15 Common Plumbing Terms You Should Know

PEX Tubing

Copper and galvanized steel water pipes are so last century. PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) is the water pipe material of the future. It’s bendable, a snap to assemble (literally) and even comes in blue and red so you can tell the hot water pipes from the cold ones. PEX is much cheaper than copper and on a par with PVC, another plastic material with a future.

Today, PEX is the material of choice for new water system installations, and it can also be tied into existing copper systems. One of the main drawbacks of PEX is that it isn’t rated for exterior above-ground use, so landscapers usually use polypropylene or PVC. Another problem: PEX fittings are more expensive than metal or PVC fittings.