We are all aware of the functionality of PEX pipes. They are low-cost, efficient, lightweight & flexible. All these qualities of PEX pipes combine to make them an out & out hit in the plumbing market. Today, everyone uses PEX pipes to get a fully functional plumbing system up & running. Homeowners, especially, uses PEX pipes because of their cost-effectiveness & ease of use.
But just like every other product, PEX pipes are also going through radical technological changes everyday. One result of that change is much advanced PEX-AL-PEX pipes. PEX-AL-PEX pipes are basically a combination of PEX pipes & traditional metal pipes. These pipes are made by sandwiching a layer of aluminum between the outer & inner layer of PEX. Of late, these special types of PEX pipes have gained in popularity off-late & many people are using them instead of the standard PEX plumbing. Let us now give you a constructive presentation on why PEX-AL-PEX can be a better option than standard PEX pipes in many areas.
PEX-AL-PEX vs. PEX:
The biggest advantage of PEX-AL-PEX over standard PEX pipes is that the former possesses a greater resistance capability to heat & pressure than standard PEX tubes. This higher resistance to heat & pressure to heat & pressure makes the aluminum PEX ideal for hot water transportation. It can resist up to 100 degree Celsius without any difficulty. The heat resistance capacity of standard PEX pipes is a little lower compared to PEX-Al-PEX pipes.
The thermal conductivity of regular PEX stands at 2.6 BTU/h-ft F for half-inch tubes while thermal conductivity of PEX-AL-PEX tubes is 3.1 BTU/h-ft F for half-inch tubes. This allows for greater amount of heat transfer in aluminum tubes. When it comes to pressure, regular PEX pipes are rated at 80 Psi at 200F while for PEX-AL-PEX the figure stands at 160 Psi (approx) at 200F.
PEX tube made using aluminum pipes can be bent easily without much difficulty & even more interesting is the fat that it retains that shape without springing back into its original form.
Aluminum PEX tubes are a little more tolerant to freeze damage compared to standard PEX pipes. This makes them ideal for extreme cold weather condition.
The one advantage standard PEX has over its aluminum counterpart is their cost. aluminum layer pipes will cost you more than a standard PEX pipe. So cost-effectiveness is not something you can associate with aluminum PEX. But if you want better quality then you will have to spend a little more. Both types of PEX pipes are efficient. At the end of the day it will come down to the requirement you have. You can make your selection based on that.
