Cold water service: PE or PEX?

[mrakhmil]

I am going to have my water service line from the meter to the house re-piped. It's about 120 feet total (don't ask me why the city installed the meter around the back.) I was told I can run about 60 feet underground to the house, then the other 60 feet in an accessible crawl space to the front of the house. Rather than putting copper in the ground, I am thinking of having the plumbing company use PE or PEX for that portion, connecting to a 1" copper line in the crawl space for the next 60 feet. I've got two questions:

1. Any problems getting a PE or PEX pipe connected to copper (with a shut-off valve before it enters the crawl space)?

1. PE or PEX for the underground portion from the meter? As I understand it, the cross-linking (X in PEX) makes it thermally stable so it retains strength with hot water. But all I have coming from the meter is cold water, so should PE work just as well?

Location - Northern CA. We get some shaking on a fairly regular basis, and the winter temperature once in a while can dip down to freezing or just a bit below.

Thanks, Mark

[Taurus]

Your best bet is type M copper, but between PE and PEX I would choose Pex. You can find fittings for PEX anywhere and the piping systems are designed to be hooked together. How much do you know about PE (polyethelyene)? From my expirence you have to "Poly fusion weld the joints" yes weld plastic pipe, I have done it in school, or thread it (Sch

80 only) PE is not usually used as a water line, mainly a drain system. I have re-searched PE and found only drain applications. It can not be glued because the PE is designed for drainage of labs and chemicals, corrosive liquids, by this factor the pipe is 100% resistent to all glues, and it is not possible to even buy glue for it. PEX is the best way to go, if you do the job yourself, consult your local plumbing code.

[Ned Flanders]

160PSI Black plastic is all you need.