Drinking water system tubing fails

[Henry]

For approx. 20 years we have had a home-built system to distribute drinking water around the house.

The water comes from a conventional bottled water dispenser in the kitchen. We drilled a hole in the bottom of the reservoir and ran a tube to a pump. The pump runs as needed, to maintain 20 psi in the lines. The lines run in "milky tubing" from the pump to three places around the house - in the kitchen it goes to a hot water dispenser and the icemaker in the refrigerator, and there is also a run to the master bedroom. I have been using the thickest wall milky tubing available at local stores, but the tubes that are up in the attic last only 5 - 10 years. It does not freeze here, and it never gets very hot either - southern Cal. near the ocean) but obviously the attic heat is affecting the tubing. I know that if I changed the attic tubing to copper, it would last forever, but I would like to avoid having the water go thru copper. Is there a longer-lasting plastic material available, suitable for potable water? Cost would not be a big factor as the attic runs are only about 10 ft. long.

Henry

[Edwin Pawlowski]

PEX. Life expectancy is 100 years.

[we]

100 years !!!! I doubt it.... 5 years from now it will probably be banned because its falling apart. I use metalic pipe only. Why the OP wont use copper is a mystery to me. I'd rather have my water go thru copper, than thru any plastic which will "flavor" the water with formeldahyde and all sorts of other toxic chemicals.

[BobK207]

PEX has excellent longevity (do some reserch)

as long as it is not exposed to sun.

I was unaware of formeldahyde being a problem with PEX, your information source?

I will wager that it will outlast copper in all fresh water environments, esp where the water is acidic.

cheers Bob

cheers Bob

[buffalobill]

i am curious about what is the annual testing system you use for the bacteria count on this non-chlorinated system. also about warming the water in the attic line to bacterial growth temperatures.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The OP want plastic for the same irrational reason you insist on copper. No matter what reality is, you've got your mind made up and no amount of facts will change it.

[Beachcomber]

If you continue to use plastic, don't just put in any plastic tubing, it could be dangerous to your health.

Check out the tubing that they use for carbonated drink dispensers to transport syrup and water to a remote dispenser. It is a special "food grade" approved material and is reinforced to withstand the relatively low pressures that you are using.

Someone who services "Carbonated Drink Dispensers" in your town can probably tell you where to get it or you could Google around.

Beachcomber

[Stormin Mormon]

With runs of ten feet, makes me wonder why can't their family members walk ten feet to a water cooler?

[David Martel]

I agree with beachcomber. The brand I used in the lab is Bev-A-Line.Most any scientific supply house will stock food grade tubing. I bet any restaurant supply house will too.

Dave M.

[we]

I was thinking the same thing.....

I'm surprised that heated water in the attic dont taste like crap, and the tubing is full of green slime.

It's just like a few years ago I saw a study about bottled water that people pay for, and they said that many of them contain more bacteria and other unwanted substances than plain tap water...

Bottled water is fine if you own a cabin with a shallow well that is non-potable, or when you travel to Mexico, but otherwise, drink from the tap.

[we]

Based on what? The stuff has only been around a few years. How can they claim the 100 years. THEY CAN'T !

Why do research? It's all advertising hype. If I do reaearch about cigarettes, the tobacco companies glamorize tobacco,,,

I guess that means to never use it in any basement that has windows

Formeldahyde is in most plastics, if its not formeldahyde, it's some other harmful chemical. PVC pipe has formeldahyde.

In an acidic water situation, you may be correct. For normal water, I'd wager the copper will last much longer.

[Henry]

From the OP:

The total runs are much longer than 10 feet. 10 feet is the length of the runs that are in the attic - the rest is under the house, where there is much less heat.

Henry

Storm>With runs of ten feet, makes me wonder why can't their family members walk

[Veritas]

You want to avoid copper? You don't say why, but presumably some fear of contamination.

Well, what do you suppose getting into your water from the plastic tubing that breaks down every "5 - 10 years"??? Plastic can outgas all sorts of nasty chemicals. Where do you think they are going?

[BobK207]

Chill............go easy on the CAPS & the !!!'s

you'll live longer

PEX has been around since the 60's

not "The stuff has only been around a few years."

it been in use in europe since then & the US since the 80's, if the stuff only lasted 5 or 10 years we'd be hearing a lot of bad press about it.

I thought we were discusing PEX not "most plastics"

"Formeldahyde is in most plastics, if its not formeldahyde, it's some other harmful chemical. PVC pipe has formeldahyde. "

I'm not a fan of PVC or CPVC for potable water but PEX is different animal

I guess you don't eat any food from plastic packaging?

cheers Bob