PEX Water Pipe

Zen · « **on:** January 08, 2014, 04:04:03 PM »

I didn't want to get too far off topic on the "Homer is Alive" (which he isn't . . . he's in suspended animation) thread with my plumbing problems, so I moved that discussion to here.

Nick, what brand of PEX connectors are your tools for? What little I have seen of PEX stuff is enough to know there are a lot of variations on the connectors. Some flare the pipe inside a screw on fitting that uses a specal torque wrench, some use inserts in the pipe, some have crimp rings on the outside, some appear to be quick connect . . . so that would lead me to believe that your tools have to match the connectors.

I need to hook into 1/2" CPVC in the basement and run toinstall a manfold with at least three outlets in the utility room (X2 for Hot/Cold). From there I need to hook one to a hose bib, and install cut-offs on the other two. I'll eventually hook the upstairs bath back up, but I've got to do a bunch of work to the drain system first. Until then, I don't want any water going up there . . . we've found out the hard way, many, many times, the folks that built that bath sucked at glueing drain pipes. It's right over our bedroom, and when the kids were living up there, we had water dripping on us about once ever three months. The third outlet is for a future project. If we clean out the two tons of old clothes that are stored out there, the utility room would make a cool little workshop and I've got an old cast iron kitchen sink out in the garage that would make a killer parts washing sink.

volksnick · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2014, 04:13:42 PM »

I have the copper ring compressor for all sizes and the ratcheting cinch rings. Either one works. The cinch rings work well for in between joists and up against walls (where you can't pull the piping out 2" to get the compression tool around it) and it does multiple sizes. The compression rings look like 1/4" of copper tubing that gets perfectly squeezed down tight to seal it off. I like both, but the cinch rings are the most versatile (and easiest to get off!).

Compression ring

cinch ring

volksnick · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2014, 04:16:44 PM »

The sharkbite fittings, which are simple push on connectors like a chinese finger trap, will allow you to go between pex and CPVC pretty easily ($$$). For the rest of it, I would switch to crimp connectors because they are SOOOOOO easy.

travisyoung · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2014, 07:52:00 PM »

Those look like vw crimp clamps, they use them everywhere and we have a tool to crimp them

volksnick · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2014, 07:54:48 PM »

Very similar. I don't remember exactly, but I think they have an indicator when it gets tight enough. Don't know.

Let me know if you need help. I'm trying to plan my weekend.

Zen · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2014, 10:43:53 PM »

There really isn't much to what I plan to do. The only place where I might need help is turning the pipe from the wall and up through the floor. It might make it a little easier if someone was feeding it from the basement while I was bending it and feeding it up through the floor. But then if go the other way and start in the utility room and feed it into the basement, it should be pretty easy to do alone. Gott'a go do some shopping for parts first and figure out how I'm going to lay it all out.

volksnick · « **Reply #6 on:** January 09, 2014, 08:25:30 AM »

Well... let me know. Pex is awsome. I have a coil of blue (100') 1/2" and a jar full of connectors and rings. The good thing is that its all relatively cheap and the fittings that aren't, well, its because they are worth it!

travisyoung · « **Reply #7 on:** January 09, 2014, 09:51:22 AM »

I have galvanized in part of my house, the water flow to the kitchen Is poor, wife says she needs more pressure, also a pin hole leak in the line above the water heater, not good

volksnick · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2014, 10:13:40 AM »

If you need to replace any pipe, I suggest you go look at the PEX. Its so cheap for 100' for 1/2, maybe $25. Then you get the connectors, which are more than their copper counterparts, but you can flex the PEX soooo much more, so your number of connections are less. I replaced everything outside of my house with 3/4 PEX. It was like $80 for the 100' run and another $10 for the two elbows I needed. Now I have everything from all the way at the meter to the house in PEX. If I had known what I know now back when I was rennovating the house, I would replaced ALL of the copper pipes and used PEX. I would have also added a manifold, which is like an electrical panel for your water. You can shut off individual circuits (either hot or cold). I am a strong proponent for this stuff, if you can't tell!

Zen · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2014, 10:52:45 AM »

My former boss had a party at her house right after they got through building it. Her husband took a couple of guys down in the basement and showed us the plumbing. It was pretty impressive. One big line came in and fed two manifolds, each outlet had a cut off . . . you could stand in one spot and cut off the hot or cold water to anything in the house individually from one spot. The main line in was white, the hot was red and cold was blue. The only joints in any of the pipes were at the manifolds and whatever they hooked up to. No joints and elbows ever 10 or 20 feet and ever time you need to turn a corner . . . just bend the pipe. Some of the sharper 90 degree bends had a plastic brace they snapped into to help turn the corner without kinking, but it was an external piece. What really sounded is good is it's ableity to survive freezing without busting. He is an industrial supply salesman. He said the manufacturers won't come out and say it, but the stuff can survive feezing. He said that he had seen PEX demonstrated by filling a section about a foot long completely full of water and capping it off, then dropping it in dry ice, taking it and beating it with a hammer, thawing it with a heat gun and hammering on it some more and it never leaked a drop. I also like the fact that you can install it without a torch (me . . . little fire on the end of a torch . . . an old wooden house . . . BIG FIRE) or glue (me . . . glue . . . fumes . . . glue everywhere . . . fumes . . . why did glue that to that? . . . oh, yeh . . . fumes . . . I'll clean up the mess when I get through flying around up here) . . . you get the picture.

DieselDoc · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2014, 07:52:18 PM »

we use the PEX system with the shrinking collars.. has an expanding tool to spread the collar and the pipe at the same time, place your fitting and let it shrink..

sal

volksnick · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2014, 11:06:30 PM »

What time do I need to come down?

Zen · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2014, 03:28:42 PM »

I thought I'd share a little I've leaned about PEX on this project.

1. It's a lot stiffer than I was expecting, but it's still pretty easy to work with.

2. Shark-Bite fittings expensive, but worth it. I cut the CPVC and slid the fitting over the CPVC, stuck the PEX in the other one, and it's done. No glue, no crimping, no nothing. And there is a 2 dollar plastic tool you can snap over the pipe and push in on the bottom of the fitting and it turns loose.

3. A few days after a polar vortex hits the area IS NOT the time to go shopping for supplies. I lucked into what I now belive was the very last 100' roll or red 1/2" PEX in northwest GA this morning.

4. The knife on the multi-tool my brother got me for Christmas is VERY, VERY, VERY sharp.

Zen · « **Reply #13 on:** January 12, 2014, 03:29:44 PM »

Speaking of #4 . . . Nick, what's your dad up to today?

Zen · « **Reply #14 on:** January 12, 2014, 06:01:40 PM »

The PEX worked great, but I couldn't find my teflon thread tape . . . and I have a slow drip where the quarter turn hose bib screws in on the cold side. Tried to tighten it a little and slipped and broke the handle off the hose bib. Luckily, I bought new ones . . . I was hoping to take them back, but I guess I'll use 'em. After I go get some thread tape, of course.

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