$1M homes use same material as MHs... - Posted by JeredWA

Posted by Michael(KCMO) on April 18, 2007 at 08:50:15:

I’ve never even attempted copper so I don’t know much about it. But the more you guys talk about it, the more I’m loving PEX!

$1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by JeredWA

Posted by JeredWA on April 15, 2007 at 21:47:44:

Just a small factoid for you all…

A recently saw a new development going up in my town (Seattle) where they are building & selling each home for a million bucks. 15 of the 18 homes are already sold. Anyway, I was looking at the builders website to keep tabs on what they are putting into the homes and found they are using PEX. Yes, the SAME stuff use in MHs.

Quote: “…General Supply lines to be 1/2” diameter PEX cross-linked polyethylene tubing. Drain lines to be ABS…"

So, for many of the fundamentals like plumbing, it doesn’t see like there is much of a difference between million dollar homes and hundred dollar homes. :slight_smile:

Jered

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by SJO

Posted by SJO on April 16, 2007 at 23:45:27:

I was talking to the owner at the plumbing supply store where I buy my pex fittings. I asked him about the new home builders in the area using pex. He said that pex is good, but he told me about the newest thing that is replacing it. It’s a plastic pex-like pipe that has metal somehow embedded within. I forget the name, but he gave me a pamphlet about it and said all his stores are giving classes on how to use it.

The advantages? It crimps and cuts easily like pex, resists splitting when frozen, and is flexible. But you can bend it into the form you need, and it will stay in shape. For anyone that has replumbed with pex, you can understand that the stiffness of the pex can be a real pain in the axx.

Anyway…maybe a glimpse of the future. Sounds good to me.

yup - PEX - Posted by Steve-WA

Posted by Steve-WA on April 16, 2007 at 09:40:03:

several months ago they were erecting a new 6-bed house in my neighborhood, and as curious neighbors do, I would often walk through to check on progress.

NOTE: I do not fit the blue collar model; I live in a neighborhood far beyond my means (so I just make more means!)

There were blue and red PEX lines run all through (cold & hot, get it?), and I was surprised. I mentioned this to my MH contractor, he goes, “Oh, yeah, same stuff we use”

Says I, well, sunufagun.

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by JeffB (MI)

Posted by JeffB (MI) on April 16, 2007 at 08:37:15:

I recently bought a new spec home and it has copper lines, but every home the builder has built since then has been PEX. He explained to me the recent cost increase of copper (along with our failing economy and falling home prices) has made it necessary.

I too would prefer copper but it would not be a deal breaker for me if the price was right.

Jeff

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by Mr. H (IN)

Posted by Mr. H (IN) on April 16, 2007 at 07:13:06:

Yes. Builders sell buyers on this PEX like it’s the next big thing. When I built my home, I had to pay an extra charge for them to run copper. Everyone who ran PEX had the builder come back and clean up/replace flooring. It seems as though the manufacturer had a bad run of a particular fitting.

All of the plumbers I spoke with suggested I go with copper because the PEX also tends to warp and snake (especially on your hot water lines if you ever lose your water heater and the lines cool down). Again, this is what the master plumbers told me.

If I was putting $1m on a home, it’d betta be coppa.

That being said, it’s great for MHs

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by Berno

Posted by Berno on April 17, 2007 at 14:27:55:

“All of the plumbers I spoke with suggested I go with copper because the PEX also tends to warp and snake (especially on your hot water lines if you ever lose your water heater and the lines cool down). Again, this is what the master plumbers told me.”

I started working with copper and it’s a pain, and kind of an art form. I switched to CPVC and it was easier, but still a pain. The last homes I’ve rehabbed with all PEX…I’ll never go back. Due to the fact that almost anyone can run PEX with nothing but a $90 tool, I know what I would be bad-mouthing PEX if i was a plumber. It takes away work that previously not many people did themselves.

Just my $.02.

-Berno

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by userbronco

Posted by userbronco on April 17, 2007 at 11:24:04:

I was recently in the basement of a friends house that cost over $700K, and they had copper pipes, but had flexable ductwork throughout the entire house.

If I paid that kinda dough for a house Id want metal ducts.

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by land-o

Posted by land-o on April 16, 2007 at 08:21:30:

Pex is my choice, if you ever freeze up your copper lines, you will
replace them because they expand and don’t shrink back up, the
second expansion breaks them, but pex has a memory and returns to
its original size.

in all my experience, I have yet to see pex fail, and only broke once, (in
the old grey stuff) I maintain over 100 rental houses, I had a leaky main
valve on a motel remodel I did just before they made the transition to
the thicker pex from the old “quest”, and the lines got charged. When
the spring thaw came we turned on the water and found one joint split,
it was a 4" piece of Quest with a 90 on each end crimped, and it
apparently couldn’t expand enough so it broke in the freeze.

I have had lots of broken copper though, it will split on a 31 degree
day if you don’t carefully blow the lines.

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by Mr. H (IN)

Posted by Mr. H (IN) on April 17, 2007 at 16:24:00:

Don’t get me wrong. If I need to run water for a MH or SFH it will be PEX. I’ve run copper in the past and always had a few extra sleeves for my repairs; cut the line in half, drain water, heat up and remove fitting, sand down, flux, sweat, do the same for sleeve where line is cut, turn on water, check for leaks, haul *** to shut off valve again, …

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by Joe

Posted by Joe on April 17, 2007 at 15:00:08:

Copper ain’t much more to run.

Blow torch - $50
Tubing cutter - $20
Solder - $10
Flux - $10

Am I forgetting anything? The difference is really the labor spent piecing together long runs, making turns, intersections, etc.

Personally, I would prefer copper in my own home. But it seems fine for rentals or mobiles.

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by Berno

Posted by Berno on April 18, 2007 at 07:44:39:

The most enjoyable thing to do is to try to sweat a joint when you can’t get the water turned all the way off. Stuffing bread down a copper pipe and rushing to get it done before the bread gives out is not my idea of fun. Heck, if you wanted to, you can install PEX with the water still on…now THAT’S easy to use!

-Berno

Re: $1M homes use same material as MHs… - Posted by Berno

Posted by Berno on April 17, 2007 at 15:52:02:

Uh, I think you missed the part about anyone being able to run PEX and have it come out OK. Not just anyone can sweat copper. I’ve even seen plumbers screw it up. That was my point, not the cost of the $90 tool.

With PEX you can run it quickly and more than likely you are only going to have 2 places per run that can leak; at the fixture and at the manifold. Those places are both easy to reach if there is an issue. Copper can leave you with a 90 elbow leaking in a wall somewhere. You can also let a place freeze with PEX, even if there is still water in the runs. I did it (on accident) and after it was all thawed out, it had zero problems. I’ve had copper elbows blow out if you look at them funny. It’s not fun for people like me to cut ot a 90 elbow and fit a new one in.

I would like to add to your above list too:
-abrasive cloth
-flame-resistant pads
-leather gloves (easy to get burnt)
-bucket of water (to throw on the fire one may accidentally start with the torch)

I have copper in my own home and it’s fine. When it comes to anything in the future, PEX will be my choice. Heck, I’ve lived in places with corroded galvanized, so I’m not too picky!

-Berno