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    CarlyTD's Avatar
    CarlyTD Posts: 51, Reputation: 3
    Junior Member
     
    #1

    Apr 21, 2008, 03:57 AM
    Disinfecting new water supply lines
    I am replacing the old Galv and copper supply lines with PEX and before I connect to the city supply, I am told I need to disinfect the lines.

    Can anyone tell me what type of solution I should use and for how long?

    I see one reference to this and it call for full strength bleach.

    Thanks
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
    Senior Plumbing Expert
     
    #2

    Apr 21, 2008, 05:21 AM
    The only time I have ever had to clean/disinfect lines is when I was doing a large commercial plumbing project (restaurant/hospital, etc.). There is also never a need to use more than a 10%-20% bleach solution to disinfect as well as kill all bacteria in the lines (new pex... why are you disinfecting new pex..? )

    Like I said... residentially, this just isn't done. Instead, just run the water for a period to the TUB spout or laundry tub (something without an aerator on spout end) and then run water at all other fixtures. The idea here is to purge line of sediment/debris and air. That should be all you need to do.

    If some inspector is insisting that this be done... I would contact the pex pipe company and ask them what they suggest... I have never had to disinfect PEX... sounds ridiculous to me!!.

    Good luck! Mark
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
     
    #3

    Apr 21, 2008, 06:09 AM
    Mark's right on tarrget. In all the years I've been out there water piping I have never had to disinfect any water systems that were installed in residential construction, no mater what material the pipes. As Mark pointed out, some commercial jobs require you to load the system up with a weak solution of bleach and flush the lines out. Good luck, Tom
    iamgrowler's Avatar
    iamgrowler Posts: 1,421, Reputation: 110
    Ultra Member
     
    #4

    Apr 21, 2008, 06:49 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by CarlyTD
    I am replacing the old Galv and copper supply lines with PEX and before I connect to the city supply, I am told I need to disinfect the lines.

    Can anyone tell me what type of solution I should use and for how long?

    I see one reference to this and it call for full strength bleach.

    Thanks
    Most PEX tubing manufactured in the last 5 or 6 years has a bactericide coating on the inside of the tubing, so I'm unsure why you would want or need to disinfect it.

    If this is a requirement of the local authority, you might want to point out to them that introducing a disinfectant into the system will damage the bactericide and likely void any warranties offered by the manufacturer.

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