I switched from galvanized to PEX last summer and noticed a huge difference in noise levels. Before, every time someone flushed or turned on the washer, it sounded like the pipes were having a wrestling match behind the walls. Now it's way quieter. Didn't completely eliminate all noises (still get a faint hum sometimes), but no more sudden bangs or rattles. Installation was pretty straightforward too—even for someone like me who's definitely no plumber...
Nice move switching to PEX—definitely quieter than galvanized. I've had similar battles with plumbing noises, though mine sounded more like angry raccoons than wrestlers... Anyway, did swapping pipes help at all with your shower temp issue when someone flushes? Usually that's about pressure balancing valves rather than pipe material, but curious if you noticed any improvement there too.
"Usually that's about pressure balancing valves rather than pipe material, but curious if you noticed any improvement there too."
Yeah, gotta agree here—pipe material alone rarely solves the temp swing issue. I swapped out galvanized for PEX last year (mostly to save cash and headaches down the road), and while it definitely quieted things down, the shower still went ice-cold whenever someone flushed or ran the dishwasher. Ended up installing a pressure-balancing valve in the shower fixture itself, and that finally did the trick.
A couple quick points from my experience:
- PEX is great for noise reduction and ease of install, but doesn't inherently fix pressure fluctuations.
- Pressure balancing valves are specifically designed to handle sudden drops in cold water pressure (like when a toilet flushes).
- If budget's tight, you might consider just upgrading the shower valve first before redoing all your plumbing.
Just my two cents...
I went through something similar a few months back—thought switching to copper pipes would help, but nope... still had those icy wake-up calls every time someone flushed. Pipe material definitely helps with noise and long-term durability, but not so much with temp swings. Ended up grabbing a pressure balancing valve for the shower fixture, and man, what a difference. Haven't jumped out of the shower shivering since.
One thing I'd add though: check your water pressure overall first. I found out ours was set way too high—like 90 psi! Had to dial it back with a regulator. Didn't totally fix the issue on its own, but it helped smooth things out quite a bit before installing the valve.
Might save yourself some hassle by starting there if you haven't already checked...
Had a similar experience myself... Thought about changing pipes, but luckily did some research first and realized the pipe material wasn't the main culprit. Installed a thermostatic mixing valve instead—problem solved. Definitely second checking overall water pressure too, makes sense to tackle that first.