Couldn’t agree more about the plastic in those kits—seen too many crack after a couple freeze-thaw cycles. I’ve had better luck mixing old copper and PEX, especially for rentals where durability matters. The upfront hassle pays off when you’re not replacing parts every year.
Mixing copper and PEX really does make a difference, especially in places where pipes take a beating from the weather. I’ve swapped out brittle plastic lines in a few older units—bit of a pain upfront, but way fewer headaches down the road. Sometimes the old-school methods just hold up better.
Mixing copper and PEX isn’t always the slam dunk folks think it is, especially for solar hot water setups. I’ve been called out to fix plenty of leaks where the transition fittings between copper and PEX started to sweat or even crack after a couple seasons of temperature swings. Copper’s tough, sure, but it expands and contracts at a different rate than PEX—over time, that can stress the joints if you’re not careful with your install.
If you’re running lines outside or in an attic where temps swing hard, I’d actually lean toward sticking with all PEX (the good stuff, not the cheap blue/red rolls from big box stores). It handles freeze-thaw cycles better, and you don’t get electrolysis issues like you can with mixed metals. Just make sure to use proper UV shielding if any of it’s exposed to sunlight.
Old-school copper does last forever when installed right, but for DIY solar kits or quick repairs, PEX is way faster and more forgiving. Just my two cents after crawling through too many crawlspaces...
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had better luck with copper in high-temp solar setups, especially when it comes to long-term reliability. PEX is great for quick fixes and it’s forgiving, but I’ve seen it get brittle or even kink if someone isn’t careful with routing—especially if there’s any sun exposure at all. Maybe it’s just the climate here, but copper seems to handle the heat cycles better for me. Guess it really depends on the install and materials...
PEX is great for quick fixes and it’s forgiving, but I’ve seen it get brittle or even kink if someone isn’t careful with routing—especially if there’s any sun exposure at all.
That’s interesting, I’ve always heard PEX was super tough, but I guess direct sunlight could be a game changer. Do you think the UV-resistant stuff actually helps, or is it just marketing? Copper does seem more “set it and forget it” for heat...