Just did a job last week and the house contained polybutylene. I talked with the plumber and in my geographical region on the US, they are starting to keep poly and here is why…
CPVC gets brittle in the high temperatures of the attic and break very easily, the new PEX problems, the reverse osmosis water treatment makes pin holes in the copper and Poly is problematic…
The plumber asked me…tell me what to use and I will use it…the buyer decided to keep poly because it is just as problematic as anything else…
2011 and we can’t make a plumbing line that is non-problematic…too funny and sad at the same time.
Russell,
I think it comes down to personal preferences. My neighbor who is a plumber only re-pipes with cpvc another plumber I know will only use pex for re-pipes.
Just did my son’s house. It took longer to remove the old galvanized than it did to run new PEX, add new valves and insulate. No repairs needed as the PEX can make the turns gently and be snaked through existing holes.
But then it is much easier with a full basement where everything is visible and easily accessible.
Our Lowe’s and Menards both carry QPex and MBPex brass fittings and many plumbers around here still use them (I do too). I’m assuming the problems you’re referring to are the lawsuits. There’s been no recall or settlement that I’m aware of.
Lowe’s, Home Depot and many other such stores carry flexible (accordion-type) drain pipes as well. Just because they’re carried at these stores, doesn’t mean they’re a good product and I would never use that argument to support a product.
In any event, I have never witnessed any problems in existing brass fittings, and hundreds of homes (perhaps thousands) in my area are fitted with them. However, they are no longer used by any builders or plumbing contractors in my area.
Dura Pex comes too mind as well. Quite a few problems with water supply lines splitting down the center. If I remember correctly, there was a class action lawsuit on this product.
I like the idea of a sand embedded soft type K water main and type L installed above grade within a home, copper has some pluses and Bacteriostatic properties.
I wonder… if any studies have been done in regards to having at least some portions of a PEX system installed with copper couplings or stubs present can provide similar water quality advantages.
Pex seems like a good material… but a lot of these newer systems are used for their reduction in cost and installation, not so much that a significant improvement in quality is present. The fact that the material will last a lifetime is great… the fittings for much of this newer stuff seem to be an issue.
I like copper… so does the rest of the world, it’s expensive.
