PEX Plumbing Life Expectancy

[John Allingham]

I guess all plastics get brittle over time. Does anyone have any info on the life expectancy of PEX plumbing?

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by jallingham

I guess all plastics get brittle over time. Does anyone have any info on the life expectancy of PEX plumbing?

In use in Europe since the 70s and introduced in the USA in the 80s, I don't think there is a definitive answer, yet.

We know the factors that will result in fast deterioration (exposure to UV rays) and there are "slide rule" calculations that predict up to "200 years" by some estimates.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by jallingham

I guess all plastics get brittle over time. Does anyone have any info on the life expectancy of PEX plumbing?

It should outlast Copper Tubing, and Metal Piping in general.

http://www.phcnews.com/march_07/pex.php

http://www.lowesforpros.com/pex-on-t...or-contractors

http://www.2hsc.com/zurn/sections/pex.html

[Marc-Andre Beauchemin]

James you are right on the ball!

Poly-B over 500,000 installations in households in Quebec and no recall!
The question is weather it was well installed.

Also if I may add that excessive quantities of chlorine was known to accelerate poly-B piping wear but it was also demonstrated that excessive chlorine had the same kind of effect on copper piping.

Salut,

Beauchemin Marc-Andre,
BMAinspections.com, based out of Brossard Quebec-Canada.

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Marc-Andre,

If there were no problems with PB installations in Canada, why was there a class action suit filed and settled there?

http://www.classaction.ca/actions/Pr...lene-Pipe.aspx

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by sstanczyk

Marc-Andre,

If there were no problems with PB installations in Canada, why was there a class action suit filed and settled there?

http://www.classaction.ca/actions/Pr...lene-Pipe.aspx

I thought we were discussing PEX...not PB. Did I screw up?

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

No. Marc-Andre brought up PB so I answered his response. But the original question was in regards to PEX. I don't know if he has them mixed up or not.

[Joe Farsetta]

PEX will go the way of PB, I predict, sometime in the future.

Some fittings are already starting to fail. Installations are sloppy, I believe, with too many opportunities for shortcuts.

I cant help but think of the scene in the movie Moonlighting, where Vincent Gardena explains plumbing to the homeowner that needs their bathroom repaired/renovated. "Copper... it costs more because its worth more."

As to PEX, just say "To infinity and beyond !"

No one can predict the future. As home inspectors, never speak about expected useful life, except for what the manufacturer gives you. Always say its the manufacturer's servicable life, if you quote at all.

[Michael Larson]

PEX piping has a great track record and is warrantied for as long as 25 years.

Some fittings. Not so much.

Can you get anything approaching 25 year warranty on any other piping?