Re-plumbing: Replacing Brass Pipes with PEX Tubing

Why would you replace Brass pipes with PEX tubing?

There are many advantages to using PEX Tubing over Brass pipes in plumbing installations. For one, PEX tubing is much quieter than its Brass alternative. The “water hammer” effect ( noise is caused by fluids forced to change their direction too quickly ) is almost completely eliminated. Water hammer effect can also cause vibrations in the pipes and in some cases even result in complete piping system collapse.

Brass pipes simply cannot be installed in an acidic environment. Water with pH lower than 6.5 has to be treated to increase its pH before it can be transported through the brass piping. Otherwise, the pipes may simply corrode. PEX tubing is not faced against such issues and works well with acidic water conditions.

PEX tubing is also capable of accommodating the different states of water (near freezing, room temperature and very hot). This effect is often referred to as thermal expansion or contraction. The tubing expands and contracts as temperature in the system changes, thus reducing the stress on the plumbing system and it’s components.

PEX tubing’s flexibility also makes its installation much less labor-intensive. You can use long runs of the tubing without the need for many connections.

When replacing brass pipes with PEX tubing, consider that PEX pipes have a thicker wall. This means that water has a smaller area to flow through, thus causing an increased drop in water pressure. When re-piping Brass pipes with PEX tubing, it is recommended to use PEX that is one size larger than the Brass pipes (for example, 3/4” PEX tubing instead of 1/2” brass pipes).