Which plumbing pipe material is actually best for a whole house?
Choosing between PEX A, PEX B, CPVC, and copper means balancing trade-offs in appearance, flow rate, and installation costs. PEX B is cheaper and more accessible but can look cheap and reduce flow rate, whereas PEX A maintains flow rate but requires expensive specialty tools. Meanwhile, traditional options like copper and CPVC remain considerations depending on budget and personal preference.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using PEX for hidden plumbing and copper stub outs for exposed areas to get the aesthetic of copper with the ease of PEX.
- 2Using cheaper and more accessible PEX-B instead of PEX-A
- 3Running 1-inch PEX to mitigate potential pressure drops
- 4Buying a more affordable third-party expansion tool instead of brand-name options
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I need to have some plumbing done and I’m not a fan of Pex B I think it looks cheap. I was going to go with CPVC or copper if I can afford.”source ↗
“Hello, I’m learning about the differences between pex a and b as I’m about to install a whole house filter and water softener in my house.”source ↗
“From what I’ve read pex b will reduce my flow rate but it’s cheaper and more accessible. While pex a will maintain my flow rate but I have to buy a 400 dollar tool to do the fittings.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How do I know which sealant to use for a bathroom sink?
- 2What size pipe do I need when combining two 3-inch pipes?
- 3Will half-inch pipes cause pressure drops in a second bathroom?
- 7Why can't I replace a flexible sink drain with rigid PVC?
- 2Is dark brown metal under paint copper?
- 3How to fix a sink drain pipe that is too short