Plastic PEX pipe for domestic water supply

[jennyboneidle]

Hi, Please be gentle with me... first time posting here.

Can any of you knowledgeable plumbers answer this question..... would you personally use PEX pipe for your OWN domestic drinking water supply? Have you had any problems with taste, or leaching?

I'm having a new kitchen installed, and they are planning on using this type of pipe, and I have serious concerns about it, re the plastic taste and MBTE, and toulene (sp) leaching.

Any information you can give will be gratefully received.

Kind regards,
Jenny

 

[ShaunCorbs]

it can be good if installed correctly and the Americans have been using it for years and also your incoming main will prob be plastic (mdpe) anyway

 

[jennyboneidle]

Thank you Shauncorbs. The Americans tend to have different standards than UK though, don't they? And how do you know if it has been installed correctly? The house was built in 1975, and the incoming main is copper attached to a flexible pipe with the stopcock in between? They need to divert the mains because of the kitchen design.

 

[SimonG]

I wouldn't worry about short bits of plastic. You want to see the state of the mains in the road.

 

[Dotty]

It's all wras approved. Perfectly sound as long as it's installed properly.

 

[SimonG]

Although its perfectly safe you are the customer, so tell them to do it in copper.

 

[Ric2013]

Although its perfectly safe you are the customer, so tell them to do it in copper.

Why would he want it done in copper though, if PEX is perfectly good?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Why would he want it done in copper though, if PEX is perfectly good?

copper is king