Outdoor Faucet to PEX?

[Joe Kelly]

First time post ...

I have an outside faucet which comes out of the house in the basement ceiling and then does a 90 up the outside wall of the house to the spigot. I've covered it with insulation to protect it from freezing, but I would like to replace it entirely because of age. I'm thinking about using PEX, but I do not have any experience with what would be an appropriate fitting and whether the pipe would be truly reliable outside.

I do plan on having a shutoff inside the house and draining it prior to winter ... but stuff can happen

Any suggestions? I'm most interested in understanding if anyone has good experience with a specific piping outside and I'm also interested in what fitting should be used for the 90 coming out of the stucco since it will be exposed.

I have tried to attach a photo but it may not have worked.

Thanks!
Joe

 

[Joe Kelly]

 

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[Jadziedzic]

Read the specs on PEX: it is not to be used where exposed to UV light without some sort of covering (e.g., paint). It is also a lot more susceptible to damage from impact than are metal pipes, which to me would be a bigger issue than UV sensitivity.

 

[Reach4]

I have an outside faucet which comes out of the house in the basement ceiling and then does a 90 up the outside wall of the house to the spigot. I've covered it with insulation to protect it from freezing, but I would like to replace it entirely because of age.

Could you penetrate higher, and use a frost-free spigot?

 

[Helper Dave]

Yeah, don't put PEX outside.

Keep it copper and brass. Put a drain-out 90 on that bottom elbow if it isn't one already.

 

[Jadnashua]

PEX isn't a great idea outside unless it is underground.

I would look into how to install a frost-free silcock so you don't have to worry about draining the line or freezing. That may not be easily done, depending on the house construction.

To get pictures in your post, use the 'Upload a File' tab.

 

[Reach4]

Covering PEX against UV is not that hard, if that is the only concern.

 

[Bannerman]

You could protect PEX or PVC from UV and impact by using a metal shield similar to this:
https://www.beacontechnology.com/protective-barriers/structural-guards/steel-pipe-guards/

 

[Jadnashua]

ROdents like to gnaw on plastic, so that could be a concern outside.