PEX piping has made the lives of plumbers across the nation much easier. The components of a PEX piping system are very user friendly, and allow the material to bend and flex so that less connections are required. This means that your home will have fewer weak points where leaks could potentially spring. Over the last 50 years, most homes used copper, steel of CPVC, but in recent years PEX has taken over.
PEX tubing allows you to make crimped joints at fittings using a crimping tool. Most systems use a fitting/crimping ring combo that can be applied in a matter of seconds in most cases. This means that you will never have to solder or glue your fittings into place. All you have to do it put the crimping ring over the end of the PEX pipe, and then place the pipe over the fitting and use the crimping tool to tighten everything down. Once everything has been crimped into place, the result will be a watertight seal. Most crimping tools are able to be used for both 3/4 inch and 1/2 inch crimps. This can be advantageous when you are working with multiple different sizes of pipes.
There are many different fittings available that can be used to fit your needs in different situations. PEX fittings are also available for shower valves. A large percentage of shower valves are threaded, and these fittings have to be screwed into place before you crimp the PEX line. Keep in mind that PEX can melt when it is used too closely to sources of heat like exhaust vents and hot water heaters. In these cases, you can install an 18 inch copper extension to ensure that your PEX tubing does not come too close to a heat source and then melt.
Although it can be advantageous to use PEX tubing in areas where you expect it to fall below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, like at a cabin location, you have to keep in mind that PEX piping is soft for the most part, and can be chewed through by rodents. PEX piping can also be retrofitted into different water pipes, but will require transition fittings to ensure that it fits into all kinds. This can be to your advantage when you are remodeling a home and do not want to get rid of all of the currently existing plumbing, but would like to make a few changes to the plumbing system that make sense with current standards.
