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PEX More Freeze Resistant than Copper

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Melbourne Plumber

The weather has been crazy this past year for much of the country including Florida. There were more cold snaps this year than recent memory. And for places like Texas and even parts of Florida there was deep freezing, something which is rare.

PEX is a type of plastic pipe that has been used in plumbing for years now. Plumbers have replaced the use of copper with PEX because it is more affordable, it is corrosion proof and, as it turns out, is more resistant to cracks from freezing.

Copper pipes are more rigid and the freezing process causes the frozen water in the pipes to expand. PEX is able to expand and take the brunt of that expansion whereas copper is not.

Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s Building & Construction Division said this: “The inherent flexibility of PEX results in excellent freeze-break resistance.”

If you plan to have a re-piping done, make sure they use a high quality plastic piping. Here are the types of pipe that is used for piping and re-piping:

• PEX
• PE-RT
• Polypropylene
• Polybutylene
• CPVC

There may be a myriad of reasons you want to re-pipe your home. In an article we wrote several years ago we discussed what those reasons may be:

1. Old pipes
2. Damaged pipes
3. Plans to sell the home