PEX-AL-PEX and Rodents

[Joseph Skoler]

I'm about to gut reno a large old home in a very rural area where rodents of all sorts (mice, squirrels, chipmunks, etc.) live.

Will the use of PEX-AL-PEX (or Fostapex or some other alternative with a layer of metal) substantially reduce the chance of a rodent chewing through the pipe?

Thank you!

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I've seen them chew through PEX of course.. I've seen them chew through stranded copper cable. I haven't actually seen them chew through P Al P but the Al is pretty soft, I imagine its possible.

Perhaps sleeving in poly tubes and sealing the ends with a mix of steel wool embedded foam covered in wire mesh? Guess it depends on how much piping you have to worry about.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Joseph Skoler]

I've seen them chew through PEX of course.. I've seen them chew through stranded copper cable. I haven't actually seen them chew through P Al P but the Al is pretty soft, I imagine its possible.

Perhaps sleeving in poly tubes and sealing the ends with a mix of steel wool embedded foam covered in wire mesh? Guess it depends on how much piping you have to worry about.

Makes sense that if they wanted to chew through thin aluminum they could and would.

The project is a whole house, so sleeving everything is not practical.

Was hoping to find a pex version that offered a little more protection.

Thanks!

 

[Whatnot]

Usually the only time they chew through pex is when they are trying to enlarge the hole that the pex is going through so they can get through. don't oversize the holes or put the plate protectors on the pipes that completely cover the holes will eliminate most of the risk.

 

[Jeff H Young]

my natural gas bbq has a gas hose thats rubber or plastic with metal inside and rat chewed it enough to cause leak where it penetrated cabinet