PEX Plumbing: The Water Lines in a Baywood II Home

PEX plumbing is a water supply system that uses flexible plastic tubing called cross-linked polyethylene, or PEX, instead of rigid copper or CPVC pipe to carry hot and cold water to every sink, shower and appliance in a home. It bends around corners, needs fewer joints, does not corrode, and is now the most common water line in new American homes. At Baywood II, D.R. Horton's single-family community in Florida City, the features sheet lists Uponor PEX water lines in every home.

This guide explains what PEX is, how it compares with copper, what to look for at your walk-through, and how to take care of it.

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What Is PEX?

PEX is short for cross-linked polyethylene. It is a plastic tube whose molecules have been bonded together in a way that makes it tougher, more heat-resistant and more flexible than ordinary plastic pipe. It usually comes in three colors: red for hot water, blue for cold, and white for either.

A plumber runs PEX from the water heater and the main supply through the walls and ceilings to each fixture. Because it bends, one run can snake from the water heater to an upstairs bathroom with few or no fittings in between. Fewer fittings means fewer places for a leak to start.

Uponor, the brand on the Baywood II sheet, is best known for a type called PEX-a joined with expansion fittings: the plumber stretches the end of the tube with a tool, slides it over a fitting, and the tube shrinks back to grip it. No glue, no solder, no open flame. The features sheet only says Uponor PEX, so ask which Uponor system your home has.

PEX vs. Copper

	PEX	Copper
Flexibility	bends around corners	rigid, needs an elbow at every turn
Corrosion	does not corrode	can pit or scale, especially with hard or acidic water
Noise	absorbs water hammer, so little pipe noise	can bang or tick as it expands
Joints	few	many, each one soldered
Freezing	expands and usually survives a freeze	can split
Sunlight	must be kept out of direct sun	fine outdoors
Cost	lower material and labor cost	higher
Track record	in wide use since the 1990s in the U.S.	in use for a century

Copper is a fine material, and many older Florida homes have it. PEX won out in new construction because it is faster to install, costs less and has fewer joints. For a buyer, the practical differences are less pipe noise and a lower chance of a pinhole leak from corrosion.

PEX Is Not Polybutylene

If you have heard warnings about gray plastic pipe in Florida homes, that is polybutylene, a different material used from the late 1970s into the mid 1990s. It failed at fittings and became the subject of a large class action. Insurers still ask about it on older homes.

PEX is not the same product. It was developed separately, it is joined with different fittings, and it has its own testing and code approvals. A new Baywood II home with Uponor PEX has nothing to do with polybutylene.

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Where the Water Lines Go in a Baywood II Home

The floor plan drawings do not show the pipes, but they show the fixtures, so you can see how much plumbing each plan has.

Aisle: kitchen and powder room downstairs; two full baths and the laundry space upstairs, with all four bedrooms.
Sapole II: kitchen, laundry downstairs, Bath 3 downstairs; two full baths upstairs.
Robie: kitchen, Bath 3 downstairs; two full baths and the laundry room upstairs.
Crosscourt: kitchen, powder room, Bath 3 in the multi-gen suite and an optional stacked washer and dryer spot downstairs; two full baths and the laundry room upstairs.

Each drawing also marks the water heater, labeled WH, on the first floor. In the Aisle, Robie and Crosscourt it sits by the garage. In the Sapole II it is near the storage room. The features sheet does not say what type of water heater it is, so ask.

See the full plan pages for the Aisle, Sapole II, Robie and Crosscourt.

What to Check at Your Walk-Through

Find the main shutoff valve. Ask where it is and turn it once so you know how.
Find the fixture shutoffs. Every sink and toilet should have a small valve under it. Test one.
Ask about a manifold. Some PEX systems run every line from a central manifold with a labeled valve for each fixture, like a breaker panel for water. Others branch like copper. Ask which one your home has.
Look under the sinks. You should see clean tube, tight fittings and no drips.
Run hot water at the farthest fixture. Time how long it takes to arrive. That tells you how long the run is.
Check the water heater location against the drawing.

Take photos of the manifold and the shutoffs before the drywall is finished if you can. That record is worth having ten years from now.

How to Take Care of PEX

PEX needs very little. Three rules:

Keep it out of sunlight. UV light breaks PEX down over time. Inside the walls it is fine. If any run is exposed, in a garage or an attic with a window, it should be covered.
Do not hang things on it. It is not a pipe you can use to hold up a shelf.
Know your fitting type. Ask at your walk-through which Uponor system and fitting type the home has, and write it down. If a repair is ever needed, the plumber brings the right tool.

That is it. There is no flushing schedule and no anode rod like a water heater has.

Does PEX Affect the Warranty?

D.R. Horton's warranty for every community in this area is one year on workmanship, two years on systems including plumbing, and ten years on the structure. The Baywood II features sheet also lists third-party home inspections. If a fitting leaks in the first two years, the systems warranty is the one to call about. Keep the water heater manual and the plumbing rough-in photos with your closing papers.

Baywood II homes have recently started in the high $570,000s. Call 561-704-0091 for today's numbers and to ask what incentives are available today. For what else is standard, see our concrete block house guide and Baywood II floor plans compared.

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Common Questions

What is PEX plumbing?

PEX is flexible cross-linked polyethylene tubing used for hot and cold water supply lines. It bends around corners, needs fewer fittings than copper, does not corrode and makes little noise. The Baywood II features sheet lists Uponor PEX water lines in every home.

Is PEX better than copper?

For most new homes, yes. It costs less, installs faster, has fewer joints and does not corrode or bang. Copper lasts a long time too and is fine outdoors, where PEX must be kept out of sunlight. Both are approved for drinking water.

Is PEX the same as the gray polybutylene pipe?

No. Polybutylene was a different plastic used from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s that failed at its fittings. PEX is a separate material with different fittings and its own approvals. A new Baywood II home has PEX, not polybutylene.

How long does PEX last?

Manufacturers rate PEX for decades of service, and it has been used in U.S. homes since the 1990s. The main thing that shortens its life is sunlight, so exposed runs should be covered. Inside the walls it needs no maintenance.

Where is the water heater in a Baywood II home?

On the first floor of every plan, marked WH on the drawings. In the Aisle, Robie and Crosscourt it sits by the garage. In the Sapole II it is near the storage room. The features sheet does not say what type it is, so ask.

Does the D.R. Horton warranty cover plumbing?

D.R. Horton's warranty is one year on workmanship, two years on systems, which includes plumbing, and ten years on the structure. Keep the plumbing photos and manuals from your walk-through with your closing papers.

Call 561-704-0091 or Tour a Baywood II Home to see the plumbing rough-in on a home under construction with Simon.