I've never worked with plumbing until recently. I've done several successfully on my 1955 home using sharkbite products. It's amazingly easy to use and cost effective. You can use it on copper or pex or to connect the two together. You can also use it to connect a straight pipe to a screw on connector. You can get shark bite bite on and off valves as well. I suggest that you check around for pricing. They vary wildly on different sites and stores. I also strongly suggest that if you are a new to the use of this product and or plumbing that you visit YouTube and watch some of the DIY videos related to your project. There are numerous videos available by both professionals and DIY's. Believe me, you will feel much more confident after you watch one or more of these videos.The sharkbite product has held well according to studies and the few that failed were thought to be due to burrs. To deburr your pipe use a deburring product on the end of each pipe or use sand paper or a nail file to sand until the end is smooth. Also the sharkbite must be inserted to the proper depth. Videos will show you how to do this simple step. You can also choose to insert a shut off valve which may come in handy in the future at relevant sites. Pex is supposed to be superior to copper. I have found that pex is very cheap, easy to work with, and useful for patches. There are different kinds of pex. Pex A and pex B are what you will usually see available. Pex A is more flexible and expands, it is freeze resistant. You should use this if you live in a cold climate. It is also easier to use for small patches, like a few feet or less. I haven't seen Pex A for sale on Amazon but I've seen it at the local hardware and on ebay. Pex B is stiffer and harder to bend or straighten however warming it up helps. If you are using pex be sure to use the proper type particularly around hot water heaters.Hope that helps! Good luck on your project!