Newbie to PEX and soldering

JoeT · Feb 5, 2009

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I have a question that may have been asked hundreds of times....I did search. My plumber roughed in my new bathroom with pex. I have no idea what type of connectors to use. I need to connect my shower mixing valve and don't know what to look for for the transition from pex to copper. Right now he left the pex capped so I could turn the water on to other areas. Thanks in advance.

Joe

Redwood · Feb 5, 2009

Asking that question I know you don't have PEX tools...
Do you know how to sweat copper pipe?

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

hj · Feb 6, 2009

Pex

There are so many possibilities that we do not know which one to suggest without seeing the job itself.

Kingsotall · Feb 7, 2009

Sharkbites are allowed in concealed locations now right?

JoeT · Feb 9, 2009

Redwood, no I don't have any pex tools....and yes, I can sweat copper. HJ I'm new here, so I don't know if I can post a picture yet. The plumber roughed in a sink, shower and toilet valve from my basement off of existing copper, with pex. I'm getting ready to drywall the bathroom, and want to get the diverter valve and stub out for the shower head in place and would like to do it myself if I can. I've done plenty of copper, but never any pex. Should I just have him come back and finish this? I don't want to spend a lot of money for a tool I'll most likely never use again. Thanks for the replys

Gary Swart · Feb 9, 2009

Although PEX seems to be the coming thing in piping, I would suggest you pull it out and use copper. Two reasons I say this. First, you already know how to do copper. Second, copper has proven itself over many years.

Redwood · Feb 9, 2009

Joe what I would do if I was in your shoes is sweat in the shower valve with copper then connect the copper to the PEX using a sharkbite coupling. These are push fit couplings that are approved for inside walls

JoeT · Feb 10, 2009

Thanks Redwood, that's what I'm looking for. Do you know if these are available at the big box places, or should I hit a plumbing supply? Gary, thanks for the input, and I see your point, but it would be a major undertaking to remove the pex and do it in copper, I think this is why my plumber chose the pex. I'll have access to the "wet wall" in the shower through a panel in the next room. Thanks for the input folks, I appreciate it.

Redwood · Feb 10, 2009

Big Orange Box carries them as well as many hardware stores and supply houses. I would basically just use 2 of them to make the connection between the copper and the pex supplies. The valve inlets and outlets should be copper and secured well in place at the correct depth in the wall. The sharkbites do not allow much support as the tubing can rotate in the sharkbite connector.

PEX running down to the tub spout is a no-no with many tub/shower mixers. It may cause water to flow out of both the tub spout and the showerhead when the tub spout is selected for operation.

JoeT · Feb 10, 2009

Thanks Redwood. This is just a shower so it'll be just to the mixing valve. Is there something I could use to cut the pex beside a pex cutter? If I could cut a level, flat line, with a utility knife, do you think that would be ok? The pex only comes up through the sill about a foot and is capped, so I need to cut the caps off. Thanks again for your help.

Redwood · Feb 10, 2009

The knife is fine. Just get it straight.

JoeT · Feb 10, 2009

Thanks again! Any good sources on line for shower parts? I'm looking for a basic 2 handle rough in valve. My big boxes don't have very much of a choice...and plumbing supplies are closed by the time I get out of work. I don't want to spend a fourtune for a thermostatic, or pressure balanced valve.....it's a second shower.

Jadnashua · Feb 10, 2009

The shower will not pass code and could give you problems with both the building inspector and when you try to sell the house...so, get a pressure balanced valve at the minimum. If you really want two handles, then you may need to go with a thermostatic valve. Delta has one in pressure balance, I think.

JoeT · Feb 10, 2009

Hi Jim, Thanks for the advice. I think I bumped into you on the JB forum also.

Dano360 · Feb 10, 2009

Shark bites

Redwood, Just out of curiousity, why would you recommend shark bite fittings to someone who is perfectly capable of soldering? Shark bite fittings are meant as repair applications just like furncos.

SewerRatz · Feb 10, 2009

Dano360 said:
Redwood, Just out of curiousity, why would you recommend shark bite fittings to someone who is perfectly capable of soldering? Shark bite fittings are meant as repair applications just like furncos.

He recommended them as a transition from pex to copper, since the person that started this post does not have the tools for pex fittings.

Redwood · Feb 10, 2009

I haven't had any luck soldering PEX yet...

MikeFromHC · Feb 11, 2009

Redwood said:
I haven't had any luck soldering PEX yet...

I think the trick is to have the water full on so it does not melt.

Iminaquagmire · Feb 11, 2009

With the Sharkbite fittings, its imperative that any cuts be perfectly straight. The seals inside don't tolerate crooked cuts very well. The cuts also have to be "deburred" sort of like PVC. Sharp edges on the pex can nick the O-ring inside.

What I did when I was in your situation was solder up my own stubouts, and connect them with the Sharkbite couplers. For the shower valve, I soldered copper in the inlets/outlets and then connected with the Sharkbites again.

JoeT · Feb 12, 2009

Thanks to all for your advice. It's greatly appreciated. Quag, that is my plan exactly.... solder everything then sharkbite to the pex.....I'm putting an access panel in the room next to the bath....just incase. I noticed that the guy who did the rough in used the sharkbite couplers for his transition from the original copper to the pex. One more question....there are caps on all the pex right now, so iI could have the water on to my kitchen, I know that my plumber cut those ends flush, is there a way of getting those caps off besides cutting them? I know he used some kind of tube cutter, may have been specifically for pex, I don't know, but I know he told his guy to make sure the cuts were flush....thanks again for all of the help.

Newbie to PEX and soldering

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