The 5 BIG MISTAKES Beginners Make When Installing PEX (Watch Before Installing!) | GOT2LEARN
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Here are 5 PEX mistakes you do not want to make!
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DISCLAIMER: Got2Learn is NOT responsible for any damage done to a property of which the plumbing wasn't done by a professional, I do not recommend doing your own plumbing if you are unsure about what you are doing, always hire a LICENSED contractor when doing any type of plumbing so you can be covered by insurances if something does happen, these videos are for entertainment purposes only!
Had to replumb my entire house myself 14 years ago in pex due to poor local contractor work. This is by far the best advice anyone can give.
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Why did you have to do it in pex rather than copper?
@@integr8er66 cheaper
OMG, PEX tubing in my basement has been exposed to light for ten years… is it sensitive to DEL?
Poor contractor work, or the cheapest price? 😂
If both the go and the no fit snug then you are in the quantum realm, PEX doesn't work properly in the quantum realm, make sure you are not bouncing between universes before doing PEX
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This is just what I learned in the past week. If you plan to use a lot of water for a swimming pool and / or watering a garden do this. Run a separate line from your main supply . I got 14 years and the brass fittings started to leak. Had to replace all fittings that had the main flow of water going thru them. Also I learned if a fitting looks bad on the boiler, replace it. When I grabbed hold mine , it broke off in my hand with full flow. The bottom line is I would run all separate lines ( if reasonable, ) and have no fittings hidden. They must all be available for inspection and easy to replace. Any sign of corrosion the fitting most likely will be brittle and weak. Remember I got 14 years. I build another house 38 years ago with copper pipe and it is still going strong.
Man, at 4.50, the way he is pulling that blade towards his thumb is not right. An accident waiting to happen.
Thanks for your concern 🤣
I saw that too. Ouch...
A man's gotta learn his limitations,,,,ifi had a dollar for every time I saw blood and didnt know what happened I'd buy a Corvette
Normally I hate when a channel panders for "likes" but "not hitting the like button will make your pipes leak" is too damn funny. LIKE!
Hahahaha IT WORKED!!!! Thanks Dash!!!!!!!
The UV warning for PEX is for direct outdoor sunlight. If the light has to pass through a window in a new home you're probably okay. New Low-E windows block UV, and even dirty old soda glass in older homes blocks nearly all UVB (the harmful stuff) and most UVA.
Yep. In the southwest and we stub out with pex for all fixtures and in 15 years have never had a single problem.
Im new to Pex and about to do something in my utility closet out to the spicket on the front of my house. Why is it an issue to use Pex in a room with a water heater? Its not sunlight?
That's because the home owner doesn't know you piped the place and how to get in touch with you. Copper is king on stubs. @@spacecruisers
The degree to which UV has to be avoided was a surprise. In that vein I’d point out that if windows in basements are a risk then fluorescent lights in basements are an issue. I used to use fluorescent lights as my UV source for exposing photoresist.
Also, don’t run Pex within 5ft of a Fluorescent light due to UV exposure.
I use poly fitting, not brass, because of low ph of the water.. Also I use SS clamp rings, not copper rings, as I found they will leak over time
Until they fail because of the uneven tension on the rings.
When re-plumbing short runs of copper, like wall plumbing behind showers, do you usually stick with the same dimension of PEX B as the copper pipe? That is, when replacing 1/2” copper pipe, do you use 1/2” PEX B pipe? Or do you upsize to 3/4” PEX B to better match the inner diameters? I’ve seen different views on whether there is much of a difference between the two approaches on short pipe runs, but was wondering if you’ve done both and have any opinion. Great video and great channel!
If you are starting at the water supply and working towards fixtures,avoid going from smaller to bigger. So if you are at the shower and working towards your water supply source,it should only get bigger and bigger pipe diameter as you work towards the main water shut off valve. If not not only can you have issues with water pressure,but you could end up getting noisy pipes when water is running. I seen a house where anytime you used the bathroom sink,the whole house had a loud squealing sound. All because they had a small diameter,large diameter and small again. Hope this helps with what you were asking.
I use the stainless steel cinch rings, not the copper crimp rings. About three times the price but I like the extra durability they provide. And the cinch tool auto releases when you have reached the proper point.
That's all I use these days.
You also save time not needing to check with a gauge.
as usual , always the best vids in plumbing !! you da man ! enjoy your summah ! Cheers from Maine ! Ps.. looking fwd to more FUTURE vids on the expansion type PEX !
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I use the S.S. Ratcheting rings when in a tight spot; the crimping tool is smaller than the ring compression tool, shown in the video, and just easier to navigate in tighter spots.
Yes.... I have fond memories of ratchetting crimpers for RF coaxial cables - Suhner, Mmmmmmm... :-)
Super so now I got this problem where everybody I work with hates me as they knew some of these an just well said fuck it now there's this lil asso in the corner going ur doing it wrong an causing blight it's great thanks again
Ahh, so we're kink shaming now? 🤔😉😂
The round rings are a pain in the A we use the clintch clamps that work so much better we have done hundreds of jobe and not one leak and the clamps are stainless never rust
I've NEVER made a mistake installing PEX. BECAUSE IT'S CRAP AND I WOULD NEVER INSTALL IT!
Nice thumbs up great video 👍
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My biggest issue with pex (b i guess it is) is how restrictive the fittings are.
I hate that the crimped fittings always have such a small internal diameter to them, the flow of water is dramatically reduced in them over soldered copper fittings. So I went to 'EXPANDED' PEX fittings, instead of 'Crimped' PEX fittings. This is usually referred to as 'UPONOR' fittings. I bought the cheaper $150 Cold-X expander tool from Home Hardware for all of my fittings.
We would always up size the pex in certain homes. Instead of 3/4" trunks like we would do in copper, we would do a 1" trunk, with 3/4" fixture branches.
But now, I run uponor for the reasons you mentioned. I prefer the uponor now. I got mechanical Apollo Expansion tool at Menards for about the same price
What's the trick to crimp in tight spots? I watched this entire video for that information. Guess I'll just keep using my hammer and 3/4" round stock.
Here: th-cam.com/users/clipUgkxzAP_Bphj2AW40KUWxPdBGoVN33ml_EG1
Had it happen to me today, so, I soaked my helper for crimping the ring in the wrong spot, not sure if he learned anything, but I felt better. ;)
As with many others, I much prefer stainless Oetiker bands to copper crimp rings. Still, your cutaway section showing the crimp area at 1:00 is FANTASTIC! It really explains what needs to be done, in a single frame to anyone not familiar with PEX fittings.
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But if the fitting is copper, would it not be best to have a crimp ring having the same thermal expansion coefficient?
@@somaday2595 Good question, but no. The thermal expansion coefficient of PEX is 5x greater than that of copper. So, as the copper fitting expands when heated, the PEX is trying to expand AWAY from it 5x faster. The crimp ring constrains it, so long as the hoop forces stretching it don't reach the copper's yield point. If the crimp ring ever exceeds its elastic limit, it is game over. And that is where stainless beats copper by far. The stainless used in Oetiker clamps is quiet soft by spring steel standards, yet it still has at least a 50% greater yield strength than copper, which allows the "ear" to be formed by cinching. That ear acts as a spring, maintaining near constant hoop tension across a varying range of circumferences, making the stainless clamp kind of impervious to crimper calibration issues that haunt the crimp system.
Still, when applied correctly, all of these systems are known to hold beyond the burst strength of the PEX, making arguments about what's best kind of moot.
@@robertlitman2661 Yield strength of the ring material was not in question but rather, the ring compression force on the PE. If the SS expands less than the Cu, the compression force would be stronger with the SS ring. Within a few thermal cycles, the seal with the SS when cold would be a less tight than the Cu ring. The PE will not creep back once it has flowed under compression of the ring.
@@somaday2595 That's why we use PEX and not plain PE. The cross linking is what stops creep and makes the whole system work. That creep is also why PE icemaker lines are a time-bomb, and I have concerns that PERT will turn into a PB fiasco eventually.
how can i contact you i live in canada and i got some questions for you about plumbing
Facebook!
Copper pipes burst this year and the last freeze. All pipes were insulated. The first freeze water drip on all faucets and pipes burst. This freeze 2022 all pipes insulated this time around I shut main off open all faucets well copper pipes burst. So the landlord is going to replace all copper pipes with pex, he's already replace another property he has with pex they froze but did not burst.
ouchhhyy....good move.
You should use stainless steel locking clamps. They will not corrode. The crimpers are easier to use as well. 🙂
I used a heat gun on my pex to defrost them during the Christmas freeze. Was that bad / does that weaken it / should I replace those lines?
Was it pex-a or b?
How about exterior painting to protect from UV light? Does that help. Anyone tried it?
I would think it would crack, but good idea nonetheless.
Thats cool i was just asking how to check if my crimpers were needing calibrated.... What happens if they are over crimped?
It'll most likely damage the pipe 🙏
It will never be over crimped unless you adjusted your crimper wrong to begin with. The jaws only loosen with time and lose tension
as I mentioned in another your video. cheap , hobby like, materials in USA are real problem.
this is what we use in europe:
th-cam.com/video/eAArSBruY1g/w-d-xo.html
I think in my country you will be arrested for using materials you have in this video. Just kidding, you will not get arrested, but you will never get a contract, lol.
2 big mistakes ..1: using copper crimp rings; they're cheap, malleable and don't hold up to movement like stainless steel crimp rings do. Spend the money and do a professional job.
2: using brass fittings; it may seem brass would be better but trust me it's not! The brass fittings are ultra low copper (as opposed to the old "red brass" fittings) and will fail through corrosion in as little as 2 years. I hate to say it but plastic is better.
The shittiest system i ever seen . 13yrs od working with Waters/heating etc in Europę. and this pex is the worst imo
Huh??
I only use the offset crimper. Those are totally worthless on repairs. Can't get in holes or in between the studs.
This is why i went with the stainless cinch rings. Need much less room to cinch, you can see the ring before and during installation, one cincher does all sized rings and the cinching tool costs 1/2 the price of the copper crimp tool.
Same here. As a home diy’er I didn’t want to invest so much on crimping tools that I’ll seldom use when a single chinch tool will do both 1/2” and 3”4” and can access areas that the crimping tool can’t! Plus I can use a chinch tool with one hand. Cost, access, one handed use...all positives for chinching over crimping.
You can also cut off the cinch clamps with much less chance of damaging the fitting. Most of the time, you can use pliers to pull the ring side away from the locking teeth, and it will pop open. However, I generally don't reuse fittings. It's not worth the risk when they only cost $1-$2 each, even for the brass ones.
I prefer using PEX fittings Instead of the cumbersome crimp rings and crimping tool. Replumbed my whole house this way.
Are you talking about shark bite fittings? If so, one day you’re probably going to wish you hadn’t done that. They’re known to leak after a while. Sometimes after a few months, sometimes a few years down the road.
Check out Roger Wakefield’s channel. He’s talked about it a lot and even did some tests to the point of failure. It doesn’t take much pressure to pop off a shark bite whereas the crimp fittings don’t come apart.
@Got2Learn crimp VS cinch pex fittings !? Prefernce?
I never worked with cinch but I heard a lot of people like them, but I really like crimp!
@@Got2Learn thanks for the reply ! your vids are very informative/ inspirational. After having a heating contractor in my house for a week I finally soldered my own iso valve for some hot water. They liked the cinch b/c the tool is smaller and easier to remove the cinch fittings.
@@routtookc8064 👌👌👌😇😇😇
I rarely subscribe to channels but you’re straightforward, no bullshit dialogue approach was informative and refreshing. Subscribed👍🇺🇸
Niceeee, thanks!!!! 💎💎💎
another great video... the problem is I think pex sounds too easy to mess up with... I thought it was supposed to be the "miracle" plumbing that held up to all sorts of weather and conditions
got a question hopefully you can answer. Leaking flapper. Replaced (tried 2 different ones). Still leaks. I adjusted the chain setting to just about everything possible from fairly tight to really loose. From what I can tell the flush handle pulls the flapper sideways sometimes (not always). When it goes sideways it doesn't fully re-seat, and then I get "ghost flushes" once in a while. This is the first time I've had this problem - replaced flappers several times previously.
Might need to Macgyver something.
@@WJHandyDad My old flapper had a mini-weight above it.
Too funny, "Kinky pex" was my stripper name in the 80s 😂
Great, now i have that song stuck in my head ‘she’s a very kinky pex, the kind you don’t bring home to mother.....’
Ok... grandpa..
I worked for 25 years installing and repairing alarm systems! I don't have to replace nasty toilet but ran wires in some of the same places you ran pipes! I did it in Florida. Not much cold weather but mud under homes and attic can get so hot I had trouble breathing! I don't want your job my was bad enough!
Love the if you don't hit the like button your pipe will leak. Another great video
Hihi, thought I'd put it in there as a joke LOL
Lol, he has a previous video and uses the jaws on a pair of chanellocks to set the collar.
Yes, mistake!
I've learned a lot from your videos, thank you. I have a crimping tool for PEX as this was the cheapest tool for a DIYer who needed to do a fast repair. But what is better, Crimping or clamping PEX pipes, and is brass or poly PEX connections better? I'm preparing to do a bathroom makeover and was going to use copper because I have all the tools and more experience sweating than crimping but PEX seems to be a lot faster.
First off, thank you so much. I prefer crimping in general, never had any experience with the SS cinch rings as you mentioned, but a lot of people love them so I guess it's all up to you. As for plastic of brass, I don't have a preference, as long as the brass fittings are DRZ (dezinc resistant) you are good to go!
I had to redo some plumbing for my bathroom renos and planned on reusing the brass fittings. They had patches of corrosion on them, inside and out. Still trying to figure how the corrosion spots started on the outside of them when the water isn’t supposed to be there. Not some of them, all of them. My house is only 20 years old.
I opted for the stainless cinch rings and plastic fittings. The cinch rings are easier to install, you can see them while you’re cinching them to make sure they’re in the right place and straight and the cinching tool needs far less room to use.
Prices may have changed but for the small fittings there wasn't much of a difference (bought online), although I used brass because the area had a chance to freeze. For bigger fittings like manifolds it can be a much bigger. For matching old pipe to new, first making certain one has all the needed fittings. Attach and tighten those first before attaching PEX since PEX isn't suppose to like twisting action once crimped.
Yep, mistake #1 was not using Pex A...
Got2Learn has the best plumbing videos I've found on youtube; brilliant visuals and expert advice. Thank you 😁
Thank you soooo much Mark!!
Fine! Here's your like! You didn't have to threaten me for it!
🤣🤣🤣 thanks a million!!!
It’s why I only use Uponor Products with the battery operated Milwaukee crimping tool.
Never used this type of pex. My favorite of the types I've used is uponor, though the 1/2" 90 shortage at the moment is not fun.
WTF?! There's a 90 bracket shortage too?
@@nomansarker5556 yeah, according to the uponor company, their factory that makes them had a covid outbreak. Causing the shortage.
Why does everyone use copper rings instead of cinch clamps?
Aren't they more expensive?
I rather stick to copper. I don't feel like investing in more tools. In any case, thanks for providing the info.
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i enjoy sweating but the investment in pex tools is far less than the cost of time and material when using copper.
One day you’ll need to pull some plumbing lines to replace old corroded pipes in a second story bathroom. I have an upcoming project where PEX is the obvious choice due to constraints on where I’ll be able to pen up the walls.
I agree. However, I have the power tool for Uponor. Some people insist. It is FAST. Cheating, somehow. Huh?
@@stephenholland6328 There is always soft copper piping.
This video was really useful
I didn’t even know what that was until now thanks man
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This is why I use Shark bites
pex a for me
You've got a particular accent, where is it from?
Montreal!
IMHO, after using crimp and expansion on several HVAC installations, crimp definitely isn't bad but I prefer expansion which requires Pex-A. It's faster, easier and if done correctly no need to get the expansion tool in to tight spaces. It is expensive though.
I don't think it's any more expensive than any other pex. Maybe the tool, but you can get an Apollo Expansion tool for 1/2" and 3/4" for under $150. I believe a power tool is under $300.
@@ericlewandowskivlogs Good point. I was only considering the Milwaukee 1/2" to 1" power expander I used for HVAC. The only thing I didn't like about working with PEX was that 1" and bigger roles of PEX can be a real pain to straight, especially in the winter .
Your voice makes me feel safe
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I just had to return an Icrimp tool their 1/2 size is to big I used my calipers to check and it is bigger not by much but bigger then a 1/2 inch. Lost all trust in the company after this, how can they not check their equipment before sending it to a customer.
That's weird, I never had any problems with their stuff andI ordered quite a few....did you let them know? They are quite responsive.
Yes and their replacing them for free. They said it is not a common thing but from time to time it happens.
Hmmm, interesting.
Saludos cordiales de México 🇲🇽 me gustaría conocer ese material lo venden en México 🇲🇽.
The first big mistake that is made with Pex is buying the garbage in the first place.
Hi. I love your videos and have learned a lot. Can you make a video on how to replace a piece of underground toilet pipe where the other ends are still in the ground and impossible to excavate?
Have you tried using a pressure washer? th-cam.com/video/-MQNmJwrwLY/w-d-xo.html
You need to speak loudly. The voice is very low.
I think I learned that the plumbers that I have Competition here were im at is doing it Wrong. So thank you.
There are also several fitting manufacturers that have depth-gauges built in to the fittings to help you crimp properly. Waterline (in Canada) and Sharkbite poly fittings have these. I also used the poly ones exclusively because of how hard my water is.
What's weird is this just now recommended. I watched it this morning (10 hours ago).
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Sometimes after crimping the pex joint is not leaking, but can still rotate over the fitting. What could be the cause of this?
This is 100% normal!
Why use crimp when you could expand?
Cost.
The crimp ring moving from where you want it to be crimped, because the crimping tool moves it while trying to get it in place, is a problem. I have been putting blue tape on it. That trick works most of the time, but it can and will still move sometimes. I like pre crimping the ring with the pliers. Thanks, I will do that next time.
Not hitting the like button will make all your pipes leak. 😁😁😁😁😁
I'm going to go out and check the solder joints I made yesterday, connecting a shutoff ball valve to my water heater. Don't worry I always hit the like button cuz I don't like leaks. 👍
Iwiss seems to make good tools all around, for electronics I have some and have had good luck with them. (The tool says it is made by iwiss)
Has anyone ever used pex A with the crimp method SS ring or copper ring? Have you had any issues with Pex-A leaking?
Yes, there are other manufacturers producing PEX A that use the crimp method that are reliable systems. At our shop we have Uponor expanding and rehau crimp systems and the guy almost exclusively use the rehau crimp.
As a non plumber, all I took away from this was that pex isn't u.v radiant.
You can't cut the crimps with the grinder, just use the torch to remove the pex
The UV part is interesting. Don't some people use pex for shop air?
I love PEX. Just finished a water damage job over $40k from PEX. Rat chewed through it. Keep using it!!!
Get rid of the rats!!
Try using conduct that's what recommend for in ground pex that's been chew into by moles or gofhers..pvc pipe for conduct
fuking awesome. more stabila please
How long can pex b be exposed to sunlight. Asking for a friend.
Would you use pex pipe through the whole house ?
Yup!
"The 5 BIG MISTAKES Beginners Make When Installing PEX"
1. Not using Uponor (or PEX A)
Yeah not everyone can afford the stuff.
@@Got2Learn Yeah the 'Electric Expanders' are for Contractors that can 'expense' them. But you may be able to get by with a 'Hand Ratchet' type as a Homeowner. With Pex B You have to Route 1 size up Oversize 'Pipe, or you are introducing 'Flow Reducers' at Every Connection.
Just get yourself the Ryobi pinch clamp tool(p660) and use pinch clamps instead of those dumb rings.
So, the takeaway for me is don't use PEX in a plumbing job on the planet Earth, a planet that orbits the Sun which omits UV light. The exception is in subterranean dwellings. Thanks!
Uponor tip. Let the ring set for a out 20 minutes before turning the water back on. I should make plumbing video🤔
9qg
Great advice about crimping and removing pex fittings. The tools used for pex fittings are expensive, but worth every dollar spent. I bought the crimping tool for both 1/2" and 3/4" fittings. A friend has the crimping tool with 4 crimping heads, 3/8" 1/2", 3/4" & 1". I would never use anything but a crimping tool. I definitely recommend the tool for removing the crimp ring. This video didn't show how many times he cut the ring. It doesn't pop off that easy with only one cut. Sometimes it will take 2 or 3 cuts around the ring before it pops off. I just make 2 cuts and pull it off with pliers. Everyone who uses pex fittings know how expensive they can be, so you will save as many as you can.
I always try to use crimp fittings. I only use push fittings when I cana't get the crimping tool around the pipe. I don't like using push fittings inside walls.
How about using Sharkbite?
Watch this guide here: th-cam.com/video/V48FQBbeZhk/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Got2Learn
I remember (not that fondly) re-piping my hot water lines with red 3/4" Pex the length of the house in 2006. I liked how flexible the tubing was so things which didn't line up perfectly still worked. Those large crimping pliers were a bear to get into certain areas though. They crimped in a hex shape rather than the round you show. Pluses and minuses for sure vs copper.
For tight areas I cut one handle of my crimper half off. Very difficult to use now but i can get those tight places better.
damn... This is some medieval technique for crimping PEX :D Don't you have better systems for working with PEX in the states? :S
I had no idea that pex pipe would go bad by being exposed to sunlight.....Great video thanks!!!!
Yeah, it degrades and can eventually leak 👌
These crimps are junk. Uponor is by far the best pex system out there.
The heat gun being used even on Pex type A - there is no way to create a heat cycle in a plastic part without some degree of weakening it. You don't need deep knowledge of Materials Science to have an intuition about what heat does to material.
I would never use a heat gun on something unless it was being heated to aid in removal (like a stuck part) and then discarded.
It's not too much trouble to cut out a kink and install a coupling.
Would you cut a kink out if it was a customer job? Well...........
Would you cut a kink out if it was piping inside the walls of your own home? YES.
So do that for the customer too. The first call-back you get for a failure (let's say a re-pipe was done and lines were run up in the attic, which is very common, and it's 95 degrees in the summer - how hot is the attic? VERY HOT)
You do not want a call-back for a failure that would have taken an extra couple minutes to fix.
Wouldn't install this crap in a horse stable in a swamp.
Some copper rings have a plastic ‘shoulder’ on one end, allowing you to slide the ring to the correct distance and seat it all the way ‘home’, about a few millimetres from the end of the PEX
Apart that he is good explaining I'm practicing English so if I don't know something as plumber I'll learn and more coz I'm practicing English too
This video should be titled "Why PEX B is garbage and you should use PEX A".
Pex-b isn't garbage lol
Good information thanks
Those 3/4 x 1/2 iCrimps are miserable to use! One of my biggest purchase regrets. They make offset handle versions that are much easier to use and can fit in tight spaces.
By the time you've ars5d around with this cr4p I could have soldered several joints with no danger of them pulling out !!
I don't trust this ring crimping thing. Plastic deformation says you need to over-crimp it, so when it snaps back / relaxes, it will still be crimped hard enough.
A lot of weekend warriors try to build it like a lego set. one piece at a time. you need to bench build the sytem out. I have bench built 15 feet of pipe with bends and turns. checked eveything twice on the bench, slide it to place and the last connection fitting was right in front of my face.
Is it normal that a shutoff valve can fully turn around a copper crimp? The joint is not leaking, but when connecting the faucet supply to the shutoff valve, I found that the shutoff valve was able to turn freely around the crimped pex pipe. Is this normal?
Those plastic bend supports are nice
Yes indeed!
Great tips!! I've been meaning to cover an exposed pipe leading to my my hose bib outside to protect it from cold. I didn't know about the sunlight issue. Poor job by the plumber who left it like that when he repiped my whole house. He did other subpar things I'm realizing to include trying to charge me triple the cost. 🤨