 (Sep 27, 2009)

just say no to pex! buy a torch and go to trade school!


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

bigdaddyplumber said:


> just say no to pex! buy a torch and go to trade school!


Or better yet, go through a union apprenticeship and use the contractor provided torch.:thumbup:


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## plumb4fun (Feb 18, 2009)

jjbex said:


> Or better yet, go through a union apprenticeship and use the contractor provided torch.:thumbup:


Been there, done that; and still technology evolves as we must evolve to stay competitive. Not to keep the ongoing pissing match between copper and pex, harsh water conditions eat up copper prematurely. It is what it is. I still use both according to what the customer wants to pay for and existing water conditions. Wisrbo Pex has an excellent track record ! :yes:


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I do mostly industrial work. They still have galvanized that I am replacing with copper. In the past, they sometimes would have their mechanical maintenance people run cpvc or schedule 80 pvc for domestic water. No hangers, bending pipe over crossing conduits, etc. That really soured the engineers on plastic. I would probably do pro-press, but they aren't familiar with it, so I just solder.


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

jjbex said:


> I do mostly industrial work. They still have galvanized that I am replacing with copper. In the past, they sometimes would have their mechanical maintenance people run cpvc or schedule 80 pvc for domestic water. No hangers, bending pipe over crossing conduits, etc. That really soured the engineers on plastic. I would probably do pro-press, but they aren't familiar with it, so I just solder.


 They know about propress Jeff. They just need to get rid of the 10,000 hot work permits they had printed up before they let you go propress. Twood be wasteful.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Oh yeah, copper is the only way to go :whistling2:



bigdaddyplumber said:


> just say no to pex! buy a torch and go to trade school!


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## user2091 (Sep 27, 2009)

Protech said:


> Oh yeah, copper is the only way to go :whistling2:


:thumbup: yes sir copper is best.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Copper all the way :whistling2:


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

I cleaned up Dunbar's Rehau thread. Just address Rehau Q&A in it. 

Copper versus pex crap goes here.

Carry on

BTW, *EVERY* material has it's place in our trade. Move forward with the times, or be left behind.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

LEAD INGOT said:


> They know about propress Jeff. They just need to get rid of the 10,000 hot work permits they had printed up before they let you go propress. Twood be wasteful.



That's hilarious. They do have their orange hot work sheets printed up in bulk, though.


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

I go both ways. :001_tongue::tt2::brows:. 

I like pex and copper.

Depends on the situation.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

bigdaddyplumber said:


> just say no to pex! buy a torch and go to trade school!


I have many excellent torches and I went to trade school and have no problem doing copper (did nothing but for many many years), but I love my Pex. Copper is fine for commercial/industrial where non-combustible is required, but it's too expensive (both time and material) for houses. 

I still use more copper than other plumbers' work I see out there though. I'm generous with it in mechanical rooms and for tub/shower valve piping.

And we here in the Lower Mainland area have aggressive water problems too - copper doesn't last like it should. Most of the rest of this country has no such problem - it's a local thing.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

*pex*​


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Pex

I put a 25 year warranty on all of my pex repipes. Let's see you copperholics put your money where your mouths are and do that with your copper.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Protech said:


> Pex
> 
> I put a 25 year warranty on all of my pex repipes. Let's see you copperholics put your money where your mouths are and do that with your copper.


You warranty material and workmanship for 25 years?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

yes


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

BTW, I'm going to my 3rd copper pipe pin hole leak of the day right now.

The one I just came from was his second one and is costing him over a grand to fix. It was a slab leak (slab on grade construction).His first one was in a block wall 2 years ago. The house is only 10 years old. I can count on 1 hand the number of pex pipe leaks I have seen in my 10 year carrier as a plumber. I will exceed that number in copper pipe leaks by the end of the day.

Food for thought.................

Edit: I would also like to add that there are well over 10,000 homes in my area that were piped with pex that are about a decade old. I just want to add that because I know someone is going to use the cop out "ya, but there aren't that many houses plumbed in pex so of course you aren't going to run into to many leaks."


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Protech said:


> Pex
> 
> I put a 25 year warranty on all of my pex repipes. Let's see you copperholics put your money where your mouths are and do that with your copper.



I could do that in Chicago, because the water here isn't pure crap like the water you guys must have in FL, but why would I?


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I wouldn't warranty anything I don't make.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

jjbex said:


> I wouldn't warranty anything I don't make.


It's PEX, the greatest material ever created!

Why wouldn't you warranty it for a hundred or so years?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> It's PEX, the greatest material ever created!
> 
> Why wouldn't you warranty it for a hundred or so years?


I can think of a few plumbers and homeowners out in Las Vegas that could tell you some stories about Kitec and Rehau PEX...

I can think of some plumbers and homeowners Minnesota and a few other places that could tell you some stories about Zurn PEX...

I can think of some plumbers and homeowners in the southeast states that can tell you some stories about CPI DuraPex...

I can even tell those of you that claim immunity about some leaking Wirsbo I ripped out this summer....

I can think of a lot of reasons why I wouldn't warranty it for anything longer than 1 year which is all I have to warranty it for...

Funny how the manufacturers don't seem to have to cover their warranty in all of these cases...

Simply said you have to examine the conditions at each job and use the best materials for that individual situation.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> It's PEX, the greatest material ever created!
> 
> Why wouldn't you warranty it for a hundred or so years?


Because I have only installed it on one job.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I have a big copper project starting on monday. We will be running some 1-1/4", down to half. Its been a while since I have ran copper like this. But, It's like riding a bicycle. With the seat off. You never forget how to do it, it's just a pain in the arse. No pro press, all sweat.:thumbsup:


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I just did a demo on two 480V 3 phase 125 gallon electric boilers and replaced them with one 52 gallon 208V 3 phase heater. I had to demo all the drops to back up into the ceiling. All 1.5" L copper, the main valve was leaking by, I had to use my *Jet-Swet* on every valve. I should have took pictures, it was sweet looking when I was done.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I think there are a million or so homeowners in central florida, parts of california, nevada, and a few other states that could tell you some stories about leaking copper pipe :whistling2:



Redwood said:


> I can think of a few plumbers and homeowners out in Las Vegas that could tell you some stories about Kitec and Rehau PEX...
> 
> I can think of some plumbers and homeowners Minnesota and a few other places that could tell you some stories about Zurn PEX...
> 
> ...


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Protech said:


> I think there are a million or so homeowners in central florida, parts of california, nevada, and a few other states that could tell you some stories about leaking copper pipe :whistling2:


Yep! its all about using the right material for the application...:thumbup:


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## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

*Pex vs copper*

Though pex is very popular here I havent used it but once I dont have any pex tools I thing I liked was I ran a hot and cold underground about 80 foot to a garage converted guest house the owner trenched it like a snake it laid fine in this ditch. there was one joint on each end , Soft copper to pricey. Also Im not a big fan of copper underground unless its sleeved. A well installed copper job should last, as should pex . I like nothaving a lot of joints buryed in walls. With a manifold system failure seems unlikely. Then again I hate to see my work done by unskilled , It hurts wages!


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## Nikolai (Dec 17, 2009)

I've used both and they have their places. Pex is incredibly fast to run when plumbing a new house and when you have floor warming, HVAC, and radiant to avoid it cannot be beat. It is a huge labor savor, but there are still places where I like to use copper such as inside a cabinet for lavy supplies where pex is visually hideous.

I won't use shark bit fittings, I've seen them leak just from turning the water off and back on. It's either soldering, crimping pex, or pro press for me.


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