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
·1mo·35 replies·28 participants
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CastIronHater⭐ ExpertOP1mo
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⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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⭐ Expert1mo
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⚒️ Journeyman1mo
22
go PEX-A if you're in a humid spot, expansion joints handle the swelling better without cracking.
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GeneralFixIt⭐ Expert1mo
22
yep, been using Uponor A for 8 years now, zero callbacks on repipes.
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NailGunNinja7⚒️ Journeyman1mo
33
we're all in this boat with cheap HOAs demanding repipes every 5 years, feels like a racket.
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FramingFanatic⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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tell me about it, had one last month that ghosted after I quoted $8k.
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GeneralFixIt⭐ Expert1mo
38
same here man, my first repipe was a nightmare with B kinks everywhere.
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FramingFanatic⚒️ Journeyman1mo
43
for south florida, definitely PEX-A - the UV resistance is no joke down there.
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DustBunnyHunter3⭐ Expert1mo
33
those damn big box stores selling subpar PEX-B, it's why we get all the redo jobs.
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JointJockey2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
27
try the Milwaukee crimper with PEX-B, it's foolproof and under $200.
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AmpedUpApprentice⚒️ Journeyman1mo
21
i feel you, stuck on my first solo repipe too and boss breathing down my neck.
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DeckDog⚒️ Journeyman1mo
32
just take pics of every joint, covers your ass if it leaks later.
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OddJobOtto⚒️ Journeyman1mo
28
yeah, document everything or you'll be the one digging it up.
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DeckDog⚒️ Journeyman1mo
30
Uponor A all day, the ring doesn't expand like B does in heat.
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OddJobOtto⚒️ Journeyman1mo
26
r/Plumbing had a good post on this, most said A for anything over 100ft runs.
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RootRipper⚒️ Journeyman1mo
17
grab the Ridgid kit for crimping B, saved my ass on a tight basement job.
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WireWizardWalt⭐ Expert1mo
24
ridgid's solid, but test every connection with the gauge or you're screwed.
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WireWizardWalt⭐ Expert1mo
29
PEX-B is fine for most residential, don't listen to the A fanboys.
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GarageGuru2⭐ Expert1mo
57
watched that same Wakefield vid, he does A demos but admits B's cheaper for flips.
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BugBlasterBeth🔧 Apprentice1mo
28
sharbite fittings with PEX-B, no tools needed and it's code compliant.
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TileTerror10⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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sharkbites behind walls? hell no, they leak in 5 years.
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TileTerror10⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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got a call back on a B install last week, joints popped in the heat.
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JointJockey2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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my apprentice did a whole house with B and charged $4500, client happy.
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JoistJockey⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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haha, remember my first PEX job? connected it backwards and flooded the kitchen.
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DuctTapeDynamo⚒️ Journeyman1mo
17
controversial take: PEX-B with propress fittings, best of both worlds no expansion hassle.
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LiftAndShiftLee⚒️ Journeyman1mo
28
you're gonna hate chasing leaks in florida humidity, go A and sleep easy.
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DustBunnyHunter6⭐ Expert1mo
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bro, i commiserate - my knees are shot from crawling under houses like that.
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DuctDude⚒️ Journeyman1mo
25
proud of my last repipe, used A and upsold a softener for extra $2k.
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GreenThumbGuru5⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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PEX-A is overrated, B with good crimps lasts 50 years easy.
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SpraySavant2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
20
fight me, but sharkbites are garbage for anything permanent.
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RoachRanger⚒️ Journeyman1mo
32
use Viega for either, their pureflow system's bulletproof on repipes.
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BugBlaster⚒️ Journeyman1mo
52
lol, south florida rust? try installing in the rain, that's real fun.
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DirtBagLandscaper4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
30
for newbies, start with B - cheaper to learn on without bankrupting the company.
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HammerTimeVet2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
34
test pressure at 80psi after install, catches 90% of bad joints right away.