How Do I Run PEX Through Corner Studs?

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MuddlingThru

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As my forum moniker implies, I am trying to "muddle through" a repipe of my home. I am pretty clear on what and how to do everything. I will be using a combination mostly of 1" and 3/4" PEX (some 3/8" of course at the fixtures) and all seems pretty straightforward. However, I am uncertain of how to run the PEX around a corner wall. This is a bottom floor, load-bearing wall, so it is certainly three or maybe four 2x4s making up the corner.

Maybe I'm just too stupid to figure out something that is simple, but how do I run PEX around this corner in a finished wall?
 

MuddlingThru

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Yes. It is an outside corner wall that is sheetrocked and painted (the house is 15 years old) and I would guess the corner is 3 to 5 studs total.
 

King3244

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I am confused. How are you running the pex through the rest of the walls? They must also be finished.........no?

You should have 3 studs on the corner.
 

MuddlingThru

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I am cutting small access holes at each stud. For the master bath, I have the luxury of cutting on the garage wall.

What I can't figure out though is when I get to that corner I need to make a 90-degree turn INSIDE the stud(s). I know PEX is flexible, but it can't make a 90-degree turn (it will probably kink) and it will probably constrict the water flow if it could. This has to be a problem, in more than just my instance, for plumbers. How do I do this? (Maybe it's an extremely simple thing to figure out but I'm blocking for some reason).
 

Clayton

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pex

When I do repipes, the water lines are normally run through the crawl space or above the ceiling to go from one wall to the next. I do run along the length of a wall sometimes but never through an outside corner.
To run 3/4" or 1" lines through the corner would require too much of the framing member be cut away to install a fitting or notching the edge of the studs. So I would recommend you go overhead or under the floor to the other wall or to find an ingenious way to run them on the surface of the wall and build them in with trim / woodwork.
 

King3244

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Okay I've got it now..........you are working in a fully finished area of the house and no doubt the ceiling is also inaccessible as well.
If there are no windows an the walls then you could build a plumbing wall inside the existing wall out of 2x2 and re sheetrock. Or you could exit the wall just before the corner and run the pipe externally across the corner then back into the wall on the other side and then build a short corner wall to cover the pipe. This would probably be the easiest and cheapest in the long run. You are going to have to repair and mud all your cut outs (at the studs) anyway. A third option would be as Clayton suggested...........run it all externally and cover it with trim or whatever. If you ran it at floor level you would have only a very small bump out or build a knee wall to conceal the pipes.
 

MuddlingThru

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hj said:
Drill to 2" holes from either side and fish the PEX through them.

This sounds like a winner, but can I make that tight of a turn with PEX? It seems that I'll have enough wiggle room with 2" holes so that it will be more like an 80- or 85-degree turn. Also, 2" holes would still maintain the structural integrity of the wall wouldn't it?

I should add that for the previous suggestions (that were also good), I don't have basement or crawl space. I am in Florida with concrete slab. The main line, master bath, and kitchen are all on the main floor. I only have one small bath on the upper floor where I would have attic to work with.
 

MuddlingThru

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I will need to run at least 1" PEX through that corner since my main line comes through that wall. Any hope there? I was actually hoping 1-1/4" since I know that would be the same I.D. as 1" copper. I can't afford to have the water volume decrease throughout the house since water flow is pretty weak (with the existing 3/4" copper) by using PEX that would have a smaller I.D. I am using PEX BTW because the water in my area is highly corrosive and pinhole leaks are the reason everyone in my neighborhood has had their homes repiped.

In addition, I will need to run a 3/4 or 1" back through that wall from the hot water heater.
 
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