Any plumbers out there?
 

I am in the process of doing some serious renovations to my house. Last night ripped out the last of the old 3/4" galvanized steel plumbing that was all rotten after 50-odd years.

Obviously it now needs be replaced, but I am unsure if I should go with copper or poly. I really hate the idea of having to solder so many joints, but as the house is brick and mortar, anything that starts leaking down the line will be a major PITA, so I am concerned about the durability of the connectors used with poly.

Any suggestions?

Go for copper - best in the long run. Soldering is easy with the right tools.

Long time no hear, Willem.

Hi Le Roux,

Keeping my head down and nose clean here. Thankfully moving on to a new job on November 20th, so counting the days! Bored stiff at work, so at least have the house to keep my mind occupied.

How is life treating you?

I just replumbed my entire circa 1925 house with copper in March. Copper is expensive these days. But take your time and you can do it right. I never soldered a joint in my life before I started the project. I took my time and zero leaks. Replaced everything, shut off the water at the street and even replaced the valves on each side of the meter inside the house.

If you are planning on staying iin the house for a long time, I would make a few suggestions.

1) Use ball valves instead of gate valves, the flow better, shut off better but cost more.

2) Figure on how to run 3/4" main line through out the home then branch off 1/2" line to you kitchen, bath, powder room, laundry.

3) when you go to hook up your ice maker or humidifier line (if applicable) use real connectors with compression fitting and not "piercing saddle valves)

4) Make sure you WIPE CLEAN you joints after you solder them! The flux that you use with cause the joints to corrode and the pipes to turn green.

5) But a MAP gas torch, (yellow bottle) they heat much faster than propane (blue) and only cost a little more.

6) Take your time! And make sure your pipe and fitting are CLEAN at the joints before you solder!

It is very satisfying when you are done and can show it off to all your friends!

Erik

Life's very good at present, Willem. The commodities boom (including copper!!) is keeping us very busy with printing money. Wanna buy a good 964? I'm thinking 993 or even 996 soonish.

What's the new job about?

Good to hear Le Roux!

It'll be wrong to buy a car before mine is finished! Pity the house has kept me away from her for all of 8 months now!

I'm leaving the bank to become a prostit...er...ehm.. business consultant, with the eye on moving to the UK in the next year or two.

Choice of mmaterial wil be dictated by local code and water quality. There are some places where the water will eat copper. Water with a pH of 6.8 or less will eat through copper. Water loaded with dissolved minerals can generate copper-dissolving electrical charges.

Willem,I did the same some years ago and found that doing a dry fit with the copper before sweating the joints was a big help.

PEX, PEX, PEX, PEX

Don't worry about the $100 price tag for the crimp tool (you'll need two, one 1/2 inch and one 3/4 inch) -- the system is worth spending the money on the tools.