It was Inevitable

[farmersamm]

Couldn't sleep, so decided to look at some ways, other than metallic conduit, to protect house wiring.......................

I came across this.

The One Drawback of PEX Pipe Even Plumbers Didn't See Coming

Discover why PEX tubing is a popular choice for water-supply systems and learn how to protect it from its one kryptonite: rodents.

www.bobvila.com

Our house supply lines are almost 100% PEX. Same with the doublewide.

I wondered about it some time back. The doublewide has been vacant for almost 12yrs, and it's been infiltrated by rats. Worst yet........the supply lines probably run underneath the floor(I think......not sure). This could be a disaster in the making. I need to go over there, and pressure test the damn system. It's gonna be sold soon...................can't do it with leaky pipes.

I've always lived in a home with copper pipes, until moving into this place 30+yrs ago. I never liked anything but copper.....more of "it's always been copper, and should always be copper". I don't like change. Change is usually for the worse..................and here ya go. Now ya gotta worry about rodents ruining your plumbing.

Makes sense.................stupid not to realize that anything, other than metal, is worth a damn.

How to Rodent-Proof PEX Pipe: Tips and Tricks - Pest Control IQ

If you’re looking to protect your PEX pipes from rodents, you’re not alone. Rodents, particularly mice and rats, are known to cause damage to PEX pipes by chewing through them. This can lead to leaks, water damage, and costly repairs. However, there are steps you can take to rodent-proof your...

pestcontroliq.com

Interesting article...........but it still boils down to old line deterrents

We haven't seen, or heard, a mouse in the house since the little heathen took up residence. I think the protection is beginning at the perimeter where she roams during the day, but I'm sure her presence in the house has telegraphed to the any of the "community" that might have remained.

 

[olddavid]

I was going to do a line change from my source to the house and even ordered the PEX and tools to do it when I discovered on the internet that rodents like to chew through it. I canceled the order and eventually went with copper. Having said that the house is a mobile home with flexible polybutylene piping. It is prone to failure I've heard but going on 29 years with no problems yet. I haven't seen any indications of rodent damage on these though I have had mice problems. In fact, I had a Romex wire neutral chewed completely through. I put poison bait boxes under the house and check them often.

 

[sms]

The hard water "ate" all the copper in my mother's house. We were always replacing pipe until changed to pex.
And of course with copper you have lead solder depending on age.

 

[olddavid]

The hard water "ate" all the copper in my mother's house. We were always replacing pipe until changed to pex.
And of course with copper you have lead solder depending on age.

It seems there are disadvantages to whatever you go with. I'm leaning toward changing mine to CPVC and running it along the ceiling. Cheap, fairly easy to work with, and should last as long as I'll need it. There are downsides with that as well.

 

[Butch(OH)]

In 25 years if using pex this is the first I've heard of a rodent problem but like anything else in life google the subject plus problems or junk or something like that and there will be 10,000 made up posts and the 1 in 10,000 real problem

 

[NDIHC]

It seems there are disadvantages to whatever you go with. I'm leaning toward changing mine to CPVC and running it along the ceiling. Cheap, fairly easy to work with, and should last as long as I'll need it. There are downsides with that as well.

I have cpvc in my house. I'm fine with it. It was installed when the house first got running water in the later 70s. I've had no problem with it at all, but it is getting harder to find than it used to be. I used to go to Menards or Lowes and get any fitting I wanted but now, especially Lowes has really cut back on what they keep in stock for cpvc.

 

[DoubleO7]

In 25 years if using pex this is the first I've heard of a rodent problem but like anything else in life google the subject plus problems or junk or something like that and there will be 10,000 made up posts and the 1 in 10,000 real problem

Both links to "rodent damaging pex" are advertisements for pest control products.

 

[DoubleO7]

@farmersamm

One of our rentals is a 2017 manufactured home. Not one inch of PEX was used by the factory.

I doubt a 30 year old one would have any either.

 

[JMOR]

If u are not a believer, just ask & I will post pictures or just send u the rodent chewed pex!

 

[Blackhole49]

The hard water "ate" all the copper in my mother's house. We were always replacing pipe until changed to pex.
And of course with copper you have lead solder depending on a.

 

[Blackhole49]

The hard water "ate" all the copper in my mother's house. We were always replacing pipe until changed to pex.
And of course with copper you have lead solder depending on age.

Interesting, worked in in plumbing my entire life. The only things I've seen rot out copper was a chlorine or bromine injection system on a pool and electrolysis. Never seen a buried copper leak. Wish I could say the same for steel or plastic. If my water was capable of rotting copper, I'd be looking for a new source of water.

 

[Frankmn]

My dad had a place down in Alamo Texas. We went down one year after it was decided they shouldn't be that far from home at 93. We turned the water on and a puddle came out Onto the patio. Opened the water heater are and found several pex pipes that had been chewed through. If i remember correctly some of the gray pipe was also chewed. We replaced it all with more pex but we put hardware cloth in every corner of that water heater closet. So far so good. My daughter bought the place now and very seldom goes there. Maybe it is still ok. Might have to spend a week there and check it out.

 

[Russ from MN]

It seems there are disadvantages to whatever you go with. I'm leaning toward changing mine to CPVC and running it along the ceiling. Cheap, fairly easy to work with, and should last as long as I'll need it. There are downsides with that as well.

CPVC looks more profesional, if done by a quallified person. Pex is for plumbers that can't read a tape measure, when it's done it looks like a bunch of garden hose run around a house. The only smart thing about it is being color coded, hot water lines are red.

 

[olddavid]

One of our rentals is a 2017 manufactured home. Not one inch of PEX was used by the factory.

I doubt a 30 year old one would have any either.

A 30 year old one may have the PEX-like gray polybutylene like mine (approx. 30 years old). I believe the brand I have is Qest. I'm curious what did they use in 2017?

 

[DoubleO7]

A 30 year old one may have the PEX-like gray polybutylene like mine (approx. 30 years old). I believe the brand I have is Qest. I'm curious what did they use in 2017?

The 2017 has regular sched 40 pvc.

 

[Eman85]

The 2017 has regular sched 40 pvc.

It has to be CPVC for water lines, especially hot water.

 

[john in la]

Interesting, worked in in plumbing my entire life. The only things I've seen rot out copper was a chlorine or bromine injection system on a pool and electrolysis. Never seen a buried copper leak. Wish I could say the same for steel or plastic. If my water was capable of rotting copper, I'd be looking for a new source of water.

Hard and or low PH water will damage copper pipes.
Low PH is even bad for your health when using copper pipes as it will leach the copper out of the pipe and deposit it in your drinking water.
Around here if you are on a private well you need to either treat your water or stay away from copper pipes.

 

[DoubleO7]

It has to be CPVC for water lines, especially hot water.

Could be, I only recall white plastic and glue joints with purple dye.

 

[Scott 730]

The doublewide has been vacant for almost 12yrs, and it's been infiltrated by rats. Worst yet........the supply lines probably run underneath the floor(I think......not sure). This could be a disaster in the making. I need to go over there, and pressure test the damn system. It's gonna be sold soon...................can't do it with leaky pipes.

Leaky pipes are worse than a rat infestation? Yikes.

 

[farmersamm]

@farmersamm

One of our rentals is a 2017 manufactured home. Not one inch of PEX was used by the factory.

I doubt a 30 year old one would have any either.

The doublewide is a 2008 model. Usually it's somewhere in the "shop" background

Need to take a walk over there, and see what it actually has in it.

I know the house is PEX, because I've had to work on the plumbing.