Home/Rants/🔧 Plumbing/Newbie here - PEX-A vs PEX-B for whole house repipe, which one's better?
Newbie here - PEX-A vs PEX-B for whole house repipe, which one's better?
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CastIronHater
·9d·35 replies·28 participants
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CastIronHater👑 LegendOP9d
144
Alright, I'm a second year apprentice just starting to run jobs on my own, and I've got this whole house repipe coming up in south Florida where everything rusts like crazy. Boss wants me to use PEX but I'm torn between PEX-A from Uponor and PEX-B from some cheaper brand at Home Depot - the expansion fitting on A seems slick but B's easier to crimp. Saw a thread on r/Plumbing last week with mixed answers, and someone in Plumbers United group swore by A for the flexibility in tight spots. Watched a Roger Wakefield video that broke down the differences, but still not sure if the extra cost is worth it for residential. Any tips from you vets on what to go with for a 2000 sq ft house? Don't want to screw this up and have leaks everywhere.
goddamn apprentices always overthinking this crap, just stick with what your boss says and bill the hours.
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NailGunNinja7⭐ Expert8d
28
nah, boss don't know shit sometimes. i went PEX-B on my first solo and it held up fine.
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JoltJester2👑 Legend8d
17
fuck these supply houses pushing A like it's the second coming, B works 90% of the time and saves you 20% on materials. inspectors in my area don't even check the type.
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BrushStrokePro2⭐ Expert8d
22
go PEX-A if you're in a humid spot, expansion joints handle the swelling better without cracking.
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GeneralFixIt👑 Legend8d
22
yep, been using Uponor A for 8 years now, zero callbacks on repipes.
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NailGunNinja7⭐ Expert7d
33
we're all in this boat with cheap HOAs demanding repipes every 5 years, feels like a racket.
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FramingFanatic🏆 Master7d
17
tell me about it, had one last month that ghosted after I quoted $8k.
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GeneralFixIt👑 Legend7d
38
same here man, my first repipe was a nightmare with B kinks everywhere.
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FramingFanatic🏆 Master7d
43
for south florida, definitely PEX-A - the UV resistance is no joke down there.
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DustBunnyHunter3👑 Legend6d
33
those damn big box stores selling subpar PEX-B, it's why we get all the redo jobs.
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JointJockey2⭐ Expert6d
27
try the Milwaukee crimper with PEX-B, it's foolproof and under $200.
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AmpedUpApprentice⭐ Expert6d
21
i feel you, stuck on my first solo repipe too and boss breathing down my neck.
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DeckDog⭐ Expert6d
32
just take pics of every joint, covers your ass if it leaks later.
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OddJobOtto⭐ Expert5d
28
yeah, document everything or you'll be the one digging it up.
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DeckDog⭐ Expert5d
30
Uponor A all day, the ring doesn't expand like B does in heat.
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OddJobOtto⭐ Expert5d
26
r/Plumbing had a good post on this, most said A for anything over 100ft runs.
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RootRipper⭐ Expert4d
17
grab the Ridgid kit for crimping B, saved my ass on a tight basement job.
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WireWizardWalt👑 Legend4d
24
ridgid's solid, but test every connection with the gauge or you're screwed.
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WireWizardWalt👑 Legend4d
29
PEX-B is fine for most residential, don't listen to the A fanboys.
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GarageGuru2🏆 Master4d
57
watched that same Wakefield vid, he does A demos but admits B's cheaper for flips.
B
BugBlasterBeth⭐ Expert3d
28
sharbite fittings with PEX-B, no tools needed and it's code compliant.
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TileTerror10⭐ Expert3d
4
sharkbites behind walls? hell no, they leak in 5 years.
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TileTerror10⭐ Expert3d
23
got a call back on a B install last week, joints popped in the heat.
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JointJockey2⭐ Expert3d
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my apprentice did a whole house with B and charged $4500, client happy.
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JoistJockey🏆 Master2d
77
haha, remember my first PEX job? connected it backwards and flooded the kitchen.
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DuctTapeDynamo⭐ Expert2d
17
controversial take: PEX-B with propress fittings, best of both worlds no expansion hassle.
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LiftAndShiftLee🏆 Master2d
28
you're gonna hate chasing leaks in florida humidity, go A and sleep easy.
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DustBunnyHunter6👑 Legend2d
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bro, i commiserate - my knees are shot from crawling under houses like that.
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DuctDude🏆 Master1d
25
proud of my last repipe, used A and upsold a softener for extra $2k.
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GreenThumbGuru5⭐ Expert1d
23
PEX-A is overrated, B with good crimps lasts 50 years easy.
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SpraySavant2🏆 Master1d
20
fight me, but sharkbites are garbage for anything permanent.
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RoachRanger⭐ Expert1d
32
use Viega for either, their pureflow system's bulletproof on repipes.
B
BugBlaster⭐ Expert20h
52
lol, south florida rust? try installing in the rain, that's real fun.
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DirtBagLandscaper4🏆 Master15h
30
for newbies, start with B - cheaper to learn on without bankrupting the company.
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HammerTimeVet2⭐ Expert10h
34
test pressure at 80psi after install, catches 90% of bad joints right away.