Is Pex Safe For Drinking Water

The latest research out of whelton s lab has revealed a variety of compounds that can escape from pex pipes potentially causing drinking water to smell or taste bad.

Is pex safe for drinking water.

The team investigated tap water quality in a new pex plumbing system and examined the odor quality and chemical impacts of six pex pipe brands more than 70 have been certified by the iaw nsfi ansi standard 61 as safe for drinking water. Pex is similar in health concerns where the amount of material leaving into water is considered safe so long as it does not have time to sit and concentrate. But scientists detected 11 different plastic related chemicals in water from pex pipes and water. Each material has its own.

Drinking water odors were attributed to toluene ethyl tert butyl ether and unidentified contaminants the study said. Copper pvc polyvinyl chloride and pex cross linked polyethylene are the most widely used materials for residential plumbing. The inner pipe for drinking water is made of a plastic called cross linked polyethylene pex. Being sure you have potable water safe pex you are just as safe as the supply of water fed into the pex.

Pex s chlorine resistance and fluorides is purely because there is some kind of organic sacrificial compound mixed in with the polyethylene to be preferentially consumed. There is no federal limit for the stuff in drinking water. Is it safe to drink water. Pex is a form hdpe high density polyethelene also know as cross linked polyethylene tubing.

Of course i don t really consider any tap water to be safe for drinking except possibly limited quantities in an emergency. Safest plumbing for drinking water. In today s building world it s being used for heating and cooling systems insulation for wiring natural gas lines sewage and waste systems and also for potable drinking water. However with its increased use comes the question is pex safe to.

The bottom line scientists say is more information is needed about how pex piping affects drinking water.