Pex pipes are known for being very flexible. Their flexibility and cost effectiveness have made them famous in the plumbing world.
Pex pipes can be used for different applications and places. Today, we are going to discuss and find out whether one can use pex pipes for shower head or not.
Can you use PEX for shower head?
Pex pipes possess the ability to be used for shower head installation. The flexibility of pex pipes makes it possible to connect the shower head to the shower valve and the water supply line. Pex pipes can be used for shower head without the trouble of soldering.
Let’s look at different sizes of pex pipes and see if they can be used for shower head.
3/4 pex:
3/4 pex pipes are perfectly fine to be used for a shower head. The diameter of the 3/4 pex pipes goes nicely along with the shower head’s plumbing materials.
The flexibility of pex pipes comes in handy when it comes to connecting the shower head to the central water supply line of your home.
However, you might have to use an adapter to fit your 3/4 pex pipes into the supply line through the shower valve. But the trouble is worth going through as 3/4 pex pipes are an excellent choice for shower head.
1/2 pex:
1/2 pex pipes are better than 3/4 pex pipes when it comes to shower head connection. The diameter of the 1/2 pex pipes is not a concern as long as the main water supply lines have 3/4 plumbing pipes.
Sometimes the shower valve is not compatible with the 1/2 pex pipe fitting. Adapters can be used in this case to make connection between the shower head and the shower valve.
1/2 pex pipes can be a good choice for your shower head if you are looking for cost effective plumbing solution. 1/2 pex pipes are a value for money pipe variety for the shower head.
However, it does not hurt to seek the help of a plumber when it comes using 1/2 pex pipes for the shower head.
Can you use pex for rain shower head?
Pex pipes can definitely be used for rain shower head according to plumbing experts. Pex pipes are designed to support the extra weight and length of the rain shower head.
They can also be easily used for connecting the rain shower head onto the shower valve.
If you are going to install the rain shower head in place of the normal one, then the normal shower head has to be removed at first.
Then the pex pipes will come in handy by extending the length of the shower head from the shower valve. Multiple pex pipe fittings will have to used to accommodate the weight and length of the rain shower head.
Pex pipes are an excellent choice when it comes to attaching a rain shower head in the shower to enhance the showering experience.
Pex pipes are durable and flexible enough to handle the water pressure of the water line and hold the rain shower head in place.
4 reasons why you can use pex for shower head
There are a lot of reasons why you can use pex pipes for shower head. Let’s discuss in detail about some of them.
Durability:
Pex pipes are recommended by experts because of their incredible durability. They are known for being under too much internal and external pressure.
If you decide to use pex pipes for your shower head, then you will get a good enough service from the pex pipes for a long time.
Flexibility:
One of the key features of pex pipes is its flexibility. The flexibility of pex pipes makes them a wise choice to be used for a shower head.
You can bend the pex pipes at your will to balance the installation process. The flexibility of pex pipes means they can be installed using any route you want.
Cost effective:
Pex pipes are one of the cheapest plumbing pipes of the market. Their cost effectiveness does not mean that pex pipes are of bad quality.
Their installation process also costs less compared to other types of pipes due to their flexibility. So if you are looking for an cost effective plumbing solution for your shower head, then pex pipes can come in handy.
Usability:
Usability of pex pipes is applauded by most of the plumbing experts. Because you do not need a lot of plumbing fittings to connect pex pipes to the main water supply line. Pex pipes require less number of plumbing fittings due to their flexibility.
Pex pipes also do not need soldering which is another plus point of using pex pipes. Using pex pipes is so easy that even you can do it yourself if you manage to follow the accurate steps.
What size pex for shower head?
There are many sizes of pex pipes available in the market. But all of them can not be used for shower head. There are two standout sizes of pex pipes for shower head.
First of all, the 1/2 inch pex pipes can be used to handle the water supply line and the shower head.
The diameter of the 1/2 inch pex pipes are suitable for supplying water between the shower valve and the shower head. Sometimes adapters have to be used to connect the 1/2 inch pex pipes to the water supply line.
Other suitable pex pipe size for the shower head is the 3/4 inch pex pipes. The diameter of 3/4 inch pex pipes are also good enough to handle the water pressure of the supply line and the weight of the shower head.
If you are struggling to choose the size of pex pipes for the shower head, then you can contact a professional plumber too. Using wrong size pex pipes for the shower can ruin both the shower head and the shower valve.
What color pex for shower head?
There are different colors of pex pipes available in the market. Those are red pex pipes, gray pex pipes, white pex pipes, and blue pex pipes.
Each color has a separate code. For example, red pex pipes is designed specifically for hot water.
On the other hand, the job of carrying cold water is entrusted upon blue pex pipes. However, the white colored and gray colored pex pipes does the job of carrying both hot and cold water.
So you can select the color of pipes according to the need of your shower head. You will have to use red pex pipes in order to supply hot water to the shower head. And blue pex pipes will need to be used to supply cold water to the shower head.
You can also use white and gray pex pipes to avoid the trouble of separating the cold and hot water functions.
How to use pex for shower head?
Using pex for shower head might seem like a daunting task if you have no prior experience regarding the matter. However, there are some steps and methods you can follow to accomplish the task. Let’s discuss in detail about them.
Measure the height:
First of all, you will need to measure the height of the shower to decide where you want to place the shower head. It is a crucial step as it will dictate the outcome of the next steps.
Cut the pex pipes:
You will need to cut the pex pipes using a pipe cutter according to the length between the shower valve and the shower head.
The cut should be clean. Otherwise, you will have trouble connecting the shower head to the shower valve. You can use a fine grit sandpaper to work on the cut.
Attach the pex pipes:
You will have to attach the pex pipes to the shower head and the shower valve. An adapter might be required in this process.
A 1/2 pex pipes will have to be attached to the 3/4 shower valve line with an adapter. But the 3/4 pex pipes can be attached directly using a plumbing fitting.
Using thread tape and couplings will make this process easier. You will also have to use a crimp ring, a crimp tool and conversion fitting for this process.
Check for leaks:
After you have attached the pex pipes between the shower valve and the shower head, you will need to check for leaks by turning on the water supply line.
If you detect no leaks from the pex pipes, then the process has been a success. But a plumber should be contacted immediately if there is a leak in the system.
Final Thoughts
One can definitely use pex pipes for shower head because of the pex pipes’ incredible flexibility. Additionally, using pex pipes for shower head is cost effective as pex pipes can be bought at a low price and their installation also costs significantly less than other pipes.