Copper vs CPVC &/or PEX

[DogwoodTales]

Looks like Pex is the winner!
I don’t have a problem with getting the more expensive tools and fittings to make the job easier and/or best quality. A house and peace of mind are well worth it.
The only concern I’ve seen about Pex has to do with exposure to chlorine or UV light. I hope to have either well water or cistern water and if I end up having to go with municipal water then a water softener and filtration will take care of the chlorine.
Thanks everyone!

[daddo]

I used pex on this old house. I haven't gotten everything quite switched over yet, but it was easy to run. Just made sure any place the tube touched was protected and I made copper riser tubes for the pex to go through, through the floor. Maybe not necessary but it makes me feel good.
I also re-ran the pex another way to include a shut off in the water heater closet that shuts down the water in the entire house.
I used the SS clamps.

I have yet to get under there and cut and remove the old galv piping so the foundation guy can work under there. And I want to re-run some gas pipe.

[Bob10]

I am a copper person probably won't change.

[DogwoodTales]

I am a copper person probably won't change.

I hear ya! Copper is king

[MstrCarpenter]

Last weekend I had to repair a pinhole leak in a 1/2" cold water line. It was right above a B.I. gas line so I thought it might be galvanic action but they were about 1/4" apart; definitely not touching. Had to repair another spot in 3/4" a few years ago but chalked it up to a cheap "Plumber" that used M instead of L on a water conditioner install. I do have hard water and am not using that conditioner due to excessive salt after it recycles. (The "clock" measures volume not time). If/when another leak occurs, I'll be replacing all the copper with PEX. Every fixture will be a homerun to a manifold, with 3/4" serving the Kitchen sinks and tub/showers. The 3/4" will reduce to two pairs of 1/2" under the sink for D.W. and ref.. Although shower valves are usually 1/2", the tub spout and "rain" showers don't function well with the small I.D. of 1/2" PEX crimp fittings.

[EricU]

seems to me that copper has gotten a lot thinner over the years.  Starting to be concerning.

[Bob10]

seems to me that copper has gotten a lot thinner over the years.  Starting to be concerning.

M,L, or K are your choices my main water supply is K it was not cheap but I think it will outlive me

[EightFingers]

I only use type L. What I wonder about are the fittings - they seem to be getting thinner.

[adamcherubini]

PEX hands downs.  More specifically, Uphonor AquaPEX with the Milwaukee expansion tool is the bomb.

+1 I bought the tool on eBay for under $300 but it took some patience to find a good one that cheap. SiouxChief now makes PEX-A and it’s cheaper than uponor, so check that out.

PEX is the way to go and PEX A is the right answer.

Next question is all home runs or sub manifolds? I’m doing sub-manifolds for bathrooms and kitchens. And I might run 3/4 to those manifolds, then 1/2 to the fixtures. I’m not doing the hot loop thing.

One of the chief benefits of PEX A is that the fittings and attachments have the same ID as the pipe. The pipe gets expanded to fit on the fittings, this means less flow restriction. Second, I think PEX A is more flexible and easier to work with than PEX B. Downside is tools, fittings and pipe are not available at the local home center.

[DogwoodTales]

I plan on using Pex A. Idk yet about doing home runs from one main manifold or doing sub manifolds, but leaning on the former depending on final house design.

I found this video which seems to be a good review of the Pex options
https://youtu.be/cTN_OU3yufI