Zimmee66
Member
Hello all!
I have a "real-world experience" type question for the list...
I've got a primative cabin (really just a shack, 80 years old)
currently plumbed with mostly 1/2 copper supplys. It's on a well, with high-iron water but modest pressure. can't be more that 30 feet total of supply piping in the cabin. There is a small electric water heater.
Nothing fancy, but it was all sloppily done by the previous owner, and I frequently have to resolder tees and elbows because it was just a wham-bam job.
Ive decided its probably easiest to just replumb...my questions are:
1) is PEX is OK with well-water/mineral-rich (mostly iron) water?
2) How does PEX handle freezes? With the copper it just pops a solder joint somewhere.
Accidental freezes *do* occur up there in spite of best efforts--it can get very cold very fast and its a long drive, so sometimes I blow it.
3) *nothing* is straight in the building so flexibility is good. Also there is some vibration from the pump transmited through the lines. Is this another reason PEX might be better?
4) Finally--Is there any sort of clever "relief valve" available that I could attach to the system? All the current stop valves do have weep drains, but I mean some sort of master relief or other strategy that could be built-in as a margin of safety...
Any advice is very much appreciated!
I have a "real-world experience" type question for the list...
I've got a primative cabin (really just a shack, 80 years old)
currently plumbed with mostly 1/2 copper supplys. It's on a well, with high-iron water but modest pressure. can't be more that 30 feet total of supply piping in the cabin. There is a small electric water heater.
Nothing fancy, but it was all sloppily done by the previous owner, and I frequently have to resolder tees and elbows because it was just a wham-bam job.
Ive decided its probably easiest to just replumb...my questions are:
1) is PEX is OK with well-water/mineral-rich (mostly iron) water?
2) How does PEX handle freezes? With the copper it just pops a solder joint somewhere.
Accidental freezes *do* occur up there in spite of best efforts--it can get very cold very fast and its a long drive, so sometimes I blow it.
3) *nothing* is straight in the building so flexibility is good. Also there is some vibration from the pump transmited through the lines. Is this another reason PEX might be better?
4) Finally--Is there any sort of clever "relief valve" available that I could attach to the system? All the current stop valves do have weep drains, but I mean some sort of master relief or other strategy that could be built-in as a margin of safety...
Any advice is very much appreciated!