About to do a repipe - best method for fittings?

[YelLabRet]

i am planning to repipe the whole house going with a trunk and branch pex system. should i go with uponor expanding system, sharkbite, or crimps/clamps? sharkbite looks really cool, but it just seems scary since it can rotate after fitting. using the expander is enticing, i "hear" most pros use it but more plumbers i meet face to face seem to prefer crimps/clamps. tool purchase is not a deterrent to mewhen it comes to something that must NOT fail. is there any consensus as to which one will perform better after 10, 20, or 30 years?

 

[Terry]

At best, a sharkbite should only be used in a rare occasion.

Locate your local supplier and find out what most of the plumbers are using. Choose between those, and buy the tools and stay with the program. You don't want to be mixing and matching on something that carries a warranty.

The best PEX programs are very similar in results.

This is a hand held expander with a LED light so you can see what you are working with.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jimbo]

as to which one will perform better after 10, 20, or 30 years?

Surely your only choice would be copper!!!!!!!!

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I'm with Jimbo. If you want a products that has stood the test of time, is impervious to rodents and has the best flow characteristics, copper is the only choice. If you want to hack something in cheap, fast and easy go ahead and use ANY pex you can get your hands on and any fitting method because they are all pretty much crap.

 

[hj]

Sharkbites CAN rotate, but how would that happen once it is in place, unless it is a straight through coupling? But then, so can some PEX systems and they do not leak either.

 

[Chefwong]

so fellow tradesman.....are ya'll running Pex or Copper if both are code in your area ?

Back when I lived in MA, I had a great plumber and he swore anyday, everyday on Pex....

The current house has got all threaded brass, I've replaced most with copper as the walls open up, and used a short run of Pex for it's unique properties of having some ~give~

 

[Cookie]

For what it is worth to ya, I see a whole lot of houses and they are pex.

 

[MikePlummer]

my opinion is that copper is by far superior to any pex system out there. however, i find home owners not wanting to pay the price to have copper installed vs pex.

 

[DaveHo]

I'm in the process of re-piping my house now. The Uponor expansion system is what I'm going with. It's a proven system that has stood the test of time IMHO. Would I like to have copper, sure but it would cost 4x as much & take me significantly longer to install.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

well yes, price and time always trumps quality and longevity.

 

[Jadnashua]

FWIW, pex has been around since the mid-50's, more in Europe than in the USA, but there are billions of feet of the stuff installed. Copper is a quality product but depending on your water conditions, may not last. There are benefits for both systems. Fewer joints and freeze resistance has its advantages as does the flexibility of pex.

 

[Cookie]

Pex won't get stripped out either.

 

[Dlarrivee]

Pex won't get stripped out either.

Stripped out?

 

[Chefwong]

Cookie is referring to the bandits that come around and haul out the copper, the ac condenser -- the scrappers

 

[Cookie]

Recently saw another house and before the owners could move in, the house was stripped of its copper. New construction, 365,000 bucks. Nice house, and nice area, low crime rate area. This is the second one I saw in a month.

 

[ilya]

I have replumbed several houses that have had the copper stolen. I NEVER recommend putting copper back in. Why help the crackheads twice? I use Viega Pureflow fittings with their built in crimp rings-no separate ring to hold in place, or have slip into the basement. And PEX has been around in Europe longer than CPVC has in America.