Can’t argue with the logic here. PEX has saved me a ton of headaches on turnovers—especially when you’re crawling under a rental and space is tight. I’d echo what you said about support at the bends. Had one line get a slight kink behind a vanity once, and it was a pain to track down.
“UV wrap’s smart too; seen a few lines get brittle when folks skip that step.”
That’s a detail a lot of folks miss, and it really does matter if you’ve got any runs exposed to sunlight. Copper has its place, but for most upgrades or repairs, PEX just makes sense from a time and cost perspective. If you’re not flipping a historic property, it’s almost a no-brainer.
I get why PEX is popular, especially when time’s tight and you’re dealing with awkward spaces. But I’ve seen a few too many callbacks from PEX fittings that weren’t crimped just right, or lines that got chewed up by rodents. Copper’s not perfect either—sweating joints in a crawlspace isn’t my idea of fun—but it’s got a track record for lasting decades if it’s done right. Sometimes that peace of mind is worth the extra hassle, especially if you’re not planning on revisiting the job anytime soon.
- PEX is a lifesaver in tight spots, but I’ve had to fix more than a few leaks from bad crimps or chewed lines.
- Copper’s a pain to sweat in cramped spaces, but once it’s in, you can pretty much forget about it for decades.
- If you’re not planning to open up that wall again, I’d lean copper—less chance of an emergency call later.
- That said, if rodents aren’t an issue and you trust your crimps, PEX is way faster and easier on the back.
- Personally, I’ve seen both fail, but copper failures are usually from outside damage, not the install itself.
- I get the copper love, but man, my wallet definitely prefers PEX.
- Did my shower swap last year and honestly, the PEX install was so much less drama—no torch, no sweating (well, except me crawling under the house).
- I hear you on rodents, but if you’re sealing things up right and not living in a squirrel mansion, it’s usually fine.
- Plus, if something does go wrong down the line, cutting and patching PEX is way less scary than wrestling with old copper.
- Maybe I’m just lazy, but I’ll take “easier on my back” over “decades of peace” any day... at least for now.
“Did my shower swap last year and honestly, the PEX install was so much less drama—no torch, no sweating (well, except me crawling under the house).”
Same here—did a bathroom reno last spring and PEX saved me a ton of hassle (and cash). I get why folks like copper, but my budget just couldn’t swing it. I was nervous about rodents too, but after sealing up every gap I could find, it’s been fine. Honestly, not having to mess with a torch under the house was worth it alone.