Hey guys,
I moved a 40 gallon water heater into an attic to make more space on a very tight 1st floor. The attic is unconditioned but it receives a lot of heat from the living space below so it is never quite ambient temp in the winter.
I am concerned with very cold weather. I've read that PEX is more freeze resistant than CPVC or copper, aside from being more easy to work with.
I have 24 inch copper water heater connections into 3/4 PEX. I used some brass PEX connectors to make some hard angles down into the living space but I'm second guessing whether I should have used PEX all the way and made 90s with PEX instead of using the brass 90s. The pics help explain the situation.
I feel the brass 90s are the weak point for cold weather resistance and for flow (and leaks) even though they are on the floor close to the thermal envelope.
You think its worth taking these brass 90s out in the first pic and running pure PEX for the entire run of 20 feet? I was worried about making those angles work with 3/4 inch.
(The foam insulation sticking up can be ignored. Needs to be trimmed into place. Also ignore the yellow SS gas lines in the 2nd pic, that's all been cleaned up and simplified. I also haven't plumbed in the pan drain)
The 3/4 PEX supply line runs into a Water Cop (leak detector and automated shutoff), hence that black box lying on its side. The metal structure is the insulated furnace chimney.
I accept all constructive criticism.
I moved a 40 gallon water heater into an attic to make more space on a very tight 1st floor. The attic is unconditioned but it receives a lot of heat from the living space below so it is never quite ambient temp in the winter.
I am concerned with very cold weather. I've read that PEX is more freeze resistant than CPVC or copper, aside from being more easy to work with.
I have 24 inch copper water heater connections into 3/4 PEX. I used some brass PEX connectors to make some hard angles down into the living space but I'm second guessing whether I should have used PEX all the way and made 90s with PEX instead of using the brass 90s. The pics help explain the situation.
I feel the brass 90s are the weak point for cold weather resistance and for flow (and leaks) even though they are on the floor close to the thermal envelope.
You think its worth taking these brass 90s out in the first pic and running pure PEX for the entire run of 20 feet? I was worried about making those angles work with 3/4 inch.
(The foam insulation sticking up can be ignored. Needs to be trimmed into place. Also ignore the yellow SS gas lines in the 2nd pic, that's all been cleaned up and simplified. I also haven't plumbed in the pan drain)
The 3/4 PEX supply line runs into a Water Cop (leak detector and automated shutoff), hence that black box lying on its side. The metal structure is the insulated furnace chimney.
I accept all constructive criticism.
