Copper's great, don't get me wrong, but I'm with you on the PEX train. I've helped install both, and honestly, after wrestling copper pipes into tight spaces and dealing with soldering mishaps (let's just say eyebrows grow back slowly...), PEX is a breath of fresh air.
The flexibility alone makes a huge difference—especially if you're working in older homes where nothing lines up right. Plus, you don't have to be a soldering wizard to get a clean, leak-free connection. Just snap fittings into place, and you're good to go. I was skeptical at first too, thinking plastic piping sounded sketchy, but after seeing it hold up through some harsh winters without cracking or leaking, I'm sold.
One thing I'd caution though—make sure you're using quality fittings and tools. I've seen people try to cut corners with cheap connectors, and trust me, that's when things can go south pretty fast. But stick with reputable brands and proper installation methods, and you'll have a setup that lasts.
And as for water pressure issues, PEX won't magically solve everything, but it definitely helps maintain consistent pressure compared to older corroded metal pipes. I remember one job where the homeowner complained about weak showers for years, and after swapping out their ancient galvanized pipes for PEX, it was like Niagara Falls in there. Pretty satisfying to see their reaction.
Anyway, good call bringing up PEX. Copper still has its place, but if you're looking for ease of installation, cost savings, and reliable performance, it's hard to beat.
Totally agree on the fittings thing. Learned that lesson the hard way myself—thought I could save a few bucks on connectors, and let's just say my basement turned into a mini water park overnight. Not exactly the renovation I had in mind, lol.
"after wrestling copper pipes into tight spaces and dealing with soldering mishaps (let's just say eyebrows grow back slowly...)"
Haha, been there! My first copper pipe adventure involved me nervously soldering in a cramped crawlspace. One wrong move, and suddenly I'm dodging molten solder droplets like Neo in The Matrix. Luckily no lasting damage—other than my pride. But seriously, switching to PEX was like night and day. No more torch anxiety or worrying about accidentally setting insulation on fire (don't ask...).
As for water pressure, you're spot-on about older galvanized pipes being the culprit half the time. My sister bought this cute little 1920s bungalow that had charm for days but showers that felt more like gentle rain than anything else. After some investigating, we found the old galvanized pipes were basically rusted shut inside—no wonder she couldn't rinse shampoo out properly. Swapped everything out for PEX, and now she's got enough pressure to power wash an elephant. Okay, slight exaggeration, but you get the idea.
One small thing I'd add though: if you're still experiencing pressure issues after updating your plumbing, double-check your fixtures too. Had a friend who did a full piping overhaul only to discover his fancy showerhead had one of those restrictive flow regulators inside. Took it out (shhh...), and suddenly his shower was amazing.
Anyway, glad to see others jumping on the PEX bandwagon. Copper definitely has its merits and durability, but man...the ease and peace of mind with PEX is tough to beat.
You're definitely not alone with the copper pipe struggles. I remember thinking soldering would be straightforward until I ended up spending an entire weekend redoing joints that leaked like crazy—talk about frustrating. Switching to PEX was honestly a relief, both financially and mentally. Good call on checking fixtures too...those flow restrictors can be sneaky and make you think your plumbing job failed when it's really just a tiny plastic piece.
Copper soldering can definitely test your patience, especially when leaks keep popping up. It took me a while to get the hang of it too—seems simple until you're actually doing it. PEX is a solid alternative, particularly for tight spaces or tricky angles where soldering gets messy. Good tip about checking flow restrictors; it's easy to overlook something small and think you've messed up the whole system. Glad you got sorted in the end, plumbing always has its surprises...
"PEX is a solid alternative, particularly for tight spaces or tricky angles where soldering gets messy."
Yeah, PEX saved me a few headaches too. But curious—did you check your main shut-off valve? Had one partially closed once, drove me nuts chasing phantom leaks... plumbing's full of sneaky surprises.
