So tell me about working with PEX plumbing...

[HardDrive]

I'm working on a rental house. I've got the kitchen gutted and cleared an area that will be a new bathroom. 1/2 galvanized through out.

I'm fine working with steel, but the this PEX stuff sure seem attractive. Looks a hell of a lot easier.

Outside of finding the proper transition fittings and buying the proper tools, any quirks, warnings, etc.....?

[cbush]

we have been using it, and I really like it so far. I have been having a plumber do it since I do not have the tools. Seems to be really easy to work with, and no leaks.

[plumb4u2]

for the non professional Pex is a good option because it is so easy to work with

No special tools needed you can just use shark bite fittings which just push on the pipe

Personally I will never use the stuff because it looks so unprofessional....I have worked in several houses that have been plumbed with it and it makes me sick at how bad it looks

[74-911]

I remodeled our master bath using PEX. It is very user friendly, just follow the instructions re: using the clamps.

[LakeCleElum]

The good: It flexes when it freezes, so not prone to break like copper or steel.

The bad: Rats and Mice like to nibble on it. I now an insurance adjuster that's paid several water damage claims based on this.

Personally, I find copper easy to work with.

[look 171]

is it just the kitchen? How many pipes can it be if it is only the kitchen? Go down there and fine the closest joint and connect copper pipe from there. If you use PEX, you have to buy the clamping tool and other little pieces that may cost you more then just a piece of 20' copper pipe and a few fittings. Raised foundation?

[Gogar]

Don't skimp on the crimping tool.

Use brass fittings.

I just had all my (at least 50-year old) Galvanized replaced with PEX, and I watched the guy do all of it, and it is easy and has no more ratio of bad/good than PVC or copper.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

I've been cutting the PEX with a regular rotary pipe cutting tool. My connections have been with shark bites. It has been very easy to work with BUT I caution you, measure thrice! If you cut it tooooo long or short you will be sorry. Close is OK, does not have to be exact, but way too much will cause the lines to push and add pressure in a bad way. Too little and you will be cutting more.

We ran PEX inside of the PVC the previous owner had run. Sort of a double layer if you will from the road to the house. The PO ran the PVC without gluing all the joints. Can you say water leaks? The PEX easily fed through the PVC and we did not have to dig up alot of the yard.


I have not heard of the rodent issue but I have not seen any rodents in the house.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I'm working on a rental house. I've got the kitchen gutted and cleared an area that will be a new bathroom. 1/2 galvanized through out.

I'm fine working with steel, but the this PEX stuff sure seem attractive. Looks a hell of a lot easier.

Outside of finding the proper transition fittings and buying the proper tools, any quirks, warnings, etc.....?

I was skeptical at first, but had to give PEX a try because of the amount of removal required to gain access to an area I needed to do plumbing in if I were to go with copper (not to mention the old, uninsulated house freeze factor). It's crazy easy... nothing that I did required rework. 100% first time quality - no leaks anywhere!

[turbo6bar]

My brother and I recently gutted the plumbing at the fixer and replaced with PEX. We used the Milwaukee expander tool and Wirsbo fittings/tubing. The PEX supply lines are a continuous run from the manifolds, which are in the crawlspace, to each drop/valve inside the living space.

Copper is so much more expensive. That cost would have only grown given we ran an extra return line for a recirculator pump. In a perfect world, I'd use copper, but here, the water does corrode copper over time. We see pin-hole leaks in 30 year old copper.

PEX in larger sizes can be unwieldy. While bendy, it still wants to go back to its coiled state. Get bend supports where the PEX will make tight radius turns.

I do not believe sharkbite fittings are ideal for permanent or long-term use. Or course, you could make the same argument for Wirsbo fittings.

[Rot 911]

I just replumbed our entire lake cabin last spring with PEX. Went with a manifold system. With the exception of the manifold (that I bought online, with excellent service from:PEX - Radiant Heat - Radiant Heating - Plumbing Supplies - PexSupply.com) I bought the rest of the parts from Lowes. Got the more expensive of the crimping tools that include 1/2" 3/4" and 1" crimping dies. Used lots of hold downs to keep things neat.

I had never used PEX before. Watched a couple of youtube installation videos and then went and did it all myself from well head to faucets with not a single leak!

[A930Rocket]

I've used PEX in hundreds of homes over the years. Makes plumbing a snap without any leaks. Of course the system is pressurized to check for leaks at rough in.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Originally Posted by turbo6bar

I do not believe sharkbite fittings are ideal for permanent or long-term use. Or course, you could make the same argument for Wirsbo fittings.

While I do not disagree with you I wonder if there is any relevant data? The plumber I talked with prior to doing this stated there would not be an issue. He stressed using brass shark bites versus plastic ones and making suring you have a clean and straight cut. He uses some neat clippers, I just used an old rotary pipe cutting tool.

So far, so good, but the connections are NOT that old.

Other thoughts? I'm interested as I will be having to do more plumbing somewhere for some reason at some point in the future. Also, my outside lines are buried and the sharkbites are attaching to the exterior "Kentucky Style" freeze resistant faucets (that are sunk into lots of gravel, no concrete, so the exhaust ports are not covered/fouled).

[look 171]

I have to question their longevity. Are they allow in commercial use? If not, I wonder why? a leak in the future is not only costly, but the owner will never call us back again. For the many expensive jobs, I am sticking with our try and true copper pipes. We did get all the tools and use PEX for our last flip project. So good so far.

[skunked]

Few years back I went to do a closet remodel on a Sunday morning in our master bedroom closet, pulled some trim that supported a shelf and was welcomed by a spray of water in my face. I was totally surprised by this obviously, had to shut off the main. Long story short, the guys that did the closet when the home was built put three brad nails into the PEX but it never leaked over the first 4 years. I ended up using a brass barbed fitting and couple hose clamps to hold us over until the builder could come out and fix it. I could not find any tools or support for this crap locally which really irritated me.

If I was doing a remodel in a kitchen and had to move a couple pipes it would be copper.

[A930Rocket]

^^^ That can happen with either copper or PEX. I've seen both. Usually it's a matter of time before the nail rusts and springs a leak.

[Brian 162]

I've used it a couple of times. It's handy when working in a confined area where using a torch would be risky.
When in an exposed area it looks cheap and sloppy in my opinion. You have to use more supports to make it look somewhat professional.
I'd rather use copper fittings.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by georgeinhere

We never us Sharkbites unless I'm doing the work and I don't know what the **** I'm doing. If you hire a professional and they show up with sharkbites...run!

Also, Come out of the wall with Copper and it all looks great.

Exactly! Sharkbites are great for a total noob (and quite expensive). A cheaper alternative to the "pro" pex clamp for copper rings is the Oeteker crimper & stainless rings, which you use with the normal brass fittings:

PEX Clamp Tool , PEX Plumbing Tool , Watts PEX Tool , CinchClamp Tool - PexSupply.com

[gsxrken]

Our kitchen was remodeled and they used PEX. Now the water tastes like plastic unless you let it run for awhile. I think it allows for a lot of hacks to call themselves tradesmen.