A very pexing issue

[RVhiker]

I've always found pex plumbing to be confusing. Crimps, clamps, go/no go gauges, expensive tools, plastic fittings and brass fittings, more adapters than you can shake a stick at, and no-tool connection methods (like Sharkbites). But, while I like to fix things myself, without pex issues I've never had to figure out any of it.

Recently, I scraped a pex pipe in my trailer while using a drill. No hole in the pipe and no leak, but the pipe was scarred by the bit, and it made me uneasy. I could ask my dealer to look at it and fix it; they charge $100 per hour. So I could pay them $50 to $100 to make the repair, or use that money to buy the tools and supplies to fix it myself.

I found out that pex is easy --- if you can get to the problem. I bought this tool http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053 from Home Depot and an assortment of plastic tees, couplings, ells, plugs, stainless steel pex clamps, and 10 feet of pex tubing for less than what my dealer would probably have charged me. Now I can fix the problem I caused, as well as have the tools and materials I need in case something happens when we are camping; all the tools and material occupy very little territory.

All you have to do is to cut the pex tubing evenly, slip a clamp over the pipe, slip the pipe over the barbed fitting, position the clamp 1/8" to 1/4" from the end of the tubing, and tighten the clamp with the tool. It's easy and quick.

Here's a link to lots of pex information: http://www.pexinfo.com/

[Murphie]

Great link thanks for that. I have a small brass clamp that plumbers use to attach the copper fittings in tough to get areas. You simply open the clamp and latch it back together once it is around the fitting. It tightens similar to a small vise. I'm hoping that I can use it on pex as well. I think there is a section in your link that tells you what can be used on pex.

When my house was built it had plastic fittings in it that are not in code anymore. A friend gave me the tool to help change the fittings. It works great.
I thought I might keep it in my trailer if doesn't want it back. He says his days of fixing things are over now. All he has to do is pick up the phone and call the landlord and someone else takes care of it. Claims it's great after years of fixing things in the houses he's owned.

[Big Jim]

The type of fittings I bought are re-usable, there is a collar that releases the grippers to remove the pipe if needed.

[jim44646]

That's a type of Sharkbite. 1 or 2 OK to use for a quick fix but can get expensive doing a whole job. Using several Sharkbites will pay for crimping tool. I'm using Pex now for home plumbing now. U can even buy a tool that cuts the crimping ring

[29BHS ECO]

My oldest son is a plumber--nuff said Larry