Copper Plumbing Versus PEX Piping

Here is the story I have read online from one of the local newspaper while I was screening Google News.

The police in Hartford stated an investigation of a theft.  Approximately 30 feet of copper piping had been stolen in the middle of a night from the basement of the apartment building. Someone broke through a ground-level window and cut away the pipes, which were part of active plumbing system.

This recent incident as many similar ones proves that the price of raw copper is sky high. Therefore in a continuous debate “copper piping”  vs. “PEX piping” the last one gained another point. The PEX piping dominates in new construction and rapidly pushes out copper piping from retrofit projects. And it is logical, more and more homeowners understand that the PEX project will not only allow spend less money and time but also has other benefits. For instance,  PEX pipes are resistant to freeze damage -  under most circumstances, water in the pipe can be frozen and thawed without damaging the pipe. Another key benefit is water conservation – well designed PEX plumbing systems can reduce the wait time for hot water to reach the fixture.

So, as a conclusion to the topic: when time comes to call plumber for upgrading your plumbing or add anew washroom please consider PEX plumbing as a better choice.

When To Choose Your Plumber

In the previous article I have brought to your attention a few scary stories that happened in real life. After you read them, please ask yourself a question – Was it possible to avoid?

In the third case when water was dripping on the countertop, the answer is definitely “yes”. The owner of the house should address the issue as soon as drips from the faucet were discovered. If your plumbing problem is not addressed in a timely fashion, you are increasing possibility for the appearance of mold, rot, and bursting pipes, none of which is particularly pleasant to deal with.

So my advice to you –do not be reactive, be proactive. You should have the name of the plumbing company and the phone number to call before something bad happened to the plumbing system in your house. Many of homeowners do not use a plumber so often and do not know how to distinguish one company from another. A good place to start your search is with family, friends, and colleagues at work. Someone you know is likely to have used a plumber in the area. Asking for referrals from people you know is a good way to find a plumber or learn of someone to stay away from. As an alternative I would recommend to use Internet and read all plumbers’ reviews on your community forum or on the Better Business Bureau website.

Something Scarry About Plumbing

The very first thing I would like to bring to your attention is one of variation of Murphy’s Law - “If sh.t (something bad) can happen, it will happen”. And this is absolutely true. I am pretty sure that everyone at least once has heard a story similar to these:

Really bad and very costly – It was a severe winter at the end of February, almost -20C outside, and we decided to spend two week vacation in Mexico. When we returned we found massive damage to our lovely house caused by burst pipes.   

Also bad and expensive – It happened during my birthday party. I had almost twenty guests in my house. Lots of food, soft drinks for kids and alcohol for their parents… And then this awfully smelling backup occurred in the basement. The party was ruined. The plumber who came the same night explained that the drain was almost completely blocked by tree roots and extensive use of toilets in my house by guests clogged up the drain completely.

Less expensive and could be avoided if addressed timely – The hot water tap was dripping really slowly on the kitchen countertop but it did not bother the homeowner. In four months the whole faucet started wobbling and the plumber diagnosed that the chipboard under countertop plastic was gone and there was no possible way to fasten the faucet.  

In cases like the above there is no way around it and most people need a plumber.

How to choose the plumber, please read in our next post.