What Is PEx

PEX plays an integral role in a water supply system. It is known to offer more advantages compared to metal pipes, like lead, copper and iron, and rigid plastic pipes, like ABS, PVC, and CPVC.

PEX pipes are made from cross-linked high-density polyethylene or HDPE polymer. The crosslinking of HDPE makes bridges among each polyethylene molecule. The resulting material is more stable under extreme temperatures, chemical attacks, and better resistance to creep deformation. The HDPE polymer is melted and continually squeezed into the tube.

You may have noticed different colors of the pipes. However, these do not indicate the distinctions of each. The main purpose of these colors is to make it easy for installers to determine if the line is carrying hot water or cold.

Red PEX pipes carry hot water.

Blue PEX pipes carry cold water.

White PEX pipes can either be used for cold or hot water.

There are also gray PEX pipes that serve the same function as the white ones.

It comes in varying lengths. It can come in 10-ft. pieces for minor repairs and over 500-ft. long for residential water supply installation. PEX pipes range from ⅜ to an inch in diameter and their color coding make it easy to determine the function of a particular pipe.v