|
|
Posted by David Sherman [24.32.202.83] on Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 15:36:10 :
Anybody using it? I'm adding a couple more air outlets to my shop and got to thinking if copper is just too expensive these days. 1/2" copper's around $8/stick whereas 1/2" PEX is $25/100', about 1/3 as much. PEX is easier to work with, for long runs at least. The downside is PEX fittings are 4-5 times as expensive as copper, and they go inside the pipe rather than outside it so they restrict the flow more. In tight spots, sharp angles get expensive fast.
I have enough copper on hand, including "good take-out" pieces, to do this job, but the price difference and the easy of working with PEX got me wondering if anyone else is using it for air. I PVC is a big no-no for air lines because if it blows, it'll send shrapnel flying, but PEX is basically a high-end polyethylene which should not shatter or blow out any fragments. It's rated to 100 PSI for hot water and 160 PSI for cold water, which should handle the pressure of a shop air system.
Follow Ups: