Differences in Pex Tubing

[Warrior9]

Can anyone offer any insight into the differences between manufacturers of pex tubing? I’m not talking about A, B, and C...just comparing one brands B to another.

For instance, I’ve been shopping at Supply House (online) for Viega press fittings. Then came time to get the tubing and I noticed such a huge variation in price. The Viega PEX-B is easily double the price of Bluefin PEX-B. The big box stores near me carry the SharkBite brand PEX-B and the prices are in the same ballpark as the Bluefin.

Just wondering if this is one of those you get what you pay for situations, or if all PEX-B is created the same? If it’s not the same, what are the differences? Anything I should look for when shopping PEX tubing?

Thanks!

 

[breplum]

Viega is a much higher profile company with premium product line.
Their warranty is void if you comingle their fittings and other brand's tube.
Check your local wholesalers for better pricing (maybe), many wholesalers find the Viega tubing too high priced to even stock.
Sharkbite is a major company, so hopefully they will stick around long enough to address future issues. I don't think they are mfrs of the tubing, just rebranding, but don't know for sure.

 

[Warrior9]

Thanks! I never knew Sharkbite just rebrands the tubing...makes sense though.

It’s common around here for suppliers to stock the Viega fittings, but after calling around only one stocks the Viega pex.

Warranties aside, all pex-b would meet the same specs though, right? Would it be odd to just use the Viega fittings with an off brand tubing? In my home the fittings are already mis-matched (Viega tubing, most viega press fittings, but some Sioux Chief power pex...all installed by the initial plumber during the build).

It’s just so odd that the Viega fittings are competitively priced with other fittings but the tubing is an arm and a leg.