PEX retro - most direct path or "clean" routing?

[WellOff]

Replacing existing cvpvc in a manufactured home. The cvpvc is run _under_ the bottom of the floor joists via straight lines (parallel and perpendicular to the joists) with Tee'd lines feeding the various fixtures. I will be doing a trunk and branch topology using manifolds.

Is there any reason, other than aesthetics, that I can't run lines in the most direct fashion in order to reduce total pipe length (more so for performance than cost)?

 

[Reach4]

You can do what you propose. The advantage to having smaller home-run lines for hot is that hot will arrive sooner.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WellOff]

Yes, hot water lines being the most critical/affected. Though I am not a professional I nonetheless like to do things that look professional. Just kind of struggling with the notion of running stuff diagonally across[under] joists and such.

 

[Chucky_ott]

There are a few things worth having OCD for, and clean electrical and plumbing are two of them. Just sayin'

 

[wwhitney]

Just kind of struggling with the notion of running stuff diagonally across[under] joists and such.

You can get some of the benefit of running diagonally just by sticking to 45 degrees. E.g., suppose you have to go 15' one way and 5' the other:

Rectilinear layout: 5' + 15' = 20'
Using a 45: 5' * sqrt(2) + 10' = 17.1'
Diagonal: sqrt(5^2+15^2) = 15.8'

Cheers, Wayne

 

[WellOff]

There are a few things worth having OCD for, and clean electrical and plumbing are two of them. Just sayin'

But... there's nothing clean-looking on the underside of this place! And all the ugliness is "hidden" under the belly-wrap.

I was going to build a new (real) house but that plan fell through and I'm stuck dealing with what I have. To put things in proper perspective, the sinks in the bathrooms are PLASTIC (am looking forward to getting rid of this crap). Just about anything I will be doing can only be an improvement.

In general the runs aren't all that long to start with. Kitchen sink will be the longest at around 14' linear if using a clean routing; if I go diagonal we're talking around 9' or so; would 4' to 5' make that much difference? Of course, longer lines means more supports (and labor). For this longer line it seems as though the delivery delay would be perhaps around 2 seconds.