Repipe: DIY?

[Vaultman]

REPIPE: DIY?
(darn autocorrect)

I have galvanized water pipes, house built in 1970. Water pressure is low in areas, and I have most pipes exposed (probably 50%) currently from another project.
I bought the tool to do PEX type-A. I have all the current lines sketched.

I am having slight second thoughts before starting. Probably, mainly on what size PEX to use and when/where to transition to smaller.

Anybody diy this? How'd it go? Pointers?

 

[Vaultman]

I can't edit the thread title and autocorrect got me. If a moderator can change it I'd be thankful.

 

[IDVortex]

Do it yourself, won't be that difficult, most lines are 1/2, id run 3/4 to the farthest hose bib and run off of that as your primary. Glad you're using Pex-A, good stuff.

 

[khart_6882]

I was a water line plumber once upon a time about 15 years ago so I can’t remember the specifics, but we had a book that told you how many fixtures could be ran off each size of line to retain adequate pressure


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TaperPin]

I like the results of running a 1/2” home run for every fixture back to a manifold by the hot water heater. Since the hot and cold water have the same length of runs, you won’t get temp variations when a toilet is flushed or the dishwasher turns on or off. It also doesn’t take as long for hot water to come out since it’s supplied by a 1/2” line. Many (most?) better homes are plumbed this way, but I have every remodel plumbed this way and clients always like it. 1/2” pex is dirt cheap.

As for the larger branched off to smaller, I can’t say, but 3/4 is too small - the larger lines have to be 1” or pressure variations will happen when two showers are going, the washing machine fills up, someone flushes a toilet and the sprinkler system goes off. That drives me nuts.

The internal volume of 3/4” is close to twice that of 1/2”, so that might supply a shower and sink, but that’s about all.

All the toilets can be on one 1/2” home run since they don’t need good flow. It’s nice to plumb the fridge ice maker to a valve under the sink so it’s easy to turn off.

Good luck with it.

 

[Legend]

REPIPE: DIY?
(darn autocorrect)

I have galvanized water pipes, house built in 1970. Water pressure is low in areas, and I have most pipes exposed (probably 50%) currently from another project.
I bought the tool to do PEX type-A. I have all the current lines sketched.

I am having slight second thoughts before starting. Probably, mainly on what size PEX to use and when/where to transition to smaller.

Anybody diy this? How'd it go? Pointers?

Take @ Taperpin advice and build a home run system off a manifold. Pex is great but pex fittings are worthless and should never be installed behind walls....ever. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[IDVortex]

Take @ Taperpin advice and build a home run system off a manifold. Pex is great but pex fittings are worthless and should never be installed behind walls....ever. Don't ask me how I know.

Pex or shark bite? Plus, there are different fitting for different style of pex, which not all are to be used on different style of Pex.

 

[Legend]

Pex fittings made by zurn. Professional plumber installed the plastic fittings. And plastic was what zurn replaced the brass with after their class action lawsuit. After my issue I started to call around and a LOT of plumbing companies have been paid off by zurn to not speak I'll have the junk fittings.

I will never install fittings behind walls. Especially when there is a far superior method that is made to solve the problem. Homerun and manifold is the only way. And if you want to use some fancy pex use the upanor pro system. It is crazy fast and idiot proof.

 

[Vaultman]

@Legend :
upanor pro, by my search is the same as PEZ A. Is that correect? (I plan to use PEX A.)
If using the upanor pro system fittings... you still would not install behind walls?

 

[Rich M]

Some water will corrode the cheap metal connectors. Plastic is better there.

The connectors are where any problems would be. Put them in areas easy to reach and where a leak wont ruin the underlying wall. Also, maybe incorporate a lil extra length (inches) in case you need to replace a fitting.

Can you run in basement and t-up? Im in fl and they run water pipes in attic and t-down - incredibly risky.

Someone asked about sharkbite. My FiL used it reluctantly in an adfition w good results. I used it for a water heater replacement w no issues. Both are less than 10 yrs so no long term results.

 

[Runwilderness]

I moved into a home with a Frankenstein mix of galvanized, Cu, and PEX. Replaced all of the galvanized a few years ago with PEX. Fairly easy. One bit of advice: think a bit about the room needed for the clamp tool when it is fully open when laying out your lines. Total PITA when you find yourself twisted on your side trying to squeze the clamp shut while you can barely grasp the damn tool becuse your nice clean runs were a bit too close to other obstructions.
I also took The opportunity to add easily accessible shutoffs for different parts of the house so future work/problems in the kitchen or one bath don’t require shutting off the full house.

 

[JoeDirt]

I did PEX A in my house, its good stuff.
1" main from the meter to the house. Then 3/4" to the kitchen, water heater, laundry and bathrooms. All faucets are 1/2"

I had some stuff opened up one winter with no heat, had a couple freeze and thaw cycles without any issues.

Get the Milwaukee tool
Never use SharkBite
Use Pex A

 

[Elmer J. Fudd]

Pex is nice to work with. I agree with running a home run system. Wish I would have done my house that way. I have used shark bites in certain areas as a one-off fix before I had all the tools. I followed the installation instructions and had no problems. But if a guy is using a handful it’s cheaper to just get the tools

 

[Legend]

@Legend :
upanor pro, by my search is the same as PEZ A. Is that correect? (I plan to use PEX A.)
If using the upanor pro system fittings... you still would not install behind walls?

In my opinion there is nothing but positives with doing a homerun. When I re-plumbed my brand new house there were a couple of concessions made where I just couldn't get another run there without a lot of effort. So I think I have 3 fittings in the house.

Google would know more than me if pex a and uponor are identical. What I was referring to was the propex upanor connection which uses the plastic collar around the fitting. It basically is always squeezing the fitting.

PEX pipe is highly unlikely to fail. Fittings are the weak point no matter how good the fitting and connection are.