I think my old galvanized water supply line has finally been patched as much as it can be -- time for replacement. i have read the discussions on here about PEX inside a house, but haven't seen much about burying it for the main water supply line.

Everything I have read is that PEX is preferable to copper. I did see a comment about "plastic-y" water taste with PEX. Anyone have any particular concerns about using it for the main supply?

Anything else I should be asking the plumber, or any additional features, etc., I should consider adding? It's a small 1920s house in East Dallas, with the cutoff out back at the meter by the alley.

I don't think PEX can be direct buried. You'd have to put it in a PVC sleeve at which point you might as well use PVC.

Pex is rated for direct burial, but most people sleeve it for ease of maintenance or because local/city/state code mandates it.

I live abut 60 miles north of you in Sherman and recently (~1-1/2 years ago) had the main water line replaced. The plumbers used PEX and direct buried it without any sleeving!

As far as your concern about plasticy (sp??) taste, I replumbed the entire house with PEX during our home rennovation and never have I had any issues with the taste of the water due to the PEX plumbing!

If anything, PEX will improve your water taste. No more rust.

We re-plumbed our whole house with PEX and have no issue with taste.

Depending on the size of the main line, it may be easier to work with Schedule 80 PVC instead of 1.5-2" PEX. If you're paying someone to do it, that part may not matter to you.

I've lived in many houses with pex for supply lines and throughout the house. No issues and no funny tastes.

I've even had them freeze solid only to find no leaks once they thawed out.

I'm not sure what your local codes say, but nobody up north sleeves the lines. All direct bury

I have PEX direct buried from house out to garage. No problems.

Arctic Ag said:

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I've lived in many houses with pex for supply lines and throughout the house. No issues and no funny tastes.

I've even had them freeze solid only to find no leaks once they thawed out.

I'm not sure what your local codes say, but nobody up north sleeves the lines. All direct bury

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Mine froze solid (all exposed in the crawl space) during the "big snow" of 2017 and I haven't found a leak either.

Putting it in pvc serves a couple of purposes. If anyone is ever digging in the future it can help prevent a possible puncture of the pex. Also if there is ever an issue you can repipe without having to retrench.

Thanks all for the replies. They ended up doing a direct-bury of the PEX today. That makes sense about the PVC sleeve for maintenance though. Oh well.

I spoke to a couple of other plumbers and a home inspector yesterday, and none mentioned any negative experiences with PEX.

So far it's definitely the worst cost:benefit return I have done on the house, but it had to be done. I at least got an extra hose bib out by the detached garage, and a cut-off valve closer to the house. Other than that, the backyard looks like Bugs Bunny took a wrong turn to Albuquerque.

Gophers love buried LLDPE, can't say that I know if they will eat PEX or not.