Switching out a tub for a walk-in shower: copper vs. PEX pipes?

The condensation thing with PEX in conduit is a pain - never thought about it until I saw a puddle under my vanity one morning.

Yeah, that’s a sneaky one. I’ve seen more than a few folks get caught off guard by that - PEX sweats like crazy in certain setups. Copper’s definitely got the edge for exposed spots, both for looks and durability. You made a solid call mixing the two.

That’s wild - I never would’ve guessed PEX could sweat that much. I’m in the middle of planning a bathroom reno and was leaning toward PEX for the flexibility, but now I’m second-guessing it for the exposed runs. Did you have to do anything special to fix the condensation issue, or was it just a matter of switching to copper in those spots? It’s kind of reassuring to hear mixing them isn’t a big deal. Makes me feel less nervous about not going all-in on one material.

- Yeah, PEX sweating caught me off guard too.
- I ended up just wrapping the exposed PEX with some cheap pipe insulation - nothing fancy, but it helped a lot.
- Mixing copper and PEX isn’t a big deal if you use the right fittings.
- Honestly, I’d still go mostly PEX for the cost and ease, just insulate where it’s exposed.
- Copper looks cleaner if you care about that, but my wallet didn’t.

Switching Out a Tub for a Walk-In Shower: Copper vs. PEX Pipes?

PEX sweating is like that one guest who shows up uninvited and just lingers... I’ve seen it more times than I’d like to admit. Wrapping exposed PEX with insulation is a solid move - cheap, quick, and it actually works. Just make sure you don’t leave any gaps or you’ll get those weird condensation puddles under the shower.

Mixing copper and PEX is totally fine if you use the proper transition fittings (brass or those fancy SharkBite ones). Just double-check your local code - some places get picky about dielectric unions and such. I’ve had clients who insisted on copper for “the look,” but honestly, once the wall’s closed up, nobody’s peeking at your pipes unless they’re lost.

If you’re doing the swap yourself, PEX is way more forgiving. Less torch work, fewer burns, and you can snake it through tight spots without cursing at the studs. Just don’t cheap out on the support brackets or you’ll hear the pipes knocking every time someone showers. Learned that one the hard way...

Just don’t cheap out on the support brackets or you’ll hear the pipes knocking every time someone showers. Learned that one the hard way...

Man, that pipe knocking is like a haunted house soundtrack - tenants complain every time. I’ll add: if you’re running PEX near any heat source (like a vent), give it some breathing room or you’ll get expansion noises too. Copper looks nice, but after drywall, it’s just bragging rights for your plumber.