First time PEX Project - Finalizing Install

[hhcibtpaun]

Folks,

Well, I am finally rounding the corner on my first time (whole house) PEX project. I am using the expansion fittings (bought the Milwaukee tool). I must say that tool is very nice and everything seems to be working out pretty good. Before I finalize everything I had some questions on clearances and the like.

I only have a bathroom, kitchen sink, dishwasher, laundry sink, washer, and two hose bibs.., I managed to run the pex through oversized holes used for my drains and under the tub. I am not sure how much clearance, but assume I have like 1/8" beyond the diameter. Is that enough (it is probably more). Does the pex move around when faucets are turned on/off?

My plan is to put some clamps in place to clean up the approach to these openings, but is there enough clearance in them. I am not sure how much the diameter of pex expands. I was planning to use some of the foam pipe insulation on these runs in the ceiling and maybe lightly wire tie things together. Any problems if I use spray foam to lock things in?

Here are some general views of what I have going on. I tried to just have sweeping runs without pulling things taught.

When it heads into the basement it looks like this:

On one or two of the connections, they do not seem to be fully seated??? My plan was to turn everything on to see if there is a problem, then address, if need be.

A few questions.

1. I read on the reviews of the manifolds, some people needed to hit them with a heat gun to help out. Should I run a heat gun over all my connections to be safe (can it hurt anything)?

2. DO i need to lose sleep over the connection that is not fully seated? If it holds water am I good?

3. On my hot water manifold I have 10 outlets but only need 5. I can plug the other 5 holes, or should I buy a 6 port manifold and only worry about plugging 1? I just assume keep what I have, but if it will lead to problems I can replace.

How much expansion is an issue? My runs are all less that 25 feet or so, so since I don't have things overly taught I assume I am OK from an expansion point of view? Can I use spray foam to help secure things in place or will that cause issues?

Thanks in advance....Mike

 

[Reach4]

I suspect you are thinking that the upper right connection on the manifold is not fully seated. There is some spec, and I think 1/16 inch may be the max gap; my memory on that is hazy. I don't see heat helping.

Unless those manifolds are something I am not aware of, you will have to have connections on all of the manifold ports.

You are supposed to have supports for every 32 inches of horizontal pex run.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hhcibtpaun]

I suspect you are thinking that the upper right connection on the manifold is not fully seated. There is some spec, and I think 1/16 inch may be the max gap; my memory on that is hazy. I don't see heat helping.

Unless those manifolds are something I am not aware of, you will have to have connections on all of the manifold ports.

You are supposed to have supports for every 32 inches of horizontal pex run.

Thanks Reach4.

For posterity, I contacted Uponor and they answered all my questions.

1. I can use spray foam (as long as it calls out polyurethane) and the expansion is more on the length and not the diameter.
2. For the seating/gaps I might have on the manifold. If I can stick a credit card in there I should probably redo the fitting.
3. For the manifold I have the 5 open ports, he thinks it is fine if I just plug the 5 open ports.
4. Do not really need heat to finalize the manifold connections. If you are doing this and it is cooler, just may need a few more minutes for the expander to go back to normal shape.

Thanks...Mike

 

[John Gayewski]

If it were me I think i would valve the empty ports. If they ever get used they will need a valve anyway and it'll be easier than draining or shutting everything else off. It'll cost some money and that would be the down side.

 

[hhcibtpaun]

If it were me I think i would valve the empty ports. If they ever get used they will need a valve anyway and it'll be easier than draining or shutting everything else off. It'll cost some money and that would be the down side.

Good point. I may have some extra valves.

Originally I was going to have a 1" valve leading into each manifold, so I could shut off each manifold and have even been second guessing that. Each fixture will have a valve at the fixture. The manifold with all the open ports is the hot manifold and I do not see any hot fixtures being added.

 

[Fitter30]

Think you will have a second thought not using red and blue pex to know which is hot or cold. If not now down the road.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Id read the pex specs if in doubt on gap I read Uponor allows 1/16 gap
In an exposed easy access area Id plug the ports , in a solid and cheap fashion.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Think you will have a second thought not using red and blue pex to know which is hot or cold. If not now down the road.

By the modest number of colored Uponer Pex failures Ive heard about Id be concerned with colored pipe. I belive Uponor dosent come in those colors anymore

 

[hhcibtpaun]

By the modest number of colored Uponer Pex failures Ive heard about Id be concerned with colored pipe. I belive Uponor dosent come in those colors anymore

The pex pipe I am using is the uponor stuff that has red and/or blue text on them, so they are color coded.

 

[Jeff H Young]

great forgot they changed the lettering i think all the colored pipe was either all used up or possibly pulled from sale

 

[Reach4]

https://www.uponor.com/getmedia/cc8...sign-and-installation-manual.pdf?sitename=USA page "7" (pdf page 14 of 121) upper-right says

"• Ensure the ProPEX ring rests
snugly against the fitting
shoulder. If there is more
than 1 ⁄16" (1 mm) between
the ring and the shoulder of
the fitting, the connection
must be replaced."

Plastic credit cards weigh about 5 grams, while most metal cards weigh somewhere between 13 to 18 grams. When it comes to thickness of credit cards, that too is standardized by the ISO. All cards must be .76 mm thick ( or 0.0299 inches).

1/16 inch is 0.625 inches.