I am just starting work on a new home. My contractor's plumber says it is "lunacy" to use copper piping rather than plastic because it will cost more. I don't care about that factor; instead I want plumbing that will last longer than I will and hopefully give me no grief. Another contractor friend says to run the copper line (the same size as the supply line) the width of the house and then tee off that to eliminate any loss of water pressure.
Am I correct in assuming that copper plumbing is the way to go even though it will cost me more?

We don't use copper in new houses(or old) unless the customer wants it. If we do use copper, its to run the main 3/4" line and its for mainly looks(the PEX liks to be wavy sometimes). There shouldn't be a issue with water pressure. Plastic will last a lot longer than copper.

Here's a link to a guide for design and use of PEX water piping. It has many advantages over copper, not simply cost. Read through this document and see what you think:

http://www.toolbase.org/PDF/DesignGuides/pex_designguide.pdf

Call me old school. Copper water supply piping has been widely installed in homes for about 65 years. So far, I'm not aware of any major problems with the material on a widespread basis. My experience modifying 60 year old copper shows no evidence of excess corrosion, calcium or lime build-up, good water flow, ease of installation and repair.

PEX seems like a good product but will it stand the test of time, especially with water that may have high chlorine content? Will parts be readily available for repair years from now? I understand pex parts are proprietary from each manufacturer. What if you mix parts in the future? It seems relatively new, are installers installing and supporting the product properly, according to strict industry standards?

I like the idea of PEX, but it may take a few more years before I'm convinced.

Copper pipe and fittings will be at least double the material cost and the labor will also be more than double. Commercial buildings are using plastics in place of copper and California just approved CPVC in the UPC. Commercial buildings are installing CPVC SCH 80 mains and reducing down to CTS CPVC, then down to a pex product. The CPVC have the fire approvals for flame and smoke and can be used in a return air plenum. There are a bunch of PEX prodcuts out there, but one product will eliminate alot of the things people are saying in earlier posts. There is a PEX product which is a composite material, pex x aluminum x pex. This give you a rigid yet flexible system, can be put directly into concrete, has the fire approval, and can be hung at 8', just like copper(or per local code)This type of material has been used in Europe over 25 years and in North America sicne 1985. The product comes in coils and acts like soft copper. It cna be adapted to regular pex in areas where this product is overkill. It costs about 20% more on tubing, but fititngs are the same cost.

I have been involved in commercial as well as residental plumbing over 20 years> I prefer plastic pipes. They are approvent for both applications in most states. Plastic does dot get the tiny pin holes that copper often does. Plastic can be cut and pieced into without sweating them like the copper has to be done. It is far less expensive as just just as good a job. In most states the home owner can repair the pipe without hiring a plumber if they have the know how. ( another plus for plastic cost wise)

All we use now is PEX. It simply is much easier to intall. Cost a whole lot less then copper. Fittings are a little more however, No flame to worry about buring down the house. Can be easily changed and adapted to any new Ideas that come along.
The Manifolds are a bit exensive but work real well with management of the branches. Gives you the ability to shut off one or more areas rather then the entire house.
Like any newer product out ther be sure to follow and adhere to the manufactures installation instructions. Do not do it your way even if it is easier to do. And be sure that the installer uses proper plastic brackets to install and support. As the PEX expands and contracts it can wear on hard surfaces. That would be the only reason for a leak.
Another real strong reason for following the instructions. Class Action Law Suits. If it ever happens and your not installed according to the directions outlined by the manufacture. You will have a harder issue convincing a jury that it was the products fault that it failed.

... as a person discussing requirements on a new house, one other thing our builder pointed out is theft. Copper theft here has been through the roof, with pipe being delivered and then stolen before it can be installed, with the cost burden falling on the home buyer. Didn't have to think long on that one to respond with "We'll take PEX" ...

It was mentioned, but worth expanding on:

pex allows you to run homeruns to one central location, with a manifold there which includes shutoff valves for each individual device. It can make future plumbing or fixture changes a breeze. Its so nice to know what everything is and where the shutoff is (as long as you label them) if you ever need to shut something off. In my (older) house, all the new stuff is pex going to a manifold and I couldnt be happier.

quote:

. Copper theft here has been through the roof,

I used to work in an architect's office which was attached to a plumbing contractor's building and yard. They kept their large diameter (like 4 inch) copper pipes outside, and they were constantly robbed. So, they had the pipe delivered inside their building, where someone painted the pipes black before storing them outside. No more robberies.

Painted them black? That must suck for the plumbers who have to spend extra time trying to get it off.

Black pipe and a pain in the rump is better than no pipe at all...or at least it was then