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

"Henry" wrote in message
ink.net...
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.

PEX. Life expectancy is 100 years.

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 04:20:28 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Henry" wrote in message
link.net...
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.

PEX. Life expectancy is 100 years.

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.

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

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.

http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking...ogram=WaterTre

wrote in message
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.

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.

On 16 Jan 2006 01:23:46 -0800, "buffalobill"
wrote:

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.

http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking...ogram=WaterTre


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

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

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 04:20:28 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"Henry" wrote in message
link.net...
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.

PEX. Life expectancy is 100 years.

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.

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.

On 16 Jan 2006 01:23:46 -0800, "buffalobill"
wrote:

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.

http://www.nsf.org/consumer/drinking...ogram=WaterTre

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.

On 15 Jan 2006 23:24:21 -0800, "BobK207" wrote:



PEX has excellent longevity (do some reserch)

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,,,

as long as it is not exposed to sun.

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

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

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

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

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

cheers
Bob

cheers
Bob

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



Stormin Mormon wrote:

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

Henry wrote:

For approx. 20 years we have had a home-built system to distribute
drinking water around the house.
[...]
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. [...] I would like to avoid having the water go thru
copper. Is there a longer-lasting plastic material available, suitable
for potable water?

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?

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