Re:A looming copper crunch and why recycling can’t fix it
by throwaway9870 on Sunday July 31, 2022 @10:29PM
(#32301251)
I am fairly sure type M is used in normal residential construction. L is heavier and use for more underground or commercial applications. You can quickly tell the difference because M has red writing on it, while L have blue.
The problem is there are no "L" fittings and the normal fittings used for L copper can be quite poor. For this reason and others, some people like ProPress fittings which are very high quality (and expensive).
Copper lasts 50-60 years. I believe that's type L which is used in the wall in homes in the US. The skill required to create a high quality copper joint takes time and a person may still make mistakes. A PEX compression fitting is basically just closing a tool. The probability of mistakes is lower.
I'm not familiar with the possibility of contamination in pex, is this due to the material?