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According to copper.orgs fact page, the "average" single family home (whatever that means) has 151 pounds of copper pipe. The current scrap price for #1 copper where I live is $2.88. That comes out to around $446.

That would maybe cover the cost of the pex itself, OR the cost of fittings and tools, but probably not both.




I'd argue keep the copper in place as much as possible. PEX is plastic. I'm sure it contributes to all the microplastics/PFAS we see all over the place.


this is superstitious nonsense. pex contains no pfas and is the least likely kind of plastic to create microplastics

it's disturbing that people saying things like 'I would bet that running a single load of synthetic clothes in the dryer creates more microplastic than making 1000 cut and crimped connections of PEX tubing.' get flagged to death as if they were spamming penis enlargement pills; that comment was obviously correct


I would bet that running a single load of synthetic clothes in the dryer creates more microplastic than making 1000 cut and crimped connections of PEX tubing.


Copper has natural antibacterial properties. I'm loathe to look at the insides of plastic pipe after 30 years :p


superstitious nonsense


Honestly don't know which pipe is worse. I've had to crawl underneath my house 4 times to repair pinholes, but squirrels seem to think pex is made out of some sort of heroin candy. They can't get enough. Sadly, I've never gotten any video of what they think of the relatively high pressure water at the center of this candy... might've be some small consolation.




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