| Using PEX I need to do some plumbing repair for my bathroom, and I am thinking of replacing the old copper piping run to the tub and sink with PEX.
Is there anything to really watch out for when using PEX? I will likely be renting the crimper from the home depot and not buying one.
Any compatibility issues between different PEX products?
Thanks,
Chris |
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 John GaltForward, MarchPremium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
kudos:5 | For the least amount of grief, use the same manufacturer throughout...do not mix.
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The Truth is the foremost enemy of the State now.
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TheMGPremium
join:2007-09-04
Canada
kudos:1 | reply to silverchris6
In my limited experience with PEX, yes, you can run into issues if you mix different manufacturer's products.
I had a problem with a "T" junction that was slightly too big, I could not slide the crimp rings on top of it. Went back to the store and exchanged for a "T" from the same manufacturer as the piping, and everything went together very nicely.
Is there anything actually wrong with the copper piping that is already in place? Personally I would keep the copper piping unless there are some serious problems with it. The copper piping should last quite a long time. |
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| said by TheMG:Is there anything actually wrong with the copper piping that is already in place? Personally I would keep the copper piping unless there are some serious problems with it. The copper piping should last quite a long time.
In older homes (1950 or older) people often assume they have copper, when they may in fact have galvanized steel pipes. These often corrode from the inside and restrict flow considerably.
I replaced some galvanized pipe leading to a powder room in my brother's late 1940's house, which ran perpendicular to about 8 joists, using pex. I made a small opening in the finished plaster ceiling in one room where the pipe changed from running parallel to perpendicular to the joists. I made another small ceiling opening under the powder room. I cut the galvanized horizontal pipe at both ends, taped pex to one end and used the galvanized pipe as a 'fish tape', cutting 12" sections of galvanized off one after another as I pulled the galvanized out. This worked because the galvanized pipe had a larger OD than the pex and the pex was able to fit through the old holes drilled through the joists, and that there was no couplers in the length of galvanized pipe being replaced. |
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