The reason we decided to update the plumbing was
because the pipes in this house were polybutylene
(which is a form of plastic resin that was used extensively
between 1978 and 1995). This is not good piping!
There were even class action lawsuits brought in
the 1980s because of it.
I started the search for a plumber last fall.
We figured that considering how long everything takes
in the world of remodeling/contracting... we better
find the best company for our needs and get them
booked for the spring.
I interviewed several companies in the area and
decided on Grain Valley to do the job. And do you
want to know why? It's because Allen spoke to me
(a mere woman to most contractors) like a human being
and was not put off by our 'greenovation' (a word
which, by the way, I did not create -- heard it used
recently and sure wish I had!). In fact, Allen was
talkin' the talk and walkin' the walk of energy efficiency,
etc. from the moment he arrived at our house. Plus,
I trust my gut-feelings and (as with KC Roofing)
I just knew this was the company to use.
Allen was also not scared off by our idea of turning
the cistern into a rainwater catchment/storage system.
We discussed using the water for showers and toilets
and decided that was not feasible in our situation
(the way the bathrooms are spread out, for one thing)
and decided instead that the water will be used for
outdoor purposes. So Allen gave us a quote for setting
it up with several spigots. That is a project that
will have to wait.
I was sure we wanted to use PEX tubing throughout
the project until I found out how close in price it
would be to copper. I was so surprised! Turns out the
brass fittings used with PEX have gone up in price,
as has PEX generally due to its popularity. So the
difference was only about $800 more for copper. I was
expecting it to be about double. I can tell you that
I was in a quandry! Which to choose?
I went back to researching... and the winner is
(drum roll, please): PEX. I suppose you want to know
why... you should want to know why... I'm going to
tell you anyway (if you don't want to know why, there
are pretty pictures down the page to look at).
The deciding factor was cost. Which is really irritating
to me because that is usually the first and only
thing that most people look at. Here's what I found
out:
- PEX is a non-recyclable petroleum-based product.
Copper is a highly recyclable metal/natural product.
- PEX is lightweight and is highly transportable.
Copper is very heavy and cumbersome to transport.
- About 50% of the copper in use comes from recycling
and the other 50% is mined. Mining practices for
copper are generally strip-mining which is horrible
for the environment. PEX is 100% mined from petroleum
and, especially recently, we know about those environmental
problems.
- It takes about the same amount of petroleum
to make and transport PEX as it does to mine and
transport copper.
- PEX cannot be exposed to sunlight very long without
it being compromised. Copper cannot be exposed to
highly mineralized water without it being compromised.
(We have rural water which is highly mineralized).
- PEX is highly flexible and thereby requires less
fittings than most piping. Copper is very rigid and
requires soldering of all fittings and is best for
straight runs.
- PEX can withstand freezing better than most piping.
Copper (like most metal piping) does not withstanding
freezing.
- Copper is a tried and true product and has few
(if any) known health-related problems. PEX has been
around for several decades in various presentations
and does not appear to leach chemicals; however,
there is still some concern about the possibility.
So, when I weighed all these pros and cons and they
came out so evenly matched... I had to add price to
the list. And while the difference in price wasn't
as much as I expected... it was still a savings to
go with PEX. |
