Expanding ProPex tubing (Wirsbo System)

[Master Plumber Mark]

yes you can

you really cannot over-expand the wirsbo,

but you can make it reall hard for the fitting

to grab together and make a good joint..

by expanding over and over......


I have come to the conclusion with the stuff that it is
wise just to keep a very hot hair dryer on hand....

you put the joint tgether and then hit it with a hot hair dryer
for about 30 seconds or so and you =can actually watch the plastic fitting contract down

this is the absolute best way to be %100 sure that the
fitting will never leak...especially with the joints that you
have expanded a few times more

 

[Mikey]

So... is Wirsbo the way to go?

If you were just getting into PEX, would you commit to Wirsbo or one of the others?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

The Wirsbo is the much wiser move

I had to take this pex plunge myself about two years
ago....when 3/4 copper pipe hit 2 bucks a foot...

and I have seen a lot of brands out there.....

The Wirsbo is probably the toughest
you will come across...

considering I have seen it run under concrete slabs
in direct contact to the concrete...and they use variations of it for hydronic work...


if you are doing a lot of it,
get the air powered expander..

those really kick ass and save tons of time over
both the hand expander and the batteryoperated one...

 

[hj]

Wirsbo

All of this discussion would be moot if they had attended a Wirsbo installation class as is recommended by the manufacturer.

 

[Dunbar Plumbing]

I want a piece of this piping that's 50-60-70 years old from the United States that's been exposed to chlorine levels presently found in this area.

I want to see if I can expand the ends of it to consider the same practice that's being used like it is now because it's fast and easy and mr. greasy can do it down the street.

Am I the only Licensed Plumber in the United States that doesn't have blinders on when it comes to what's known as age progression of piping systems and the expected failure rates that magnify on some products as opposed to others?

Take notice homeowners; you might of slick willied your way past avoiding what was known as common piping systems in your home that has a known reputation of product reliability, but you're setting yourself up for the implied notion that someday, someday that product MIGHT be part of a learning curve where the famous words class action lawsuit makes you a part of that complex situation, yet predictable......

and now you have a property that you are trying to sell that the banks or home inspectors are writing you up because you saved a buck and beat the rap of proper materials and workmanship and shot in what provided you water at a fraction of what industry standards usually cost.

Don't believe what I type, I'm just a licensed plumber that doesn't walk to supply houses with broken plastic products in my hands, daily.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

HJ---only pussies take the install class....

All of this discussion would be moot if they had attended a Wirsbo installation class as is recommended by the manufacturer.

HJ....

Real men never ask for directions,

Real men never read the directions either...

Real men would never take
classes to learn how to work with tools...

yes....they might lose a finger, but its better to lose
a finger trying to do it themselves

then to lose their self respect......as real men.

it dont make much sense ...
but that is the way it is...

 

[Seaneys]

All of this discussion would be moot if they had attended a Wirsbo installation class as is recommended by the manufacturer.

I've had a hard finding a supplier in the area who will allow an amateur to attend a training session. I can't say that I blame the plumbing stores, but I'd still like to try to use the product. It seems far superior to the brand sold by the box store.

I have had to go through a few number of connections to 'get it right'. I found a few videos and help guides online...

Steve

 

[Enosez]

I want a piece of this piping that's 50-60-70 years old from the United States that's been exposed to chlorine levels presently found in this area.

I want to see if I can expand the ends of it to consider the same practice that's being used like it is now because it's fast and easy and mr. greasy can do it down the street.

Am I the only Licensed Plumber in the United States that doesn't have blinders on when it comes to what's known as age progression of piping systems and the expected failure rates that magnify on some products as opposed to others?

Take notice homeowners; you might of slick willied your way past avoiding what was known as common piping systems in your home that has a known reputation of product reliability, but you're setting yourself up for the implied notion that someday, someday that product MIGHT be part of a learning curve where the famous words class action lawsuit makes you a part of that complex situation, yet predictable......

and now you have a property that you are trying to sell that the banks or home inspectors are writing you up because you saved a buck and beat the rap of proper materials and workmanship and shot in what provided you water at a fraction of what industry standards usually cost.

Don't believe what I type, I'm just a licensed plumber that doesn't walk to supply houses with broken plastic products in my hands, daily.

Job Security!!

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Job Security

Hey you are absolutely right about that job security....

Just last week i changed out a old poly system for

a new wirsbo system on a slab home.....for $2200..

isnt this a wicked and mean sight under a vanity????

if they would not have half-assed in that stuff back in 79

i would not have done this work last week...

now in 30 years maybe someone will be doing the same
work again.... tearing out all my Wirsbo work...in a nasty old laundry room and kitchen

who knows???


Rugged... I dont think that their is really a learning curve for most people

people keep doing the same stupid things every couple of decades

history simply repeats itself over and over again....

everyone thinking that they have found something cheaper and better..

 

[Seaneys]

Hello,

Thanks a lot for the great pictures. I agree that there is potential risk with PEX, but I tend to me more concerned about the couplings and connections than the material itself.

Did you consider using 90 degree bend supports in place of the elbows? I was trying to minimize connections in my design..

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

the bend supports are a pain to fool with

I have seen people use those braces to bend the
stuff and minimise the joints but it looks really really
god awful nasty..

looks much worse than the these black elbows I use.....

I prefer the plastic black elbows and other joints better than the brass fittings

of course they are cheaper, but I got a feeling that the plastic
elbows and joints will actually have a ZERO corrosion factor ......

whereas the brass fittings could have been made
in China or with sub standard metal......


on some other thread I mentioined an event where the customer
let their new house freeze up and the black plastic and pex was
not damaged at all becasue the copper manifold froze and broke first
and relieved the stress on the whole system

the black plastic manifolds held up great.

 

[Jadnashua]

I used some of those to get the radiant heating tubing through the floor and started horizontal, otherwise, it would have been difficult to keep it where I wanted. Otherwise, just bent the stuff. If you can avoid a joint, I say do it unless it takes you significantly longer to route it verses using one.

 

[hj]

Pex

Real men never ask for directions,

Real men never read the directions either...

They won't ask the right questions from the place that would give them the right answers, but they will ask here and get multiple, and sometimes conflicting, replies. Maybe the manufacturers do not want "amateurs" using their materials because of potential liability claims if it is done incorrectly. One of our wholesalers has a reminder to its counter people that Rinnai tankless water heaters are not to be sold to anyone other than certified installers. Many other companies have similar policies, and for good reason. Just because someone can buy a product, doesn't mean that they should be using it.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

HJ true true.....

my statement about men was
supposed to be a joke... true but a joke

but it is not going to be funny when all this stuff out
there that is being put in by amatures starts to fail
left and right

go to e-bby and see all the krimpers and odd ball stuff
they sell every night....