In the late 1950s, most indoor water piping were comprised of galvanized
steel. Due to the substantial growth of our economy, what was necessary
at the time was a type of pipe which was easy to install and could withstand
corrosion better. Alas, plastic piping systems, such as PVC (polyvinyl
chloride) and CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride), were presented as
a reliable alternative to the metallic materials in the 1960s. Then during
the 1970s,
PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) was introduced and proved to be a durable
system for floor heating, ice melting and residential water piping.
Once PEX developed into durable alternative to
copper piping, the product rapidly gained popularity due to its affordability and longer
lifespan than its copper counterpart. Now, PEX has become the most used
repiping material in the United States.
The three different ways to produce PEX pipe are the following:
- Peroxide extrusion – By adding peroxide to a base resin, the product
is created by using heat and pressure to crosslink the polymer chains.
- Silane extrusion – Silane is used as a catalyst to produce PEX.
- Electron beam – The beam causes the needed crosslinking for extruding
PEX piping.
If you’re interested in using PEX to repipe your home or business,
do not hesitate to
contact our Los Angeles specialist at (800) 734-8123 today.