Save Water and Money with PEX Plumbing Systems

If you’ve never thought about how running water gets from the main valve of your home to your sinks, bathtubs, and dishwasher, that’s probably a good thing. But if you’ve ever considered how much water is wasted in a home, or how to lower your water bills, you may be interested in how your plumbing is configured. There’s more than one way to plumb a house, and if your builder uses a PEX plumbing system, you’ll save on wasted water AND your utility bill.

Here’s how it works:

Traditional plumbing uses copper pipes and is configured using a trunk-and-branch organization system. Copper is an enduring material, but it’s costly and can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to work with because of its rigidity. PEX pipe, on the other hand, is about 60% less expensive to install than copper, because it’s a flexible PVC material that doesn’t require cutting and sauntering to reach fixtures. PEX can expand and contract depending on the temperature of the water, so it’s much less likely to burst than copper. 

The trunk-and branch system is the traditional way plumbing is organized in a home, and consists of one large pipe that comes into the home, and smaller branch lines that tee off of the main line to feed individual fixtures. While this is a simple system to install, it wastes a lot of water while users are waiting for hot temperatures to brush their teeth or do the dishes. 

The newer, more efficient way to design plumbing is to use PEX in what’s called a manifold system. Here, the large pipe runs only a short distance into the home and then a manifold is installed. A manifold is a device that individual water lines attach to so that they run directly from the main line to each fixture. This system has two benefits:

1) Hot water gets to your fixture faster, since it’s traveling a shorter distance from the main line to the fixture. This saves on wasted water and, ultimately, your water bill.

2) You have the ability to shut off water to one fixture at a time, without touching the main water valve. For example, if a faucet breaks in the bathroom you can shut water off to that sink while the rest of the fixtures in your home (kitchen, washing machine, etc), remain operational. 

Overall, PEX plumbing systems are more innovative, conserve more water, and save more money than traditional copper plumbing. 

While it can be interesting to learn about the inner workings of your home, the best systems are the ones that work well, last for years, save you money, and make your home more comfortable and convenient. That’s exactly what PEX plumbing does, which is why McKee Builders uses it exclusively in our new homes in Preserve at Marsh Creek in Chester Springs, PA and Friendship Creek in Bethany Beach, DE.

To learn more about these beautiful homes and all their energy-efficient and cost-saving features, please contact us at 610-549-4208 or schedule a personal tour today.