Copper to PEX Question

[shnelson]

At Home Depot, I did find a crimp fixture that uses you're own vise grip pliers to provide the clamping mechanism for $25. I may try that.

Any thoughts on using the stainless steel clamps instead of the solid rings?

I used the stainless clamps on my pex connections, about 13 total, and so far no leaks. I have had it in place for about two months now and it's holding up. I used a crimper that I picked up off the 'bay for about $7, it'll do both 1/2" and 3/4".

[Dave]

I used the stainless clamps on my pex connections, about 13 total, and so far no leaks. I have had it in place for about two months now and it's holding up. I used a crimper that I picked up off the 'bay for about $7, it'll do both 1/2" and 3/4".

That's what I like to hear, real world use! Thanks!

[Mike Wallace]

I used the $25 one you picked up. Works just fine...but slow. If you're doing more than a couple connections, the $80 version will be worth it.

I bought the inexpensive one and my buddy used to to plumb a bathroom at the cabin. He said it was a pain in the rear but it worked and we've had no leaks for a year. I had to pull some new line at home and bit the bullet on the nicer one. It was worth the money for me.

Haven't used the SS rings.

[LightningBG]

Menards carries "Push n'go" pex fittings made by Nibco. Would these be considered shark bite? Are they any good?

[Redlantern]

Lightening, I wouldn't use any of thoe fittings. Personal preference but I have no faith in them. They might hold for a while but eventually they are going to fail. I'd rather use Pex or compression fittings before a shark bite type fitting. Anyone with a small amount of mechanical skills can sweat copper. Biggest thing is to make sure the pipe and fittings are clean, have some flux on them and have no water in them while sweating them together. The tools aren't that expensive to purchase.

Getting the water out is the biggest problem but this is normally overcome by opening a faucet at the highest point and opening a faucet at the lowest point (or water heater).

[crothmeier]

I dont mean to hijack this post, but i've been watching it closely becasue I am in the same situation with my house, and will be redoing some poorly done copper supply lines (from 1950s) as well as plumbing a newly added laundry sink and vanity sink...I can get supplies thru work, but am not sure what to order.

1. What is a pex connection, and what is a sharkbite connection. Are these different brands, or different styles?

2. What is used between pex pipe to pex pipe as far as a connection goes? my options from my hardware supplier show a brass or poly "barbed" tee, and then use the metal bands to fasten??

3.Are poly tees preferred or the brass tees?

4. Am I anywhere close to the right train of thought? i would like to tackle it myself to a)learn how to do it i like doing things myself, and b)cant afford to hire it all out.

[krinkle]

Go to you tube and you will see video on much of this. If pex made water piping any easier women and children would be doing it.

[crothmeier]

yeah i found a "this old house" video on it. They used the flair fittings, and a manifold system. if im just adding a few fixtures i shouldnt need a manifold i wouldnt think. . .

[Redlantern]

. if im just adding a few fixtures i shouldnt need a manifold i wouldnt think. . .

Crothmeier, adding a few fixtures can mean you need to increase the size of your waterlines. Typically, for residential applications, you'd be fine having three fixtures running of a half inch waterline as long as all the fixtures are in the same room. Above that and you need to be using a 3/4 inch line. All lawn faucets (hose bibbs, sillcocks) are to be run in 3/4 inch. Living in St. Paul or any municipality that gets water from them means you need to run a one inch line to the first fixture group. Hard to explain, easier to show. Just something to look into before you go and repipe your home and find that you are undersized.

[crothmeier]

Im way undersized now. 3/4 supply into the house, 3/4 sill cock, then down to a little bit of 1/2 and mostly 3/8. I have 3/8 coming out of the water heater. It was that way when I bought the house.

I have wide open access to everything. drew up a sketch, figured out my parts and fittings, and am gonna run all new pex, 3/4 and 1/2". by time i scrap out the copper, I'll just have my labor and a few beers into it.

[delcecchi]

Is that new, or left over from the days of galvanized? I grew up in St Paul.

Now I live in Rochester, and my whole house is 1/2 copper, except for the about 4 feet from the meter that was added when we got city water. Why on earth would you need 1 inch?

[Redlantern]

Del, it's been that way as long as I've been plumbing (18 years). The idea is to make sure you have enough volume to feed the fixtures properly.

As far as your whole house being run on half inch, it might have met code when it was installed, I don't know how old the home is but it sure wouldn't pass today. I assume you have a kitchen sink, laundry tub, washing machine, bathroom sink, tub/shower, toilet, and at least one sillcock. I understand that you don't normally use all of these fixtures at the same time but it's not unrealistic to have the washing machine running while the wife is taking a shower, the grass is being watered and you are washing dishes. This is going to result in pretty low volume and the wife might be a bit upset taking forever to get the shampoo out of her hair. If it were up to most contractors, they would run the whole house in half inch (way cheaper) but then there would be some rather dissatisfied homeowners.

Just my take on things. If the half inch works for you, leave it.

[delcecchi]

Del, it's been that way as long as I've been plumbing (18 years). The idea is to make sure you have enough volume to feed the fixtures properly.

As far as your whole house being run on half inch, it might have met code when it was installed, I don't know how old the home is but it sure wouldn't pass today. I assume you have a kitchen sink, laundry tub, washing machine, bathroom sink, tub/shower, toilet, and at least one sillcock. I understand that you don't normally use all of these fixtures at the same time but it's not unrealistic to have the washing machine running while the wife is taking a shower, the grass is being watered and you are washing dishes. This is going to result in pretty low volume and the wife might be a bit upset taking forever to get the shampoo out of her hair. If it were up to most contractors, they would run the whole house in half inch (way cheaper) but then there would be some rather dissatisfied homeowners.

Just my take on things. If the half inch works for you, leave it.

House was built in 59. Up until a few years ago we had a well and septic, but Rochester finally decided they wanted our money so we are annexed and on city water and sewer.

As built, everything after the pressure tank was half inch copper. I suppose I could start replacing some with 3/4. Inch seems really like overkill, what with the low flow showers et al. That is why I asked about whether that goes back to the galvanized days, since they were famous for scaling.

[Dave]

Update....I bought the PEX Multi-Head Crimp Tool at the Big M awhile back when on sale for $49. All 1/2" and 3/4" copper rings crimped perfectly with NO leaks Plumbing project finally completed.

[CAMAN]

Awesome!! I replumbed an entire house this summer also. Took the cluster 'f' from the last 100 years of old galvanized, copper, and black iron and turned it into PEX. Also replaced all the cast iron with PVC. Turned out great and the inspector loved my work. I probably used the same $50 crimper you used, worked great and zero leaks.

(BTW.. Before any of the pro plumbers mention it, This picture was taken before I got a chance to cap that top hot water valve. It is now capped.

[Dave]

I even used the "go-no/go" guide that came with it and it was right on each time. I was really surprised I didn't have to adjust that crimp tool one bit. Now, it's time to enjoy a nice hot shower after the hunt up north

[kerryd15]

I am not an expert but have lived in a couple old houses. If you have 1/2 in pipe before the watersoftner or the water heater and are going to do some plumbing, I would change it. Run at least 3/4 into and out of the waterheater, make a manifold for hot and cold. If the bulk of the fixtures are on the other end of the house run 3/4 COLD water and make a manifold closer to the bulk of the fixtures. I ran 1/2 HOT from a manifold close the the waterheater. running 3/4 hot too far from the heater, you will have to run the water for longer to get hot to the faucet unless you install some kind of recirculation pump. If you have ever been scalded or froze in the shower because someone flushed, or started the dishwasher, this will be worth it to you..