What should I do?

I am having a problem deciding whether I should re-do my plumbing with pex or just do the necessary plumbing (moving the existing lines to new fixtures)in 1/2" copper. The plumbing I have now is all 1/2" copper coming straight out of the meter and basically a 1/2" copper branch with everything T'd off of it in 1/2". It is a ranch with a finished basement. There is a full bath downstairs and upstairs and the plumbing for both baths(directly above) are the same line, just T'd off a T off a T if you know what I mean. I am redoing both baths and wonder if I should redo all this. I don't have water pressure problems the way it is except for the pressure and temperature drop when someone flushes a toilet or uses the upstairs shower. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Rob

copper has been used in 100,000,000 homes here, and more worldwide, for fifty years. You have no problem with copper either -- or else you would have mentioned it.

david

geniescience said:

copper has been used in 100,000,000 homes here, and more worldwide, for fifty years. You have no problem with copper either -- or else you would have mentioned it.

david

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Thanks for your reply,
My problem is not with the copper. It is with the way it is all branched off. The basement bath has the lines go to the shower, T to the sink, T to the toilet and then T to the upstairs tub, T to the toilet, T then to the sink. Like I said, everything is 1/2" in the house. I believe the proper way to do this 30 years ago would have been to have a 3/4" trunk line and the fixtures tapped off that.

A bigger line into the area is what is typically done today. If using pex, then a manifold and home runs are often used. What is the size of the pipe to the meter? That could be a limiting factor to supply.

jadnashua said:

A bigger line into the area is what is typically done today. If using pex, then a manifold and home runs are often used. What is the size of the pipe to the meter? That could be a limiting factor to supply.

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It's 1/2" off the meter.

pipe

You biggest problem is the "genius" who installed a 1/2" line from the meter to the house. That is too small for anything other than a doll house, or a house with only one person since he/she could only use one faucet at a time.

hj said:

You biggest problem is the "genius" who installed a 1/2" line from the meter to the house. That is too small for anything other than a doll house, or a house with only one person since he/she could only use one faucet at a time.

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The basement was being lived in while the owner was building the upstairs so I guess the problem started there. 1/2" was good enough and easy enough when the basement was the living quarters. The upstairs was just tapped into what ever was there. I have enough 1/2" and 3/4" fittings to do a trunk and branch in copper, (thanks to an estate sale), instead of going the pex route. Just need to buy the pipe. I'll be able to reuse alot of the 1/2" that is already there too.