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jjmay77
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 09:49
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I am installing a water system for my cabin. It will consist of a 55 gallon plastic barrel, on demand pump and Camplux water heater. I have been considering Pex, PVC etc. Online I see people using everything from garden hoses to plastic etc. Both Pex and PVC are not approved for outdoor use. This is a makeshift "camp" water shower system in a small cabin. What have others done and what are your thoughts? Thanks
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 10:22
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I have cheap black poly ran down from my up hill water tank. Then it splits off via garden hose to our outdoor shower and outdoor sink. I have roughly 600ft of 1in poly sitting outside all year long( I drain it in the winter) and only ever had one chew mark on the actual black poly. PVC fittings and other plastic how ever they have destroyed.
I believe they say dont use PEX and PVC outside due to the UV Rays
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 10:37
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While PEX is not approved for outdoor use, there are plenty of situations where its been used successfully. The big problem is it degrades fairly rapidly from sunlight (UV). If you can protect it from sunlight, it will last as long as anything else.
Its also not rated to be buried but there is a PEX line on my brothers farm that was buried in 2002 and is still in use today.
Of course neither of those situations would pass code, so you need to make a that choice. There are outdoor rated plastic pipes (Corzan comes to mind), but they are more expensive and require special installs (different glue and primer).
For me, at my cabin, I used PEX with 3 short outdoor runs (inlet, hot water feed, hot water return). Those outdoor runs are encased in ABS pipe to protect them from UV. So far so good.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 10:40
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I love inexpensive, easy to work with and hardware/lumberyard store available 'stuff'.
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jjmay77
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 11:05
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Thanks for the input. Yes I think most of my water system would have code issues  so at this point its really about ease of install, cost, convenience and effectiveness. Seems PVC will come in the cheapest as I dont have to buy a crimping tool and would only need a couple shark bites.
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jsahara24
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 13:10
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I would probably use PEX if it were me. It is so easy to work with, don't need many fittings, very cheap....UV light is the issue with outside use I believe, not sure if duct taping it would solve it or not? I see crimping tools for 25$, so I don't think I would let that tool make your decision.....
I bought some foreclosures back after the recession hit, many of them were left unwinterized and had busted waterlines.....I would make a run from the basement to the bathroom and replumb the entire house in under a day. PEX made me a plumber, but to be fair a crappy plumber....haha...
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 15:51
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I did pvc water lines before I had a pex crimper. I now really need to go back and replace them with pex. PVC is cheap and I may use it outside a weekend cabin but anything in the walls I would use pex.
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Irrigation Guy
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 22:14
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Black poly is easier and cheaper than pex. I pay $70 for 300’ roll of 1â€
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 17 May 2023 23:20
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Quoting: Irrigation Guy Black poly is easier and cheaper than pex. I pay $70 for 300’ roll of 1â€
Is black poly rated for outside use (in UV). I know its used here for sprinker systems (obviously outside) with minimal exposed pipe. Does it degrade like PEX in UV?
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Fanman
Member
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# Posted: 22 May 2023 06:51
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Our plumbing runs around the outside of our cabin, all copper. But at our main house we had to replace all the copper with pex because the acidic water was eating the copper.
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Irrigation Guy
Member
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# Posted: 22 May 2023 18:57
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Quoting: travellerw Is black poly rated for outside use (in UV). I know its used here for sprinker systems (obviously outside) with minimal exposed pipe. Does it degrade like PEX in UV?
Poly doesn’t degrade in the sun.
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 22 May 2023 20:56
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Quoting: Irrigation Guy Poly doesn’t degrade in the sun
Good to know... Thanks..
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