Plumbing Materials? Pex, Kitec, or Copper? [Archive]

Wgoodrich

January 25th, 2007, 02:39 PM

Copper to a plumber is much like steel boxes to an old time electrician. Steel is stonger being the old timer's thoughts. Problem is plastic or fiber electrical boxes are not a conductor of electricity thus creating a double insulated affect making the nonmetallic plastic or fiber box safer in your wiring style. Why the need for such a strong steel box? Problem Old time electrician resisting change not researching the reliability of the newer products. I never had a plastic box fail in a house even when struck by lightening to the point the wall was blown into splinters and the plastic boxes were hanging ready to be reused. Stronger ?

Comments from old time plumbers; Now same applies for the copper plumbing. Copper has been fine for 50 years why change? Pex is like garden hose? etc.

Now talk facts. It has been known for years that electrolysis has been a problem with copper plumbing causing pitting and failure due to electrical current low grade flowing on those copper water lines. Many sources of transient voltages exist other than power company sources. Example the chemicals in the earth mixing with moisture in the earth can create an affect to produce electricity with the earth as the source of power same as a battery. Many more sources exist but that one seems to be proven more often day by day causing the electrolysis damages you have heard over the years. Nonmetallic plumbing can not react to electrolysis and helps to gaurd from the introduction of those transient voltages into your home.

Copper plumbing when frozen freezes and burst causing major flooding damage within the home. Pex plumbing can expand and contract accepting the freezing and thawing without damage from that freezing affect. I have inspected pex plumbing now for about 15 years and yet to have heard of a failure of the pex plumbing that was not installer caused.

I admit I am an old time professional trained in all three trades. I always preached to my students throughout the years not to turn you nose up to something new. Let the new prove itself and accept it when it has been proven by track record. When pex plumbing came out I immediately thought my god they are plumbing houses in garden hose same as others have said. I did not practice what I preached. I have experienced a decade or more worth of houses making about 3000 inspections per year as an AHJ. I have yet found a product caused failure.

Pex in plumbing is like nonmetallic boxes in electrical. Hard to teach old dogs new tricks. New often has improved performance and increase engineering involved in that new product.

Another new product out now is Hardy board. Hardy board is like a cement fiber board new in the industry picking up poplularity. If you look in the past we had what was called asbestos slate board that pretty well replaced the old wood car siding for the outside of houses. The aluminum siding stepped in a king of the hill. Then vinyl siding came into the running. Now we have this new cement fiber board. Wood car siding deteriated and needed painting regularly. Asbestos wore like iron but broke like glass and now is a health concern due to the asbestos. Then aluminum came in that over years found chalking on the surface and popping of the links around the house. Then vinyl siding came in as competition and started warping like waves of the sea or broke etc. Now we have the cement board. Been on the market a few years. Problems arose mostly due to placing too close to earth or cement porch floors or the edges were cut and not resealed before being installed. Each product has its problems. Today you have a better wood car siding, better aluinum and vinyl siding having attempted to correct problems in the past and now installation instructions in the field by the manufacturer of the cement board to show how to prevent problems experienced at the beginning.

If you reread what has been said above it should show as time has passed and problems were found adding in new technology has come into affect allowing us to design homes today that should last many more years then our children and grandchildren will live generation to generation. We are getting better as we gain experience. New is not bad. Should not be resisted but require proven track record. Then again it shows some of THOSE OTHER PEOPLE are getting old not me of coarse. Ha Ha.

Hope this helps

Wg