Pex Water Lines In Attic

A pex supply won t corrode like copper.

Pex water lines in attic.

That s because pex pipes basically a type of plastic are physically different from other common piping materials. While pex does not ordinarily burst in the cold the water in the pipes can still freeze. Pex tubing or piping is used for water supply lines as well as radiant floor heating. Insulation only slows the time when it will freeze after the water is not running through the pipe.

But even if you install pex fittings in a conventional main line and branch system the connections are quicker to make than soldering copper. Insulating pex pipes offer its own unique set of challenges and considerations. What is pex plumbing. Need to get a hot water line from one end of the house to the other in a ranch with a concrete slab.

There s been a lot of debate over pex for the last several years because pex has a few downsides that you might not expect. It is important to insulate pex pipe in an attic particularly in cold weather areas. Pex is available in a variety of lengths from short 10 foot pieces for small repairs to rolls over 500 feet long which are used to install a home s entire water supply system. They are very flexible and less prone to cracking.

A pex supply is unaffected by acidic water and is therefore a better choice in these areas. No interior walls to use either. My plan is to run pex thru the attic below the insulation. Existing ranch has very low ceilings 7 8 so dropping any ceilings will not work.

Pex is semi flexible which allows for long continuous runs through joists. Water line would run over the top of the 2x4 bottom truss cord and i would create a tent over pipe so there was no. If you live in an area with acidic water copper can corrode over time. They also contract with heat cold and sometimes even water flow.

Pex type is forgiving when it freezes as far as breakage but insulating an exposed water line does little to keep it from freezing.