Plumbing manifold
Also called: home-run plumbing, manifold system, PEX manifold, manabloc
A central distribution block, usually in PEX repipes, with a shutoff for each fixture and a dedicated line run to it — a 'home-run' layout instead of a trunk with branches. Costs $400–$1,500 more in pipe and parts, but any fixture can be isolated, and hot water arrives faster to the nearest ones.
A conventional supply system is trunk-and-branch: a 3/4 in main runs through the house and 1/2 in branches tee off it to each fixture, like a tree. It uses the least pipe and is how copper systems are built. A manifold system runs a 3/4 in line to a central block — one for hot, one for cold, often near the water heater — and from there a separate 1/2 in PEX line to every fixture, like spokes. Each port has its own valve.
The trade-offs: more pipe (a 2-bath house might use 500 ft instead of 350), fewer fittings inside walls (each run is one continuous piece, which means fewer joints to leak), a shutoff for every fixture in one place, and more even pressure when several fixtures run at once. Hot water reaches a fixture through a smaller pipe holding less cold water, so the wait is shorter for lines near the manifold and longer for far ones. Installers charge $400–$1,500 more for it on a repipe.
Neither layout is wrong. A manifold suits a house with an accessible central spot and an owner who values isolating fixtures; trunk-and-branch suits a long, spread-out house or a copper job. A quote should say which one it’s pricing.