Is it time to put your trust in PEX?
Is it time to put your trust in PEX?
“Is Uponor PEX right for my business?” As a wholesale plumbing supplier in Jacksonville, Florida – we help our customers answer this question nearly every day.
Traditional plumbers know, and usually spec out for their jobs, for one or all of the big three: copper, cpvc and pvc.
Crosslinked polyethylene, shortened as PEX, is surging in the North America, and is being requested by more and more companies for their building projects – from new residential construction to large commercial buildings. Specifically, PEX-a (Uponor) is leading the charge as the most used PEX type in the marketplace.
So, what does that mean to you, the plumber, or the home owner?
As a Northeast Florida Plumber, you probably have not heard many of your customers asking about Uponor PEX-a products. Are you asking them if they want to use it for their home? 70% of the customers decision about what to buy will come by your recommendation. Why not recommend Uponor, CPVC or copper, and let the customer decide?
Here is why they may decide to go with Uponor:
Using Uponor greatly reduces the chance of leaks within their home. Why, they may ask? Using Uponor Logic plumbing, you can reduce the number of fittings used by 83% by using Uponor products over PVC and CPVC. Plumbers, and homeowners know, that almost 100% of the leaks happen at the joints.
Uponor PEX-a vs PEX-b saves about the same amount in fittings, however, using Uponor PEX-a allows you to use 58% less tubing than Homerun plumbing using PEX-b.
Uponor PEX-a also saves you time! You can greatly reduce your time on the job by using Uponor plumbing products. On average, Uponor PEX-a is 35% faster than using PEX-B, 49% faster than CPVC, and 79% faster than copper. This means you can complete an entire job in hours instead of days!
Durable Fittings
Speaking of fittings, are you or your customers concerned about Uponor EP fittings breaking? They do look like traditional plastic which is fragile and can become brittle. However, Uponor EP fittings are an engineered polymer (EP) that are a thermoplastic polymer (polysulfone, modified polyphenylsulfone, or polyphenylsulfone). These materials have been used in medical, aerospace and plumbing for many years! Lab tests have shown that a 3” ProPEX EP Tee is able to withstand up to 4,000 lbs. of spreading force without failure. 4,000 lbs!
In video tests posted online by independent evaluators, the PEX-a or PEX-b tubing was far more likely to give out (burst) under extreme high pressure than the fittings and joints. The pressure used during these tests is also much greater (400lb+) than any commercial or residential water line is going to see (40-70psi).
When it comes to which PEX to buy, we believe Uponor PEX-a is the best option. The expansion fittings, we feel, are much stronger than crimp fittings, and the Uponor ProPEX tubing is much easier to use.
Your customers may not be asking you about Uponor today, but when they do, will you be ready? Now may just be the right time to start working with Uponor PEX-a. Contact Hughes Supply – Jacksonville today! We are one of Northeast Florida largest stocking dealers of Uponor products and tools.