Edited Date/Time
7/7/2022 3:41pm
On the fence. My old school self says 3/4” type L copper and call it done. Or use the new style Pex ?
I know it’s the latest greatest, but so was particle board and “Trex” decking at one point. And both of those turned out to be complete shit. I had a pinhole show up over the 3 day weekend. Luckily my house is on piers so we heard it, and it was accessible to McGyver it
Might not be so lucky next time. So if it was your house, what would you do, copper or plastic ?
I know it’s the latest greatest, but so was particle board and “Trex” decking at one point. And both of those turned out to be complete shit. I had a pinhole show up over the 3 day weekend. Luckily my house is on piers so we heard it, and it was accessible to McGyver it
Might not be so lucky next time. So if it was your house, what would you do, copper or plastic ?
Y'all have shifting Earth, so I say, no brainer.
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It’s very expensive. You’ll have to ream the copper as well. The lip created by using tubing cutters, creates turbulence. Turbulence in the line will cause the copper to wear out faster. Pex, you just cut, expand the pipe and ring, then bottom the fittings out.
Pick up a Milwaukee pex gun. If you need help sizing the system, draw out your floor plan and, I’ll draw an isometric for you.
Yes, I’m a plumber. Six years of residential and, 18 commercial. Here’s my current project so you don’t think I’m BS’n you.
Look for Uponor brand pex. Not the stuff from Home Depot. There’s a difference in quality.
Btw....that current job looks very cool.
I just finished a job for a couple that work in Hollywood.
The guy did that " melting head dude " in Indiana Jones , and did all the costume , masks , ect in the movie " the fly " remake about 30 years ago. Very cool people.
It doesn’t look like much atm. The equipment was just set today and, the trench drain was installed last week.
I’ll be anchoring the feet in tomorrow. Material to arrive for piping later afternoon. Hoping this project turns out well. Learning a lot on this one.
In your opinion which is the better finished product in terms of longevity ? I know Pex is way cheaper and easier, but in the long run is it better ? We're not planning on selling, the house will eventually go to our kids. I don't want to do this every few, five, or 10 years even. I don't care about it being more expensive or harder to do, I just want what's going to be headache / trouble free for the longest time. If it was your permanent "Not moving" house you're planning on staying in for years, would you go copper or Pex ? I'm all about cheap and easy, as long as it lasts as long. If not I don't mind the extra effort.
I've done lots of pool and spa plumbing, I used to install solar, I can solder. I keep hearing "Pex is awesome, it's so easy. But is it better ?
That looks like a badass project Chance ! My shit's kind of tinker toy like compared to that
This place had ancient in ground valves to switch from pool to spa. I put in new Jandy valves raised up where there easier to reach. Before they had to reach down into a spider infested hole in the deck. I ran some conduit so they can automate the valves later if they wanted.
I can do the work, I'm just leery of Pex, it seems like something I'd plumb my RV in, not my house
I was able to repipe my aunts house in Carson in ten hours. I went in, did the demo and taped red and blue on the drops coming through the floor into the crawl . It helped keep me from crossing the hot and, cold. Granted it was just the crawl space but, that’s including the drain. Copper would’ve taken at least three times as long.
She had the exact issue as you. Pin holes.
Temporarily till I was able to get down there, I had my cousin buy a shark bite coupling matched to the size of pipe being cut and, a pair of cutters. I had him cut the pipe exactly centered with the pin hole. Then rejoin the two pieces using the coupling. The key with those is making sure they bottom out when pushing the pipe in. It served its purpose and lasted a month until I got down there.
I only run copper in larger commercial applications. The bathrooms I plumbed for the brewery I’m on, was piped with pex. Watch a couple YouTube videos to understand the process. There’s a ring that slides over the end of the pipe that gets expanded at the same time as the pex pipe. It’s simple. Also get a pair of scissor cutters made by Rigid. They’re perfect for cutting clean. Here’s the cutters you want. Plus they’re awesome for cutting radiator hose as well.
Pit Row
I'm no pro like the pros on here. Just a home owner DIY'er that sometimes knows just enough to get himself in trouble. Mainly with electricity.
I still have a re-plumbing project waiting for me at the cottage. Mainly crawl space. And mainly cheap old leaky gate valves. But there will be a Pex swap going on there too, hopefully sometime over the summer.
Any of you pros got any pro tips for getting copper out of interior walls and replacing with Pex? Got a couple bathroom overhauls on the horizon, would sure like to replace some copper with Pex while I'm at it. Without tearing walls apart. Not sure the copper will pull down from the basement, pretty sure it would be fastened in there to some extent. Or have elbows in the way.
Drill through the floor for the water closet and use straight stops.
We use it in around 4500 houses a year and the only issues we ever have with it is other trades drilling or nailing into it. Sumdood, you will have to pick up the tools to either crimp or expand it, but then you can use same tools to replace whatever sections go bad in the future..... Once you have the tools, the fittings and pipe are cheap.
Sumdood I recently have a leak in my pool under my foundation and not looking forward to my options.
Joking aside. Either build a small chase or, the only other option is opening the wall and, ceiling. Just make sure to support the pex every 32”. Both vertically and, horizontally. That’s actually code here in Washington. The last thing you’ll want is a line flapping in the wall after getting it rocked over.
Sioux Chief is the brand for these supports. They come in the common sizes. 1/2, 3/4 and, 1”
I’m not really wanting to post my number here as I recall Boomslang getting a bunch of calls at 2am when he did so.
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