PEX A vs PEX B comes down to two differences: how the plastic is made and how the joints go together. The pipe itself makes up only a small slice of what you'll spend. The letter tells you which factory method was used to make the plastic; it isn't a grade of quality (SharkBite). - PEX A pipe: about $0.35 for every foot of pipe (a plumbing business in Montana) - PEX B pipe: about $0.21 for every foot (same business) - Labor's share of a repipe bill: around 70 % (Angi) - This site's estimate for a 1,800 sq ft, 2-bathroom, one-story house: about $6,400 to $11,800
Should your repipe use PEX A or PEX B?
Both types will move water through your home just fine. PEX B is what you'll run into most often, and it's cheaper per foot. PEX A keeps the pipe's full width at each joint, and it's easier to fix when it bends too far.
| PEX A | PEX B | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per foot of pipe | about $0.35 | about $0.21 |
| How the joints are put together | The pipe is stretched over the fitting | A fitting is inserted and held by a crimp ring |
| Opening at each joint | As wide as the pipe itself | Smaller than the pipe |
| Pipe size a plumber may choose | The usual size | Often one size larger to make up for the narrower fittings |
| Fixing a sharp bend | A heat gun can fix it | The damaged stretch is removed |
| Joints when it's cold | Take longer to set | Behave the same as always |
Because the fittings in PEX B narrow the opening, plumbers using it will often pick a pipe one size larger (Will Plumb). A heat gun can smooth out a kink in PEX A, but with PEX B the kinked stretch has to come out.
Uponor repipe systems
Uponor is one of the best-known names in PEX A pipe, while Zurn is a major brand of PEX B (Will Plumb). The expansion connection standard behind Uponor's ProPEX fittings, called ASTM F1960, was created by Uponor (Uponor).
Put Uponor PEX A pipe together with ProPEX fittings and the system is covered by a 25-year limited warranty. Uponor describes the 25-year limited system warranty as transferable; check its terms for what is covered and how a new owner can receive it.
What a repipe costs
Labor runs about 70 % of a repipe bill, so saving on pipe only touches a small piece of the total (Angi). House size and bathroom count affect the estimate, as do local labor rates and whether the home has a slab or a second floor. Here is what this site expects you'd pay for a PEX repipe on a single floor over a crawl space, with plumbers charging the US average rate. A crawl space is the shallow open area beneath a raised floor.
| House | Rough price | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bath, 1,200 sq ft | roughly $4,100 to $7,700 | 2 to 3 days |
| 2 baths, 1,800 sq ft | roughly $6,400 to $11,800 | 2 to 3 days |
| 3 baths, 2,400 sq ft | roughly $7,500 to $14,400 | 3 to 4 days |
| 4 or more baths, 3,200 sq ft | roughly $10,600 to $21,200 | 4 to 5 days |
On that same 1,800 sq ft house, copper would run about $9,400 to $18,800 and take 3 to 5 days. These are estimates. If you call the number on this site, which costs you nothing, you'll reach a repipe company that works in your area. It looks at your house and then gives you a fixed price.
Expansion vs crimp fittings
PEX A uses an expansion fitting. A tool stretches the end of the pipe open, the fitting goes in, and the pipe closes back down around it (Will Plumb). That's why the opening stays as wide as the pipe.
PEX B uses a crimp ring, which is a copper ring that gets squeezed onto the pipe over an insert fitting. The insert makes each joint narrower than the pipe. Crimp joints set up the same no matter the weather, but expansion joints need more time to shrink back down when it's cold out.
Questions people ask
Is PEX A or PEX B the better pick?
Neither is officially better. All PEX types must meet ASTM F876 and the drinking-water standard NSF/ANSI/CAN 61. Plumbing codes refer to PEX without distinguishing A from B (SharkBite).
Do plumbers lean toward PEX A or PEX B?
PEX B is the most common type, but some repipe companies prefer PEX A. One national repipe company uses Uponor AquaPEX pipe and ProPEX fittings on its repipes (Repipe).
Are the fittings the same for PEX A and PEX B?
Both come in the same outside size, which is called copper tube size. But each type is normally joined its own way: expansion fittings for PEX A, and insert fittings with crimp rings for PEX B.
How does PEX C stack up against PEX A and PEX B?
PEX C gets its cross-linking from electron irradiation, a third factory method. It has to pass the same tests, and its outside size matches both other types.
How many years does a PEX repipe last?
You can expect about 40 to 50 years out of PEX (Fuse Service).