I’m right there with you on being cautious about what goes behind finished walls. A few years back, I helped my neighbor redo his bathroom and he insisted on push-to-connect for everything, even the stuff behind tile. Fast forward two winters and he had a slow leak that ruined a bunch of drywall. Ever since, I stick with crimped PEX or copper for anything I can’t easily get to. It’s a little more work, but I sleep better knowing I won’t have to rip out tile down the road.
- Totally get where you're coming from.
- I’ve seen way too many horror stories with push-to-connect, especially when you can’t see the fittings later.
- For me, crimped PEX is the sweet spot—cheaper than copper, but still feels secure if you do it right.
- That said, I’ve got a buddy who swears by copper and says PEX will never last as long... not sure I buy it, but I get the argument.
- Either way, I’d never use push-fit behind tile or drywall. Just not worth the risk or the headache if something goes sideways down the line.
I hear you on the push-to-connect stuff—seen too many callbacks from those failing behind walls. Crimped PEX has been solid for me, but I still get nervous about rodents chewing through it in some older houses. Copper’s got that “forever” vibe, but man, the price and labor... not always worth it unless you’re dealing with super high temps or something. Curious—has anyone actually had PEX fail from age, not just bad installs? I keep hearing it won’t last, but haven’t seen real-world proof yet.
Copper’s tough to beat for peace of mind, but yeah, the price tag these days is wild. I’ve got a few rentals with PEX that are pushing 15 years—no issues so far, and that’s with some pretty hard water. Biggest headache I’ve had was a mouse chewing through a line in an old crawlspace... not fun. Haven’t seen PEX just give out from age yet, but I do wonder what it’ll look like in another decade or two. For showers, unless you’re running steam or something crazy, PEX seems to hold up just fine.
- Can’t argue with copper’s track record, but yeah, the price is just nuts now.
- PEX is tempting for the cost and flexibility, but I do get a little nervous about the long-term unknowns.
- Had a plumber tell me once that UV exposure during install can mess with PEX lifespan. Not sure how much that matters in a shower wall, but it stuck with me.
- The mouse thing is real... had a similar issue in a basement. Copper isn’t immune either, but rodents seem to love chewing on plastic more.
- Water quality’s a big factor. If you’ve got super acidic or chlorinated water, copper can pit out too, so it’s not invincible.
- For a walk-in shower, unless you’re doing something fancy with high temps or pressure, PEX seems fine. I’d just make sure whoever installs it knows what they’re doing—bad crimps or cheap fittings are where most problems start.
- I do wish there was more info on how PEX holds up at 30+ years. Feels like we’re all kind of beta testing it right now...