Hi Ray: I used it on my basement renovation. Installed a full bathroom and laundry room without using soldering. What a difference! Just remember to push the pipe firmly into the fitting and that if you don't hear it crunching when you turn the fitting joint, you don't have it right and it will leak. Both hot and cold lines were installed and tested within an hour. Well worth the price difference.
Cheers Guy Castonguay Ottawa, Canada --- "Boyce, Ray" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Next time you need to replace pipes in your home, consider an > alternative to rigid piping that comes in rolls, can be cut easily to > any desired length, > and requires no soldering and very few joint fittings. Generically > called PEX-AL-PEX, this flexible plastic piping is so easy to install > that you can handle > most projects quickly on your own. > > Although PEX-AL-PEX is relatively new to North America, it's approved in > major plumbing codes, and professional plumbers are increasingly > choosing PEX-AL-PEX > because of its successful 30-year track record in Europe. It's a little > more expensive than rigid copper piping - but the advantages outweigh > the extra > cost. Plus, you can save money by doing the job yourself. You can buy it > at major hardware stores, where it's usually sold as water supply piping > and infloor > radiant-heat lines. When you buy PEX at the hardware store, make sure > the tubing is stamped with "NSF-61" or "NSF pw" (for potable water), > which distinguishes > it from the PEX that is used only for infloor radiant heating > applications. > > PEX-AL-PEX is named for its sandwich-layered construction that uses > cross-linked polyethylene plastic as the outside layer (PEX), aluminum > as the middle > layer (AL) and another layer of cross-linked poly on the inside. To keep > it simple in this article, I'll refer to PEX-AL-PEX as just PEX, though > that name > also is used for plastic-only water supply lines. > > PEX is worth considering for your next plumbing project for three > reasons: > > Flexibility. PEX can be hand-bent in any direction and will remain in a > fixed position. This allows you to work it around and through existing > floor joists, > walls and frame members. PEX bends tightly up to a 3-inch radius without > forming kinks, which significantly reduces the need for most elbow > joints. > Worksaver > > Easy joint assembly. PEX joints usually are made with either threaded > compression fittings > or > crimp-on connection rings > (both described below). These joints are fast and easy to complete, and > you don't have to torch and solder them, except when you connect new PEX > lines to > existing copper supply pipes. But even connecting copper pipes to PEX is > a job that most people can do themselves - all it takes is some basic > knowledge > of plumbing skills and PEX joints (see " > Connecting to Copper > "). > > Resistance to frost cracking. PEX piping is better than rigid piping at > resisting the outward pressure of freezing water. Manufacturers > typically test and > warrant their aluminum-core PEX lines to withstand five freeze/thaw > cycles before cracking may occur. PEX may withstand even more than that, > but it isn't > completely immune to frost cracking. > > Octopus Manifold & Fittings > > To get the most value out of your PEX lines, you need to plan > differently for a PEX installation. Instead of following a roadlike > network of large pipes > that would normally feed smaller ones in straight-line fashion, water > flows from the main PEX line to a central location called a > manifold, > which in turn feeds smaller PEX lines (similar to the arms of an > octopus) that supply fixtures directly. > > This configuration delivers consistent pressure to all PEX-connected > fixtures, because it creates a hub where water is equally directed to > various points > in the house. The line supplying your manifold should be three-fourths > inch in diameter, with half-inch-diameter branch lines sprouting off > from the manifold. > > To connect separate pieces of PEX to valves, manifolds and joints, you > have a choice between compression fittings and crimp-on rings. > Compression fittings > connect with threaded parts you tighten together. For small jobs > involving less than 20 joints, compression fittings are the most > cost-effective option > for PEX. To attach a compression fitting, just slip a nut onto the PEX, > push the cut end of PEX line over the O-ring on the end of the fitting > and tighten > the nut with a couple of wrenches (see " > 9 Essential Wrenches and Pliers > "). > > Compression fittings are faster, easier and safer to install than any > solder joint, but the drawback is they are relatively expensive. For > smaller jobs, > you can justifiably spend $5 or more on a threaded elbow, a connector or > a T-shaped compression fitting. But for bigger jobs that require many > fittings, > the cost will add up. > > Professional plumbers almost always prefer > crimp-on connection rings > because they're less expensive, and they install faster and easier than > wrench-tightened compression fittings - but there's a catch. > Crimping tools > can cost several hundred dollars each, and you'll need one tool for > half-inch joints and yet another for three-fourth-inch joints. The price > of these tools > is justifiable only if you are plumbing more than one building. Crimping > tools are durable, which makes them good candidates for a shared > purchase among > several neighbors. Keep them oiled and indoors, and they'll last > forever. > > The crimping rings themselves are simple, inexpensive metal bands that > work great. Just slip one onto the PEX, assemble the joint, slide the > ring over the > joint, open the jaws of your crimping tool over the ring, then squeeze > the jaws shut. The force of the crimping tool makes the diameter of the > ring slightly > smaller, resulting in a tight and permanent joint. But before you use > the tool, make sure you've got the joint positioned where you want it. > The only way > you can pull the joint apart later is by cutting off the crimped ring > with a hacksaw and prying it off the PEX line. > > Before you buy PEX and plumbing supplies, create a schematic drawing of > your proposed layout. Mark the location and type of any fittings you > will need, > and note any major obstacles caused by framing details or inconvenient > routes. By doing this, you can make a list of all the supplies and tools > you will > need before making a trip to the hardware store. As you plan your > layout, remember that the flexibility of PEX offers potential for > designs not possible > with rigid piping. For instance, you can run PEX lines through holes > drilled in floor joists, keeping your pipes tucked up inside the floor > frame, where > they will be out of the way. > > Installing PEX > > After you've planned your layout, bending and positioning your PEX is > easy. But before the job is done, you'll also need to cut, ream and > install joints > in PEX; drill holes in wood and drywall; and connect hoses to fixtures. > > Boring holes. To drill holes through walls, joists or drywall, use a > 1-inch-diameter self-feeding auger for half-inch water lines, and a > 11/4-inch auger > for three-fourths-inch lines. Ample clearance reduces installation > friction when you pull the PEX lines through the holes. Putting in PEX > lines this way > is much like pulling heavy electrical cable, so recruit someone to help > you. Have your helper unroll 10 or 12 feet of PEX from the coil, then > pull it into > place before unrolling more. > > When installing PEX in floor joists, the only difficulty you'll likely > encounter is boring all those holes in tight quarters. To drill these > holes, your > best option is a cordless right-angle drill with a short self-feeding > auger bit. To align your cuts, follow the joint lines of the plywood > subfloor, or > snap a chalk line along the bottom edges of the joists. The more uniform > the hole location from joist to joist, the easier it will be to pull the > PEX lines > into place. > > Cutting. You can cut PEX with specially designed, > inexpensive shears > that have a single metal blade. The trick to cutting PEX with this tool > is making a two-step slice: With the first stroke, cut most of the way > through the > tube, rotate the shears a quarter-turn and then finish with another > squeeze. Whatever you do, don't struggle using a hacksaw or copper pipe > cutter - neither > cuts PEX very well. > > Reaming. The pressure required to cut PEX doesn't flatten the pipe > completely, but it does create an oval profile that you need to correct. > That's why the > next step in completing a joint involves widening the opening of the PEX > line with a simple tool. The > reaming tool > does two things: It imparts a perfectly round shape to the inside of the > pipe, while also chamfering (beveling) the inside edges of the opening > to prevent > damage to the O-rings that seal the fittings after assembly. Cutting and > reaming each joint takes just seconds, but be sure you ream carefully > and evenly. > The inside edge of the PEX line end must be a smooth, beveled surface. > If you leave behind a sharp edge or a stray piece of plastic, the > all-important > O-rings in the joint can become damaged and cause a leak. > > Installing valves. When you install any new plumbing, you should test > the system for leaks before hiding the pipes behind drywall or paneling. > === message truncated ===
