I am helping with a project this weekend that includes roughing in some new plumbing. (New piping for first floor bath; new pipes through walls up to second floor bath in wall that will only be accessible while working on first floor bath).
We have CPVC for it that has been sitting in the basement for a year or so, but reading up on the installation I am a little concerned on whether we should be using PEX instead. Notably, I did not realize the linear expansion of CPVC was so high and the pipe would basically be expanding and contracting by inches if you run hot water and then let it cool off.
After looking at code and reading a manual from CPVC manufacturers, it looks like you need to add "expansion loops" which basically absorb this expansion by bending the pipe, even for short runs like 20 feet. This adds significant complexity to the system. Worse, intuitively, this seems like it significantly changes the stresses on the joints every time there's a hundred degree change in temperature, i.e. whenever you run the hot water and then let it cool off.
Between that and the increased number of joints (i.e. potential failure points) in CPVC, I am wondering if we would be better off to use PEX?
I dislike tossing hundreds of bucks worth of pipe (Will Lowe's take returns after two years?) but reliability and not having a problem in the inaccessible wall behind the tub enclosure are more important.
Am I worrying over nothing, or missing something basic? Any tips?
We have CPVC for it that has been sitting in the basement for a year or so, but reading up on the installation I am a little concerned on whether we should be using PEX instead. Notably, I did not realize the linear expansion of CPVC was so high and the pipe would basically be expanding and contracting by inches if you run hot water and then let it cool off.
After looking at code and reading a manual from CPVC manufacturers, it looks like you need to add "expansion loops" which basically absorb this expansion by bending the pipe, even for short runs like 20 feet. This adds significant complexity to the system. Worse, intuitively, this seems like it significantly changes the stresses on the joints every time there's a hundred degree change in temperature, i.e. whenever you run the hot water and then let it cool off.
Between that and the increased number of joints (i.e. potential failure points) in CPVC, I am wondering if we would be better off to use PEX?
I dislike tossing hundreds of bucks worth of pipe (Will Lowe's take returns after two years?) but reliability and not having a problem in the inaccessible wall behind the tub enclosure are more important.
Am I worrying over nothing, or missing something basic? Any tips?
