Thanks so much for this video! I know very little about plumbing and need to install shut off valves on the supply lines. I couldn't find any video to instruct my specific situation until I found this. 9 years later and this video is still a lifesaver!
Hello Greg, You are more than welcome Over the years I have been in a few where I could and would eat off the floor if food fell on it. LOL! This was one of those places. Hopefully the video will help with any future projects! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hey Ray; Thanks very much Ray! Much easier to do the work if it is planned out as you well know. There is a central vacuum system in the home. I have one in my place as well. They work very well! I always use flanges and it does give a finishing touch like you said.Most people never see them with all the stored goods under the sink or basin. Do it nice or do it twice is the motto! It takes very little more time or sometimes even less to keep it neat! Glad you are enjoying it my friend! Tks Al!
Thank you so much for this educational Pex replacing copper. I just had a freeze bust an exterior pipe -side of house to side of crawl space (pier/beam home) and I want to replace the 18" copper length with Pex. Thanks for walking/talking through the 'lead free' sautering joint! Looks great!
Hello Janet, You're more than welcome! Sounds like you have a little project ahead of you.Hopefully the repair will go well. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Really great step through your plumbing project. With the amount of connections you're making and your overall system I would have invested in ProPex expansion.
Hello Daniel, Thanks! Did this so the homeowners would understand the amount of work involved. The ProPex is sooooo much easier as you know. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello Al, I am getting ready to plumb my new cabin in Alaska. Thank you for your videos. From your videos I learned to use Pex A and the viega connectors and no plumbing in outside walls. Thank you. Now I need to learn how to install an HRV system. Rich
Hello Dan, You're welcome! Hopefully everything works out for you with your project! Have any other questions...feel free to ask. Thanks for the kind words and enjoy your weekend! Al
Very nicely done work. Thanks for this vid. Good tips. Imma have to get some of those flanges. Pex is so much cleaner. I hated that messy pvc glue/primer
Hello William; The flanges give that finishing touch! Hopefully the homeowner will see them! Pex is much cleaner then PVC. I work with both and the purple primer can stay with you for days! You will have to pick yourself up a pex tool in the future! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hey Al !!! As always it is Fun to Learn from the Master !!! Very Good Demonstration and Tutorial Al , felt like I was Right there with Ya !!! I'm with Ray the Cleanest Install I have Ever Seen my Friend !!! I always Enjoy your Videos Al !!! Lookin Forward to more in the Series my Friend !!! Awesome Job Al !!! Happy New Year my Friend !!!
Hey Al, Nice work!! I like your tips on planning ahead when you have several fittings in a tight spot, makes a lot of sense! Does this home have a central vacuum? I think I saw the plumbing for one. The plastic flanges are a great idea! They add a nice finished look to the job. Even the ones under the sink will be seen now and then. That's the neatest plumbing I have ever seen under a kitchen sink. You lined it all up perfectly! Another great video Al, I am really enjoying this series!
Hello Dave; Pex has been around for sometime now and is extremely popular. There is a slight chance of affecting the adaptor when soldering. The Viega system have this stainless steel sleeves on them that crimp down onto the pipe; so you want to ne careful not to apply too much heat to the sleeve. The fitting itself is where the heat should be placed when soldering. there is no chance of any other system of this happening. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hello TheScoobysnack08, Thanks! Hopefully it helps with any future projects! There is just a little bit more to it, but you are on the right track for sure! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Andre Luiz Gualberto I am glad you enjoyed them! You are not alone there! Oh it happens from time to time, but I try and hold back as often as I can...not easy some times! Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Thanks Al .. and we all know that cursing is so much more fun when the wife is watching us .. . I'm gonna come back to your vids ... I have some old plumbing to change .. good job on the vids.
Hey Fritz; Thanks a lot their Fritz! Wish you were with me I would have finished sooner! LOL! Do it nice or do it twice. I know you stick by that motto! Thanks again Friend! Last section is uploaded I believe! Thanks for commenting and I wish you and your mom a very healthy and happy New Year! Al
Hello bulent ozlem; I believe we have the same supplies in North America. The silver mesh is actually stainless steel. I wouldn't say 316L by any means, but stainless regardless. Thanks for commenting and Happy New Year! Al
Onenblu he uses a viga crimper with viga rings they dont sell in home depot if u r a home owner they sell at plumbing supplys only i think they r the best only downer is its not one size fits all u have to get dif tool for dif size crimp so like for 3/4 u need the 3/4 crimper so on and so on for sizes home depot sells a dif type of crimper and rings its one size fits all hope that helps
I will be re-piping our house in the next few months and the part that has been on my mind is running the pipe through the wall the repairing big holes in the sheetrock, I love the idea of coming through the bottom of the cabinet/vanity. no longer a worried.
Hello Samuel, I generally go through the bottom of the vanity with the waterlines on most jobs unless I am installing a pedestal basin. I do the same with toilet supplies. I hope you get a long well with the project! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello HempsXI; As long as you have the pipe clamped well you should have no issues with water hammer. I have not had any problems with hammer in my waterline installations. I have not installed air chambers in over 30 years, although I have used Shoktrols from time to time depending on the application where they are needed. Great question though! I appreciate it! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello marcellinasfigaro; Great question! They have not to my knowledge made anything for this application yet. If you keep your lines relatively short coming through the floor and use longer speedway supplies; this will prevent the pex from bending and make the job look cleaner. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello Bonfield2002; I have had great luck with these valves and a ball valve does not give me very much room to attach the hoses, depending on how far back the wingback elbows are located in the wall. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al I use them for nearly all installations except on washing machines.
Hello TAMIM AMINI; This set of tools are made by Viega. There are a number of different manufacturers that make these and they are all different. If you are looking to do your own project it would be best to go with the crimp ring system. It is sold at Home Depot and is very popular for homeowners who want to do their own work. Other tools such as the viega system costs hundreds of dollars. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with your project! Al
Your videos are incredible - THANK YOU! Also, can you tell me when/if it's okay to bend a 90 degree turn with PEX vs. cutting it and installing a 90 degree elbow?
+bobthetrooper7 You can bend it 90 degrees and it does not cause as much friction loss when you do as. I am all about using 90 degree bend supports whenever I can rather than using elbows. Thumbs up on bending. Check out the bend supports when you get a chance. They help to keep the pipe in that shape. I made a video ....how to save money when installing pex pipe. It shows them in that video. They come in both plastic and metal. Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Great Videos. Im doing a bathroom remodel that is back to back with a 2nd bathroom. Currently it has 3/4" copper coming to the first bathroom then reduces to a 1/2" run to the shower/tub bathroom and Tee's from there to the 2nd shower only. If I ran a Copper to PEX adapter off the 3/4" lines, could I run the pex in similar setup or should I Tee from 3/4" copper and run separate 1/2" Pex lines to each shower?
Do those fittings like the 3/4x1/2x1/2 when vid starts do your fittings come with the rings on them? Im im ny we get the rings separate from blackman plumbing supply and other supply houses thats a cool feature id they do
I'm not familiar with Pex at all but your videos have been extremely helpful. At around 4:15 when you're soldering the 1/2" Pex adapter onto the copper pipe, is there any chance of damaging the adaptor with the torch? I'm sure this is a stupid question as I'd assume that the press elbow w/sleeve doesn't use any plastic...
you make it look pretty easy. We have a cold water slab leak and want to get everything moved to aboveground. Plumbers want $9000 to repipe 1600sq ft house with 2 full baths and kitchen and laundry room. I was thinking of doing myself but not sure if it's too big of a task.
+Matthew Kral Can't really comment on the price except it is a lot of money for anyone. How old is your home? Is it a copper line that is leaking in your slab? Would you consider yourself as being handy? If so you could take on the task yourself. Feel free to fire any questions at me... Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you can. Al
I will not curve my lines using PEX, as in this video. That support will not stop it from breaking down. 90% of my past leaks in Poly, were at the curves. I never had a bad fitting either.
Hello John, There is a big difference between poly and pex. I have been using these bends for over a decade now with no issues. You can't go wrong with fittings, but the support bends do work well on pex. Thanks for commenting and hope you have a great new year! Al
At 20:00 (some before and after), when you add the flanges around the pipes coming out of the cabinet, do you put caulk around the pipe and flange? I ask because I had a small leak in my upstairs guest bathroom. The water went under the sink, through the small gap between the flange and pipe, and therefore through the hole in the bottom of the cabinet. It dripped down the pipe and left a small stain on the ceiling of my kitchen (right under the bathroom). So, I'm wondering if I should caulk between the flange and pipe so that if there was a leak the water would stay in the cabinet? Thanks for the great video!!
Hello Josh, You're welcome! I have never caulked under or around the flange, but it may help prevent water from running into the cavity below. It definitely won't hurt to do so, but I personally don't make it a practice. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello Jimmy, I have never used any in a house myself. The only time that they are really needed is with a quick acting valve such as a flushometer where both the flow rate and the volume is high and the water comes to a sudden stop. I have used them on commercial jobs. Shoktrols are my go to in those situations. Years ago plumbers installed any where between a 12 to 18 inch pieces of 3/4 copper pipe that came off a tee with caps on the end on both the hot and cold on the upper floor bathroom. They didn't realize that over time the water would mix with the air in that section of copper and it would be of no use. Pex has a lot of movement in it and will absorb any kind of water hammer. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Excellent video with some good tips. I noticed that the 90 degree bend brackets you used were two different colors ( purple and white). I’ve only seen them in black. Does the brand you are using use e different colors for 3/4” and 1/2” pex? What brand were you using? Thanks. Ron
Hello Ron, You're welcome! At that time, the wholesaler that I buy the pipe from had them in stock and I bought them. I use only black then as they have stopped making them. At least I haven't found them. The big thing about the plastic bends is to make sure the bend has a little twist on it on both ends so the pipe won't slip out. I have bought them and ended up using tie wraps to hold them in place. So you want to be aware of that. They are mostly made of plastic, but you will find metal in different locations. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hello Jesse5068, It would be great to do that. The only problem is that they would freeze in the winter as this is an outside wall. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hello Mike; That is exactly correct. The pipe underneath the floor has clamps on it to support the lines going through the floor. This is how I have run them for 35 years now and have had no issues! Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Hello David, You're welcome! The only problem with that is if you have a leak going to the dishwahser or you are replacing it because it is leaking; you will be turning the hot water off to your sink faucet as well. That may not be a big problem for some people, but it can be for others. So by closing the valve to the dishwasher itself you can still get the dishes done in the sink. I like to isolate every fixture myself. Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Point taken, however than probability of that is hopefully very low. As a related question, how do you like a manifold system vs having the valve at each fixture? Seems the valve at each fixture is convenient, but the manifold is slick...
Al, so then let me make sure I follow you: From the main "trunk"/hot pipe/whatever its called lol at my boiler, you recommend a manifold (for domestic hot water). Each 3/4 inch tee off this manifold can go to hot water needs (like a bathroom for example) and branch off in that space there to feed the shower and the sink?AND- the main cold supplies for everywhere can travel by 1/2 inch PEX to each space and branch off there? Or do you need to run 3/4s to each space and THEN branch, for good water pressure/volume? I'm trying to do a whole house re-plumb of domestic and heat. The domestic part is where I'm fuzzy- solely because I want to have plenty of hot water where needed, and water volume. I'm going through ceiling joist bays and knee walls because I'm on a slab here. Boiler will be moved to garage. Any access from there will go up the wall and into the closest knee wall and travel to points from there. The kitchen and clothes washer are the closest to the garage. Thank you!
Hello RJ F, There is a few ways to do this project. You can install a 3/4" manifold for both the cold and hot and run 1/2" lines to each fixture from each source. You can also run a 3/4" cold line and take 1/2" lines off to each fixture along the way, but I always install a 3/4" header off the hot water source. I do this on all jobs myself. You only need to run one 1/2" hot water line to the bathroom and install a tee to feed both the sink and shower as only one fixture will be running at most times. What is going to be your domestic hot water source? Oil, gas or electric? Is it just one bathroom and kitchen sink? Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you have a chance...Al
TheOldkid888 Hi Al! ahh, finally a chance to reply. It's going to be a kitchen, dishwasher, 3 bathrooms, clothes washer, and MAYBE a slop sink HW. Domestic HW source is an oil-fired boiler with an "indirect" storage tank. I read that you generally make your own manifolds with brass Ts. I probably can do that. I bought a copper ring crimping setup. So- off the boiler, will it be OK to run 3/4" to feed the HW manifold itself? I find in this house, if my wife runs the clothes washer the same time I take a shower, it uses all the hot water. I wonder also if I should install a tankless for the washer? Any and all words of wisdom for all this is appreciated!
I have a home I inherited, hasn't been lived in 5 yrs. currently cleaning it out now. Found out the water was turned off due to a water leak outside in the yard. Very simple run from outside meter to inside downstairs, looked downstairs and its small pvc everywhere. Not much to run 3 sinks in the whole house all in a row 2 toilets and a shower. I remember the water pressure being very high. Should I use 1/2in or 3/4 and should I use a manifold? Sorry for the long post Awesome videos!!
+MD Harris I usually run a 3/4 cold main and have a manifold coming off the hot water tank. This is usually the way I do most installs. If you have an oil fired or gas water heater the pex manifold should not come directly off of it. I attach the manifold to the floor joist and run copper from the tank to the manifold as the pex should be a distance away from a heat source of this nature. Some codes state 18 and others 36 inches; so attaching it to the joist more than covers this. If it is electric water heater I place the manifold relatively close to the top of the tank. I haven't had any issues doing them like this. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
+TheOldkid888 yes it is electric water heater, I have a 20 yr old water heater that I am replacing. The old one has finally died and the heating elements are almost non existent. If you had to pick a brand of electric 50gal water heaters do you have a favorite? I'm looking for reliable. Thank you for the reply! Your videos are great
MD Harris Not sure of what type to mention to you. I believe that they are made a little different then they were a few decades back as far as material goes.. Water does have a great deal to do with the life span of the tank as you probably know. I know Giant and Rheem have been around for quite some time. Ask about the warranty. Some manufacturers have a 12 year now and I believe this is the way to go. Keep the paper work handy... Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Hello Frank; Thanks for the kind words and you are more then welcome! I will see what I can do in the next little bit. Any way you look at it you will have to cut the pipe. There is a tool that they make to remove crimp rings and it basically just saves the fitting, but you must cut the pipe to use it. If you are planning on replacing the valve there a few options. You can cut the pipe back a little and install a coupling, followed by a short piece of pipe and then your valve. This the way that I would go if I had to replace a valve. If you do not have a tool to make the pex connections; sharkbite makes a valve for a dishwasher connection. You do not need any tool to install the valve. Just a matter of cutting the pipe and sliding on the valve. It is very fast. Biggest thing is to make sure the pipe is in the valve the entire distance. 7/8ths of an inch for 1/2" fittings. Put a mark on the pipe just to be safe. I have done several tests on sharkbite and made a number of videos as well. When they first came out I was a little skeptical, but after doing my on research on them; they have more then proven themselves. Thanks for commenting and best of luck in the New Year! Al
SORRY, Question# 1a(I forgot) : Running 1/2" PEX to Fixtures. Right at the Wall where I have my 1/2" PEX Tube/Coupling playin peek-a-boo coming out, ya got these Braided Lines for Faucets(guess they are nicknamed "compression"). Kitchen/with Dishwasher tapped N2 it), and Vanity Faucets. Why can't I find a 1/2" PEX x 1"NPT MALE to fit the Braided line??. The braided lines are new, figured I'd keepem. If the Faucets have such a "blast", how come the Riser on my Shower Gooseneck to the Head doesn't require one, or does it ? The Rough-In Valves a "HF". The Manual on my new Delta INstall sure don't mention one. Thought about an INstall of a Drop Ear Elbow for the Gooseneck. Or maybe I should stop thinking. THANKS !!
Hello missmyredwolf; You are more then welcome! The lines feeding the faucets are called braided supplies as you stated. I call them speedway supplies myself which are chrome and plastic as well. You will need pex valves to use attach the braided supplies under each sink and on the toilet or solder a pex adaptor into a 1/2 copper female by 3/8 compression adaptor to make the fitting for the connection. I have not seen this fitting myself. The braided supply does not have to be overtightened as they have rubber gaskets in them. They are an excellent product by the way. Over the years most tub and shower faucets never had shut offs on them. Then a few manufacturers started to install them directly on the faucet. If you are running a manifold system then you won't need valves on the tub faucets if you plan on isolating each run. You do not need any flex supplies on the Delta install. I generally install short pieces of copper to each end of the faucet and solder a longer piece for the tub spout with a 90 degree elbow and a piece of copper out. That does depend on what type of spout you have a swell. This works on slip on spouts only. I use Moen faucets only and that is what they require. I sometimes will use a piece of copper all the way to my shower head with a wing back elbow to allow shower arm to thread into it. So no braided hose for the shower. As far as the dishwasher is concerned; I use a five foot 3/8th by 3/8th supply line. ON the bottom of the dishwasher you will need a 3/8th male by 3/8th compression 90 to make the connection. be careful when installing it and leave the 3/8th nut on when doing so. All I do is take my three centre measurements ....tub spout hole, faucet hole and shower arm hole and make the piping up on the floor and then do the install. Remember to remove the delta cartridge if you are planning to solder any copper in the faucet as it will melt the cartridge and cause serious headaches that you can do without. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Hello RickM1953, You would never bring the lines through the wall considering it is an outside wall and temps around this area go down to minus thirty in the winter. Guaranteed to have frozen lines and more trouble. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Great video, I have polyn so going to get repipe of house. The guy said he wil uses either viega or bow pex and fittings. I know read about viega but dont know bow.He also said 10 yr labor, 25 yr material by manufacture. I looked up viega says 10 year does that sound right or is he pulling my leg? Also at 10:15 the connectors have some yellow on them what is that? Thank you
Hello Jim; The Viega system is a very good system in my books. The fittings are lead free. ( all bronze )... The little yellow tabs that you see are the identifying colors for the fittings. Yellow for 1/2" and blue for 3/4" .....Makes it easier when fittings are together in a bag. I would expect you to get a very long life expectancy from this system. The only thing is to place some foam insulation around the pipe if it should come into contact with direct sunlight or flourescent lights as the rays will break the pipe down. Saw it happen twice and it was on another system. The pipe has a UV protection, but it is limited. All pex pipe will break down if left in direct sunlight or flourescent lights no matter whom the manufacturer. It is the go to for most plumbers today. Copper being very rare now in residential homes. So easy to work with. I would not hesitate to install it in any home. You are more then welcome! Thanks for commenting and let me know how you get along! Al Any more questions; feel free to give me a shout.
I have a relatively small plumbing job to do in the kitchen renovation in my house. Do you have a recommendation for a crimping tool brand? I would be connecting with half inch copper.
Hello Andrew, Are you planning on joining to copper or attaching pex to it? I can honestly say there are no cheap crimping tools for copper. There are a few different ways to join copper without soldering. Exactly what is it you are doing if you don't mind my asking? This is a video I made on joing copper without sodlering....The Old plumber shows how to join copper pipe without soldering. Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you get a chance....Al
Thanks for getting back to me, Al. I'm joining PEX to Copper. I'm wondering if there is a SharkBite fitting that goes from half inch copper to PEX. I assume there is. I'd then use PEX on up to the faucet fixture.
also dont twist the pipe in tight places as it will break in the long term. Just speaking from experience as I have been to jobs where the kitchen was flooded overnight. Here is the uk, we have flexi pipes with a outer silver mesh made of cooper. (I think it is cooper.
Hello Aeroica, The pipes that were in the basement were just installed a few years ago and the homeowner did not want the walls to be opened up after just finishing them. I added valves on all of them just to be on the safe side incase there was a problem in the future; they could easily shut the valve and stop the leak. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
I have a house in Florida (built in the mid eighties), with a slab foundation, and from the looks of things a large (4.6 gph) leak "somewhere" under the slab. Needless to say, it must be fixed. Depending on how difficult it is to find / fix the leak. I'm considering running new piping up the side of the house, and through the attic. I have a few questions? Understanding that it's layman advice, and not something I'd hold you liable for (had to say that so you would never feel on the hook). Do you think PEX would be a good choice? Would it stand up to the heat of an attic in Florida during the summers? From what I've read it's OK according to Florida Building Codes, but is there still an issue with the newer (2012 on) PEX plumbing as far as homeowners insurance. I understand each carrier is different but generally speaking is it an ongoing issue? Home Depot appears to carry Shark Bite brand PEX fittings, not the quick connect type you show in another video, any opinion on that brand for PEX? I read below where you prefer Veiga. My main concern is it lasting the next 30+ years problem free. My goal is to be pushing up daisies from old age before I have to fix the plumbing again. Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hello Ryan, No worries there. Nothing worse then a leak under the slab. Finding it can be an issue. It is probably soft copper that was run. As far as your insurance goes, I would give them a call about installing it in your home to be on the safe side. I am not aware of any issues myself, but a phone call could answer your question easily. I would imagine if they are selling it in the big box stores; it should be alright to install in your home. Pex can easily survive an attic. Sunlight and florescent lights (UV rays) are the big problem when it comes to pex being broken down over time. So being installed in the attic should have no bearing on its make-up. If I come across a situation where sunlight is an issue I simply insulate it. Home Depot has the sharkbite pex fittings with the copper rings that are very popular now. I personally would use the brass fittings rather then the plastic, but that is just me. It should last at least thirty years for you and hopefully with any luck you will easily outlast it. Viega is my go to. The sleeves are attached to most fittings which helps in installation, especially if you are doing a lot of work. I am not really familiar as far as using Home Depot pex. It has been very popular from what I have seen in many homes along with the copper crimp ring system. Hope this helps! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Any other questions feel free to ask! al
Al, thank you for the advice. Spent the day digging up the yard, got lucky and found the lead at the transition from the PVC pipe that goes from the meter to the foundation and the copper pipe that disappears into the foundation cement. I would love to "talk" with the contractor who built our home back in the 80's. Other than the one valve at the meter, there is no way to cut off the water, isolate sections for trouble shooting, or access any of the plumbing other than right at the end point, all the piping is run straight down into the cement slab, and straight through the foundation on the exterior walls. I am seriously considering going ahead with the re-piping of the whole house, running it from the attic, with appropriate valves and accessibility. I really don't want another emergency like this, especially during the hotter months of the year. Thanks again for all your help. Ryan
Hello Ryan, It is generally a major project doing a repair in a slab. I think installing new pex lines in the manner that you suggested is the way to go. Hopefully everything will go well for you. Thanks for commenting and good luck with the project. Any other questions feel free to ask away. Al
Hey Ryan! I'm another faithful viewer of the great videos and vast knowledge of Al aka TheOldKid888. I too have a home with a slab foundation. You wanna talk about the desire to talk to the builder? I'd like to do that, and maybe beat them a little, or a lot haha. Not only was my home (built in 1971) erected on a slab (when we are on one of the highest points of the area, NO REASON not to have a basement or at least a crawl access space), but it was also wired with aluminum, sheathed with glorified pegboard, and fueled with a buried oil tank. Top this all off with a poorly graded property, and I want to basically walk away from this place- if not for having zero mortgage payments. So, the reason I am writing- aside from letting you know you're not alone there with slab leaks (me too! half the heat was connected here last Winter- Southern NY) -but I also am planning a whole house replumb in PEX, heat included, moving boiler, maybe a tankless or two, and abandoning the buried tank. NO ONE will buy my home one day if I don't remedy at least that. If nothing else, perhaps my situation will serve as moral/morale support. So, my water main (also ONE VALVE, like yours!) comes up from the Earth on one side of my kitchen. I plan to run PEX from this main valve (was replaced with a quarter-turn ball valve in March 2008) over into the garage where the boiler will be in its new home, freeing up a large cabinet/fridge space in my kitchen. From the garage, I will run all my heat and domestic PEX to serve the whole residence and 2 or 3 garden spigots. Remember to have O2 barrier PEX used in the heating end of things. I managed to trace and bypass the leaking heat pipes last Winter so I still had some heat. We had a mild cold season, thankfully! If I can help you or compare notes, that's great. Good luck with whatever stage you're at now. Al rules!
How much space does there need to be between branches coming off the main line? Can I put T fittings within inches of each other to supply all fixtures in a bathroom? And how do you end the main trunk line? Do you just cap it off at the end of the run? Thanks!
Hello Aj John, There doesn't have to be much space between the branches. You can put branches as close to each other as you like. When I am running a 3/4 inch line I end it off by using a 3/4 by 1/2 by 1/2 tee. The two half inch lines go to the last fixtures. I use a header off the hot water tank and run a 1/2 inch line to each fixture. You can do the same for the cold line, but I run a 3/4 cold line with tees myself. Thanks for commenting and have a good week! Al
+The chosen one You are more than welcome! Uponor and Rehau are two systems that require the pipe to be expanded. So you would need pex pipe (pex A) that can expand to accommodate the fittings. The pipe from HD can only be used on crimping systems and NOT expanding types such as Uponor. Hope this helps. Any other questions just fire away.... Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
+TheOldkid888 Thank you for the quick reply . I ve trying to get this question answered and couldnt find anything on forum . Really appreciate your input.Thumbs Up ! Take care
I like your videos and you provide a lot of helpful information. The only issue I had with your video is that you use a lot of Ts. If you're using a PEX manifold (which I don't see why anyone would not use one), Ts defeat the purpose of the manifold as you no longer have the ability to turn the water off/on to a specific line. If you're just replaying your copper pipes with PEX, keeping everything as-is, I guess it is OK. But if you're going through the trouble of installing PEX, the manifold should be a mandatory component.
Hello Adam; I am glad you enjoy the videos! It is strictly up to the installer I believe as to whether or not you use a manifold. The cost of manifolds is more expensive then Tees depending on the manufacturer considering some are made of copper and require adaptors to go to pex for each run. As far as being able to valve off each run; I cannot figure out why anyone would need a valve coming off the manifold considering that all fixtures in the house generally have shut offs at the fixture. I have come across quite a few manifolds where you cannot turn the water off at the manifold after a few years of being installed. They are ideal for situations where you don't want any joints between the fixture and the main source. Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
all that you are required by code is to have a main shut off for the hole house and individual shut offs for each fixture and a shut off on the cold side of the water heater other than that he can run it any way he wants it good tip thought help me in some tight spots in crawl spaces
Hello Colt; That is correct. One big thing to keep in mind is the one valve on the cold side of the hot water tank. I see valves on the inlet and outlet of some tanks and it is against code. Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Hello ChosenofThor; This is how I run my lines. I run a separate cold 3/4" line and take branches off as I go. Have been doing it this way for over three decades. It has been working thus far. Everyone has their own way of doing things and this is mine. I use to run a 3/4 hot copper as well, but since the introduction of pex, I run separate 1/2" lines from the source to each fixture. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Why not have a dedicated dishwasher line coming out of the wall if you have access to the inside of the wall ? (I'm doing a whole new install). Especially with pex since it's so easy to install?
Hello Xolo Martinez, You perhaps could do that, but the reason for the waterlines coming through the floor is because I live in a northerly climate where waterlines would freeze on any outside walls. I have been installing the waterlines inside cabinets such as this for over forty years and have had no issues. Thanks for commenting and enjoy the weekend! Al
Thank you for the video, its a great source of info for my tankless water heater project. @ around 3:32 you soldered a 1/2 inch fitting to convert from copper to Pex. I know you also like sharkbite fittings, so I was wondering why not use skarkbite instead of pulling out the solder?
Hello jrainmaker19; You are more then welcome! I like the connections to be rigid whenever possible. Sharkbite would work as well, but it is just the way I do my installations. I know a friend of mine who installed all new waterlines using sharkbite fittings as the homeowner requested. This was a number of years ago and I spoke with him and their has been no issues. I could have used them there, but I prefer this method. Just a matter of choice. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with any future projects! Al
Nice video...whoever did the original copper sweating should have waited for PEX and quick connect technology!!! Those were some UGLY connections. If the amount of solder used was proportional to the plumber's bill I am sure it was double or triple the standard rate.
Hello OF CV; Thanks for the kind words! Some of those joints weren't that pretty for sure. Watertight apparently though. Just could have cut back on the solder a little. Hard to beat the pex! Its so much easier then copper as far as labour is concerned and the price as well is considerably lower. Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Hello Joe, You're welcome! I can easily get a fitting on there and cut the line and crimp another if necessary. I always use individual valves. If by chance there is a leak with the dishwasher and you have to turn the water off; the sink hot water is shut down as well I believe if you use the dual outlet valve. Thanks for commenting have a great week! Al
Replacing copper lines in our garage that froze up and burst, does it matter if pex are run horizontal or vertical to ceiling joists? Also, if I run vertical, can I have them Up closer to the subfloor above it ?
Hello jwb0323, You can run pex in either direction. When running them along the side of a joist it is best to run them in the middle of it at least a few inches from the top and bottom. You don't want them to close as a nail could penetrate them. I have had people install them up tight to the floor only to put a nail in it when installing hardwood floors. Another time someone ran them close to the bottom of the joist and pierced it when they were installing strapping. Funny thing about that situation is they could see the lines, but were using an air nailer and it popped through the side. Keeping them in the middle is what I prefer doing. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
@@TheOldkid888 thank you for This response, very helpful. Another question I have is can I make a Different path with the pex? I want to move the line closer to one side but still split it out to go to the shower, toilet, sinks, etc. The water lines are in part of a garage ceiling and I want to have the majority closer to the house and not the outside, if that makes sense
Hi Again, Al. I ripped open all my walls and am installing red blue pex from home depot made by Sharkbite . My Qs are : 1. Can I use any brand crimp rings on them or cinch rings or should i buy sharkbite ? Do I have to clamp them every 18 inches as you did in this video which is very difficult ? What brand cinch crimps have you used here in this video ? Why did you cut the red pipe much shorter than the blue at 14:50 ?
Hello Sajid, I would use the crimp rings rather than the stainless cinch clamps. I have seen the rings in many places. Very popular and a good system. I used the Viega system on this install. The red pipe at 14:50 is the hot as you know. I installed a tee at that point. The branch of the tee is feeding the dishwasher and the run of the tee continues towards the faucet where I installed a valve as a shut off for the sink. I always place valves on every fixture. I always clamp every floor joist myself which are 16 inches apart. If you can't clamp every floor joist; get as many as possible. I have seen many places where people only clamp every second joist with the cold water with no problems. The reason I clamp every joist; especially the hot; is the pipe will sag over time and it really doesn't look that good. I have seen places where every third joist was clamped and the pipe sag down about a foot. The cold is not as big an issue. There are going to be places where clamping is impossible. As long as you place them where needed. I got your other post, but couldn't get it out of the spam list for some reason. Hopefully the install will go well for you. Drop me a message if you have any other questions. Take your time and plan it out. It should go well for you! Remember to run as much pex as possible before you make that final connections and switch from copper to pex. Thanks for commenting and best of luck! Al
Hello Sajid, Not a problem! My pleasure! The plumbing term is escutcheons. They come in both metal and plastic. I generally get the plastic as they are cheaper and work very well. Most plastic have a line in them that allows you to bend back and forth to cause it to break as they can bend around pipe already installed. I believe I made a video on it. The name of it is...A split flange to cover the hole under your sink or basin around your waterlines. Hope this helps. Thanks for commenting and let me knwo how you are getting along from time to time. Al
+The chosen one The system I used in this video is Viega. I used both the 1/2 and the 3/4 inch tool in this series of videos. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Hello Uncle Slappynuts, It's nice to be able to isolate each fixture separately and allow the rest of the house to have water. All to often I find places that have only one shut off in the house and the homeowner is without water until the leak is repaired. A few extra dollars spent in the right place makes a big difference. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
you are direct to the point, you don't go off on left wing nut job tangents or play stupid music that grounds out your wisdom. Thank you ! ( Place something under to protect the base from the legs///? )
Hello Ken, You're more than welcome! I believe people come to my site for a little education on plumbing so I try and stick to the plan. Thanks for commenting and best of luck in the new year! Al
Hello onenblue; The system I used in this video series was called Viega. Excellent product and the price of the fittings are considerably lower then Rehau which I am a big fan of. Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
A plumber showed me a pic of Red Blue pipe leaking after a few years . He wanted $9700 to do my whole 3bath house with kitchen and one heater and 3 garden outlets. He said that uponer expansion type is the best...what is your opinion?
Hello Sajid, I have seen a few pex pipe leaks as well, but proper installation makes a difference They were installed near fluorescent lights that broke the pipe down over time. The lights were on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Uponer has been around for a few decades now. Works very well. Rehau is perhaps the best system although the price of the fittings is costly as compared to other systems. Veiga is the system that I use. Fittings are bronze and very easy to install. The rings are attached to the fittings and it is a compression system so it makes for an easy installation. There is a bit of work involved in replacing the waterlines especially if he is running the pipe right up into the bath and shower faucets which should be done. It takes a bit of time to do it right. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hi helpdogs, Painful is right at times! You can fish lines across the ceiling in the same direction of the strapping for a good stretch by cutting the pex on a slant at the end so that it goes under wires that may be running in the opposite direction. Access holes have to be cut into the ceiling at different occasions to make connections unfortunately. You can't get past them. If you don't want to fill the gyproc afterwards you can use access panels that you can make fit easily that are clean looking and are relatively cheap. Patience is the key to getting it done when you have this kind of a situation. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Hello GoSpursGo #RaiderNation, They are very convenient! That's for sure. Very user friendly. I try and use as many solid connections as I can whenever I am installing any kind of pipe, but I have used Sharkbite over the years. And as big as 2" in size. Very convenient when you can't get the water off to solder a joint. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello Jun, I am not certain of the tee you are talking about, but if you are talking about the one under the sink; it is because of the direction flex supply coming from the dishwasher and the further back you can keep the pipes to the back of the cabinet; the more space underneath for storage you will have. If it is another tee in the video; drop me another line and I will get back to you! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
@@TheOldkid888 sorry I was unclear with my question back then. I rewatched your video to find what I was asking and got myself lost lol. However, the answer you gave brought good information for such subject. thanks again. I appreciate you posting this video. very informational.
Hello Jogo g, No problems at all. I have been installing it for years now with no issues at all. Big thing is to keep it away from sunlight and florescent lights as the rays from them will break it down over time. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Well, OldKid, you don't like Manifolds, so I'll ask this anyways, because your opinion DOES matter. I'm making my own H/C Manifolds. I want to use 10" Pipe on the left and right side, in between with my 10 Outlets(5 on top and 5 on bottom). spaces in between the Valves of 6"(For Ex. - 10" up, 6" tube,then Valve,6" tube, then Valve, and so forth). Question : Besides extra PEX tubing usage, would it be considered extra volume(more tubing=more holding tank water) a good thing beings all the "homemade" manifolds are very small out there ? I figured like a Football team, the more 2nd string players(more /longer tubes), the better "relief" to send in if need be(extra supply). Meaningless or a Patent idea ?? Good Video(as always), you never have talked down to any question, just plain ole truth, WE appreciate that.
Hello missmyredwolf; I am a believer in manifolds, but do not use a cold water manifold. I definitely use hot on my installs. As in my previous video I run 3/4" cold main and branch off with tees. I always use a manifold coming off of the hot unless the homeowner wants otherwise and I will make a suggestion, but they have the final say. I make my own manifolds quite often as well! As far as the length of the length of any lines on your cold off your manifold goes; it doesn't make any difference. When it comes to the hot; you want to keep the tees as close together as possible as it will make a difference in volume which in turn is hot water and over time will cost you more money. The valves can come off the branches at any distance. With the header system it doesn't make any difference as far as how far apart the tees as the tees are as they are bigger in size and that is what make the manifold system so nice have. A 3/4" pipe has twice the volume as a 1/2" pipe. Keep in mind that the inside diameter of a speedway supply feeding a faucet is only a 1/4" in size. That is why I only use a manifold with 3/4" tees. More then suffice! Hope this answered your question. Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
+Fat Harold Drops in pressure can also come form the source. If you are on a well there will be noticeable drops in pressure regardless of how the lines are run, but by running separate lines off a manifold balances out the system. Municipal water will give you more constant pressure. Are you on a well? Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you get a chance. Al
Hello Anonymous Indica, There are a number of different applications. I have used them all. I like the Viega system myself. Sleeves are already on the fittings; which makes installations much easier. Thansk for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
+ROBERT GOUDREAU Would you mean pipes for water hammer? Not needed any more and also didn't really work after a short time. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
+ROBERT GOUDREAU What happens over a short period of time is the air mixes with the water and the pipes actually serve no purpose then. If the system was drained every few months and refilled it would be fine, but that never happens. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Hello Jessedog11, Really??? OH...They cut the pipe off if the flange is rusted bad and slip a new full flange over. I don't think so. Everyone uses split flanges. Can't agree with you on this one! Thanks for commenting and have a good day! Al
Hello Derrick, Been doing it like that for decades. Never any issues. I appreciate the input. I guess everyone does their own thing. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Thanks so much for this video! I know very little about plumbing and need to install shut off valves on the supply lines. I couldn't find any video to instruct my specific situation until I found this. 9 years later and this video is still a lifesaver!
Hello Kelsey Torres,
You're welcome!
I hope the project went well for you!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
That was probably the best doggone display of professional plumbing I've seen to date! Splendid! Thanks so much for all that you do!
I can't believe how clean and dust free it is in that space...! In a 25 yr old house! Love the video. Thank you!
Hello Greg,
You are more than welcome
Over the years I have been in a few where I could and would eat off the floor if food fell on it. LOL!
This was one of those places.
Hopefully the video will help with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hey Ray;
Thanks very much Ray! Much easier to do the work if it is planned out as you well know.
There is a central vacuum system in the home. I have one in my place as well. They work very well!
I always use flanges and it does give a finishing touch like you said.Most people never see them with all the stored goods under the sink or basin.
Do it nice or do it twice is the motto! It takes very little more time or sometimes even less to keep it neat!
Glad you are enjoying it my friend!
Tks Al!
Thank you so much for this educational Pex replacing copper. I just had a freeze bust an exterior pipe -side of house to side of crawl space (pier/beam home) and I want to replace the 18" copper length with Pex. Thanks for walking/talking through the 'lead free' sautering joint! Looks great!
Hello Janet,
You're more than welcome!
Sounds like you have a little project ahead of you.Hopefully the repair will go well.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Really great step through your plumbing project. With the amount of connections you're making and your overall system I would have invested in ProPex expansion.
Hello Daniel,
Thanks!
Did this so the homeowners would understand the amount of work involved.
The ProPex is sooooo much easier as you know.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello Al,
I am getting ready to plumb my new cabin in Alaska. Thank you for your videos. From your videos I learned to use Pex A and the viega connectors and no plumbing in outside walls. Thank you. Now I need to learn how to install an HRV system.
Rich
Thanks again, I always find the answers in your videos; the RIGHT answers to boot! You're a Prince. TY
Hello Dan,
You're welcome!
Hopefully everything works out for you with your project!
Have any other questions...feel free to ask.
Thanks for the kind words and enjoy your weekend! Al
Am ready to begin my plumming in my new home and this video is very helpfull, thank you.
your videos are very useful for me , I learned a lot from you . Thanks for posting .
Hello Yeng,
You're welcome!
I am glad you found them useful!
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with any future projects! Al
Very nicely done work. Thanks for this vid. Good tips. Imma have to get some of those flanges. Pex is so much cleaner. I hated that messy pvc glue/primer
Thank you! Very thorough explanations.
+Mark Aspery
You are more than welcome!
I hope you get along well with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Thank you, great video. Very informative.
+Randall Kelnhofer
You are more than welcome!
I hope you get along well with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hey JD;
Thanks very much for the kind words. Once I get a tally on it; I will inbox you with it.
Thanks for commenting and Happy New Year!
Excellent video, Very professional work. :)
Hello michaelisrael66,
Thanks!
Hopefully it will help with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello William;
The flanges give that finishing touch! Hopefully the homeowner will see them!
Pex is much cleaner then PVC. I work with both and the purple primer can stay with you for days!
You will have to pick yourself up a pex tool in the future!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hey Al !!!
As always it is Fun to Learn from the Master !!!
Very Good Demonstration and Tutorial Al , felt like I was Right there with Ya !!!
I'm with Ray the Cleanest Install I have Ever Seen my Friend !!!
I always Enjoy your Videos Al !!!
Lookin Forward to more in the Series my Friend !!!
Awesome Job Al !!!
Happy New Year my Friend !!!
Excellent video!
Hello FaucetMeaning,
Thanks for the kind words and have a great week! Al
Hey Al,
Nice work!! I like your tips on planning ahead when you have several fittings in a tight spot, makes a lot of sense!
Does this home have a central vacuum? I think I saw the plumbing for one.
The plastic flanges are a great idea! They add a nice finished look to the job. Even the ones under the sink will be seen now and then.
That's the neatest plumbing I have ever seen under a kitchen sink. You lined it all up perfectly!
Another great video Al, I am really enjoying this series!
Thanks for the video! It cleared up what I am trying to do (fix)!
Hello Curt McCune,
You're welcome!
Great to hear!
Congrats!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello FloorBoys;
Thanks very much for the kind words! Much appreciated!
You are more then welcome!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello Dave;
Pex has been around for sometime now and is extremely popular.
There is a slight chance of affecting the adaptor when soldering. The Viega system have this stainless steel sleeves on them that crimp down onto the pipe; so you want to ne careful not to apply too much heat to the sleeve. The fitting itself is where the heat should be placed when soldering. there is no chance of any other system of this happening.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hello combatejoe74;
Glad I could help!
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with your project! Al
Hello Plumberraleigh;
Thanks very much for the kind words!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Great share😃👍🏻
I feel like I can say I’m a Plumber now🤔😁
Hello TheScoobysnack08,
Thanks!
Hopefully it helps with any future projects!
There is just a little bit more to it, but you are on the right track for sure!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Love your videos buddy! I was laughing when I read the pop-out about saving yourself a lot of foul language, That would be me!!! LOL!!!
Andre Luiz Gualberto
I am glad you enjoyed them!
You are not alone there!
Oh it happens from time to time, but I try and hold back as often as I can...not easy some times!
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Andre Luiz Gualberto That would be a LOT of guys!
Hello Pudsy440;
I think there might be at least one or two bus loads! LOL!
Have yourself a great weekend! Al
Thanks Al .. and we all know that cursing is so much more fun when the wife is watching us .. . I'm gonna come back to your vids ... I have some old plumbing to change .. good job on the vids.
Thanks Pudsy!
You are more then welcome! Have a great evening!
Hey dog;
Your welcome!
Thanks for stopping by! Al
Hey Fritz;
Thanks a lot their Fritz!
Wish you were with me I would have finished sooner! LOL!
Do it nice or do it twice. I know you stick by that motto!
Thanks again Friend!
Last section is uploaded I believe!
Thanks for commenting and I wish you and your mom a very healthy and happy New Year!
Al
Hello bulent ozlem;
I believe we have the same supplies in North America. The silver mesh is actually stainless steel. I wouldn't say 316L by any means, but stainless regardless.
Thanks for commenting and Happy New Year!
Al
Much Thanks !!!
Onenblu he uses a viga crimper with viga rings they dont sell in home depot if u r a home owner they sell at plumbing supplys only i think they r the best only downer is its not one size fits all u have to get dif tool for dif size crimp so like for 3/4 u need the 3/4 crimper so on and so on for sizes home depot sells a dif type of crimper and rings its one size fits all hope that helps
I will be re-piping our house in the next few months and the part that has been on my mind is running the pipe through the wall the repairing big holes in the sheetrock, I love the idea of coming through the bottom of the cabinet/vanity. no longer a worried.
Hello Samuel,
I generally go through the bottom of the vanity with the waterlines on most jobs unless I am installing a pedestal basin.
I do the same with toilet supplies.
I hope you get a long well with the project!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello HempsXI;
As long as you have the pipe clamped well you should have no issues with water hammer. I have not had any problems with hammer in my waterline installations.
I have not installed air chambers in over 30 years, although I have used Shoktrols from time to time depending on the application where they are needed.
Great question though! I appreciate it!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
nice job mate
Hello Tim,
Thanks!
Hopefyully it helps with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello marcellinasfigaro;
Great question! They have not to my knowledge made anything for this application yet.
If you keep your lines relatively short coming through the floor and use longer speedway supplies; this will prevent the pex from bending and make the job look cleaner.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello Bonfield2002;
I have had great luck with these valves and a ball valve does not give me very much room to attach the hoses, depending on how far back the wingback elbows are located in the wall.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
I use them for nearly all installations except on washing machines.
Hello TAMIM AMINI;
This set of tools are made by Viega. There are a number of different manufacturers that make these and they are all different. If you are looking to do your own project it would be best to go with the crimp ring system.
It is sold at Home Depot and is very popular for homeowners who want to do their own work.
Other tools such as the viega system costs hundreds of dollars.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with your project! Al
Your videos are incredible - THANK YOU! Also, can you tell me when/if it's okay to bend a 90 degree turn with PEX vs. cutting it and installing a 90 degree elbow?
+bobthetrooper7
You can bend it 90 degrees and it does not cause as much friction loss when you do as. I am all about using 90 degree bend supports whenever I can rather than using elbows.
Thumbs up on bending. Check out the bend supports when you get a chance. They help to keep the pipe in that shape. I made a video ....how to save money when installing pex pipe. It shows them in that video. They come in both plastic and metal.
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Thanks dude.
Great Videos. Im doing a bathroom remodel that is back to back with a 2nd bathroom. Currently it has 3/4" copper coming to the first bathroom then reduces to a 1/2" run to the shower/tub bathroom and Tee's from there to the 2nd shower only. If I ran a Copper to PEX adapter off the 3/4" lines, could I run the pex in similar setup or should I Tee from 3/4" copper and run separate 1/2" Pex lines to each shower?
Do those fittings like the 3/4x1/2x1/2 when vid starts do your fittings come with the rings on them? Im im ny we get the rings separate from blackman plumbing supply and other supply houses thats a cool feature id they do
Well done, is there a reason why you chose to put compression shut off valves for the washing machine and not ball valves ?
I'm not familiar with Pex at all but your videos have been extremely helpful. At around 4:15 when you're soldering the 1/2" Pex adapter onto the copper pipe, is there any chance of damaging the adaptor with the torch? I'm sure this is a stupid question as I'd assume that the press elbow w/sleeve doesn't use any plastic...
great video !! where to buy that material and tool to do the job ?
Thank you
you make it look pretty easy. We have a cold water slab leak and want to get everything moved to aboveground. Plumbers want $9000 to repipe 1600sq ft house with 2 full baths and kitchen and laundry room. I was thinking of doing myself but not sure if it's too big of a task.
+Matthew Kral
Can't really comment on the price except it is a lot of money for anyone.
How old is your home? Is it a copper line that is leaking in your slab?
Would you consider yourself as being handy? If so you could take on the task yourself.
Feel free to fire any questions at me...
Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you can. Al
Hello Rich;
I inboxed you with a response to your questions.
All the best with the project! Al
I will not curve my lines using PEX, as in this video. That support will not stop it from breaking down. 90% of my past leaks in Poly, were at the curves. I never had a bad fitting either.
Hello John,
There is a big difference between poly and pex.
I have been using these bends for over a decade now with no issues.
You can't go wrong with fittings, but the support bends do work well on pex.
Thanks for commenting and hope you have a great new year! Al
Nice work with the PEX , roughly what did the material cost for this job? Ty AL.
At 20:00 (some before and after), when you add the flanges around the pipes coming out of the cabinet, do you put caulk around the pipe and flange? I ask because I had a small leak in my upstairs guest bathroom. The water went under the sink, through the small gap between the flange and pipe, and therefore through the hole in the bottom of the cabinet. It dripped down the pipe and left a small stain on the ceiling of my kitchen (right under the bathroom). So, I'm wondering if I should caulk between the flange and pipe so that if there was a leak the water would stay in the cabinet? Thanks for the great video!!
Hello Josh,
You're welcome!
I have never caulked under or around the flange, but it may help prevent water from running into the cavity below.
It definitely won't hurt to do so, but I personally don't make it a practice.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Are hammer arresters ever used with pex plumbing? How about suppressor chambers, are they ever used?
Hello Jimmy,
I have never used any in a house myself.
The only time that they are really needed is with a quick acting valve such as a flushometer where both the flow rate and the volume is high and the water comes to a sudden stop. I have used them on commercial jobs.
Shoktrols are my go to in those situations.
Years ago plumbers installed any where between a 12 to 18 inch pieces of 3/4 copper pipe that came off a tee with caps on the end on both the hot and cold on the upper floor bathroom. They didn't realize that over time the water would mix with the air in that section of copper and it would be of no use.
Pex has a lot of movement in it and will absorb any kind of water hammer.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Excellent video with some good tips. I noticed that the 90 degree bend brackets you used were two different colors ( purple and white). I’ve only seen them in black. Does the brand you are using use e different colors for 3/4” and 1/2” pex? What brand were you using? Thanks.
Ron
Hello Ron,
You're welcome!
At that time, the wholesaler that I buy the pipe from had them in stock and I bought them. I use only black then as they have stopped making them. At least I haven't found them. The big thing about the plastic bends is to make sure the bend has a little twist on it on both ends so the pipe won't slip out. I have bought them and ended up using tie wraps to hold them in place. So you want to be aware of that. They are mostly made of plastic, but you will find metal in different locations.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
16:18 when you change out the cabinets will you need to cut the water lines? Wouldn't it have been better to run the water lines inside the wall?
Hello Jesse5068,
It would be great to do that. The only problem is that they would freeze in the winter as this is an outside wall.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
@@TheOldkid888 makes perfect sense. Rather lose some space than have hundreds of dollars worth of damage.
When working under the sink, how are the legs supported? Just from the clips on the main line below?
Hello Mike;
That is exactly correct. The pipe underneath the floor has clamps on it to support the lines going through the floor.
This is how I have run them for 35 years now and have had no issues!
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Great videos. You sound like Bubbles.
+Andy Abry
Thanks very much!
I get that from time to time. LOL!
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
nicely done, but with your kitchen hook up i see you have no air chambers, wonder if you,ll have a problem with the water hammering?
Thanks for the great video and information. Re the under sink fittings - wouldn't one value b4 the T be ok? Your way seems nice but overwork.
Hello David,
You're welcome!
The only problem with that is if you have a leak going to the dishwahser or you are replacing it because it is leaking; you will be turning the hot water off to your sink faucet as well.
That may not be a big problem for some people, but it can be for others. So by closing the valve to the dishwasher itself you can still get the dishes done in the sink.
I like to isolate every fixture myself.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Point taken, however than probability of that is hopefully very low. As a related question, how do you like a manifold system vs having the valve at each fixture? Seems the valve at each fixture is convenient, but the manifold is slick...
Al, so then let me make sure I follow you: From the main "trunk"/hot pipe/whatever its called lol at my boiler, you recommend a manifold (for domestic hot water). Each 3/4 inch tee off this manifold can go to hot water needs (like a bathroom for example) and branch off in that space there to feed the shower and the sink?AND- the main cold supplies for everywhere can travel by 1/2 inch PEX to each space and branch off there? Or do you need to run 3/4s to each space and THEN branch, for good water pressure/volume?
I'm trying to do a whole house re-plumb of domestic and heat. The domestic part is where I'm fuzzy- solely because I want to have plenty of hot water where needed, and water volume. I'm going through ceiling joist bays and knee walls because I'm on a slab here. Boiler will be moved to garage. Any access from there will go up the wall and into the closest knee wall and travel to points from there. The kitchen and clothes washer are the closest to the garage. Thank you!
Hello RJ F,
There is a few ways to do this project. You can install a 3/4" manifold for both the cold and hot and run 1/2" lines to each fixture from each source.
You can also run a 3/4" cold line and take 1/2" lines off to each fixture along the way, but I always install a 3/4" header off the hot water source. I do this on all jobs myself.
You only need to run one 1/2" hot water line to the bathroom and install a tee to feed both the sink and shower as only one fixture will be running at most times.
What is going to be your domestic hot water source? Oil, gas or electric?
Is it just one bathroom and kitchen sink?
Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you have a chance...Al
TheOldkid888 Hi Al! ahh, finally a chance to reply. It's going to be a kitchen, dishwasher, 3 bathrooms, clothes washer, and MAYBE a slop sink HW. Domestic HW source is an oil-fired boiler with an "indirect" storage tank. I read that you generally make your own manifolds with brass Ts. I probably can do that. I bought a copper ring crimping setup.
So- off the boiler, will it be OK to run 3/4" to feed the HW manifold itself? I find in this house, if my wife runs the clothes washer the same time I take a shower, it uses all the hot water.
I wonder also if I should install a tankless for the washer? Any and all words of wisdom for all this is appreciated!
What tools are you using can you post the name of your tools thanks i am trying to buy pex tools set any help thanks. love your videos.
I have a home I inherited, hasn't been lived in 5 yrs. currently cleaning it out now. Found out the water was turned off due to a water leak outside in the yard. Very simple run from outside meter to inside downstairs, looked downstairs and its small pvc everywhere. Not much to run 3 sinks in the whole house all in a row 2 toilets and a shower. I remember the water pressure being very high. Should I use 1/2in or 3/4 and should I use a manifold? Sorry for the long post
Awesome videos!!
+MD Harris
I usually run a 3/4 cold main and have a manifold coming off the hot water tank.
This is usually the way I do most installs. If you have an oil fired or gas water heater the pex manifold should not come directly off of it. I attach the manifold to the floor joist and run copper from the tank to the manifold as the pex should be a distance away from a heat source of this nature. Some codes state 18 and others 36 inches; so attaching it to the joist more than covers this.
If it is electric water heater I place the manifold relatively close to the top of the tank. I haven't had any issues doing them like this.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
+TheOldkid888 yes it is electric water heater, I have a 20 yr old water heater that I am replacing. The old one has finally died and the heating elements are almost non existent. If you had to pick a brand of electric 50gal water heaters do you have a favorite? I'm looking for reliable.
Thank you for the reply!
Your videos are great
MD Harris
Not sure of what type to mention to you. I believe that they are made a little different then they were a few decades back as far as material goes.. Water does have a great deal to do with the life span of the tank as you probably know.
I know Giant and Rheem have been around for quite some time.
Ask about the warranty. Some manufacturers have a 12 year now and I believe this is the way to go. Keep the paper work handy...
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Great video. Can you show how to remove the crimp ring. I have to replace the valve with crimp ring that goes to the dishwasher. Thanks.
Hello Frank;
Thanks for the kind words and you are more then welcome!
I will see what I can do in the next little bit. Any way you look at it you will have to cut the pipe. There is a tool that they make to remove crimp rings and it basically just saves the fitting, but you must cut the pipe to use it. If you are planning on replacing the valve there a few options.
You can cut the pipe back a little and install a coupling, followed by a short piece of pipe and then your valve. This the way that I would go if I had to replace a valve. If you do not have a tool to make the pex connections; sharkbite makes a valve for a dishwasher connection. You do not need any tool to install the valve. Just a matter of cutting the pipe and sliding on the valve. It is very fast. Biggest thing is to make sure the pipe is in the valve the entire distance. 7/8ths of an inch for 1/2" fittings. Put a mark on the pipe just to be safe.
I have done several tests on sharkbite and made a number of videos as well. When they first came out I was a little skeptical, but after doing my on research on them; they have more then proven themselves.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck in the New Year! Al
SORRY, Question# 1a(I forgot) : Running 1/2" PEX to Fixtures. Right at the Wall where I have my 1/2" PEX Tube/Coupling playin peek-a-boo coming out, ya got these Braided Lines for Faucets(guess they are nicknamed "compression"). Kitchen/with Dishwasher tapped N2 it), and Vanity Faucets. Why can't I find a 1/2" PEX x 1"NPT MALE to fit the Braided line??. The braided lines are new, figured I'd keepem. If the Faucets have such a "blast", how come the Riser on my Shower Gooseneck to the Head doesn't require one, or does it ? The Rough-In Valves a "HF". The Manual on my new Delta INstall sure don't mention one. Thought about an INstall of a Drop Ear Elbow for the Gooseneck. Or maybe I should stop thinking. THANKS !!
Hello missmyredwolf;
You are more then welcome!
The lines feeding the faucets are called braided supplies as you stated. I call them speedway supplies myself which are chrome and plastic as well. You will need pex valves to use attach the braided supplies under each sink and on the toilet or solder a pex adaptor into a 1/2 copper female by 3/8 compression adaptor to make the fitting for the connection. I have not seen this fitting myself. The braided supply does not have to be overtightened as they have rubber gaskets in them. They are an excellent product by the way.
Over the years most tub and shower faucets never had shut offs on them. Then a few manufacturers started to install them directly on the faucet. If you are running a manifold system then you won't need valves on the tub faucets if you plan on isolating each run.
You do not need any flex supplies on the Delta install. I generally install short pieces of copper to each end of the faucet and solder a longer piece for the tub spout with a 90 degree elbow and a piece of copper out. That does depend on what type of spout you have a swell. This works on slip on spouts only. I use Moen faucets only and that is what they require. I sometimes will use a piece of copper all the way to my shower head with a wing back elbow to allow shower arm to thread into it. So no braided hose for the shower. As far as the dishwasher is concerned; I use a five foot 3/8th by 3/8th supply line. ON the bottom of the dishwasher you will need a 3/8th male by 3/8th compression 90 to make the connection. be careful when installing it and leave the 3/8th nut on when doing so.
All I do is take my three centre measurements ....tub spout hole, faucet hole and shower arm hole and make the piping up on the floor and then do the install.
Remember to remove the delta cartridge if you are planning to solder any copper in the faucet as it will melt the cartridge and cause serious headaches that you can do without.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
I can’t believe you drilled through the floor and the vanity. Oh vey!
Hello RickM1953,
You would never bring the lines through the wall considering it is an outside wall and temps around this area go down to minus thirty in the winter. Guaranteed to have frozen lines and more trouble.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Great video, I have polyn so going to get repipe of house. The guy said he wil uses either viega or bow pex and fittings. I know read about viega but dont know bow.He also said 10 yr labor, 25 yr material by manufacture. I looked up viega says 10 year does that sound right or is he pulling my leg? Also at 10:15 the connectors have some yellow on them what is that? Thank you
Hello Jim;
The Viega system is a very good system in my books. The fittings are lead free. ( all bronze )...
The little yellow tabs that you see are the identifying colors for the fittings.
Yellow for 1/2" and blue for 3/4" .....Makes it easier when fittings are together in a bag.
I would expect you to get a very long life expectancy from this system.
The only thing is to place some foam insulation around the pipe if it should come into contact with direct sunlight or flourescent lights as the rays will break the pipe down. Saw it happen twice and it was on another system.
The pipe has a UV protection, but it is limited.
All pex pipe will break down if left in direct sunlight or flourescent lights no matter whom the manufacturer.
It is the go to for most plumbers today. Copper being very rare now in residential homes. So easy to work with.
I would not hesitate to install it in any home.
You are more then welcome!
Thanks for commenting and let me know how you get along! Al
Any more questions; feel free to give me a shout.
are you in raleigh? I didnt even know some of these fittings existed.
I have a relatively small plumbing job to do in the kitchen renovation in my house. Do you have a recommendation for a crimping tool brand? I would be connecting with half inch copper.
Hello Andrew,
Are you planning on joining to copper or attaching pex to it? I can honestly say there are no cheap crimping tools for copper. There are a few different ways to join copper without soldering. Exactly what is it you are doing if you don't mind my asking?
This is a video I made on joing copper without sodlering....The Old plumber shows how to join copper pipe without soldering.
Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you get a chance....Al
Thanks for getting back to me, Al. I'm joining PEX to Copper. I'm wondering if there is a SharkBite fitting that goes from half inch copper to PEX. I assume there is. I'd then use PEX on up to the faucet fixture.
also dont twist the pipe in tight places as it will break in the long term. Just speaking from experience as I have been to jobs where the kitchen was flooded overnight. Here is the uk, we have flexi pipes with a outer silver mesh made of cooper. (I think it is cooper.
Exactly what brand and type of pex with the silver sleeves ? I'm stuck with whatever Home Depot has.
Why did you have to solder the PEX fitting to the existing copper pipe? Did you not want to remove it or was it too much trouble to remove?
Hello Aeroica,
The pipes that were in the basement were just installed a few years ago and the homeowner did not want the walls to be opened up after just finishing them. I added valves on all of them just to be on the safe side incase there was a problem in the future; they could easily shut the valve and stop the leak.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Thanks for the reply.
That makes sense now.
Hello Aeroica,
You're welcome!
Enjoy your weekend! Al
I have a house in Florida (built in the mid eighties), with a slab foundation, and from the looks of things a large (4.6 gph) leak "somewhere" under the slab. Needless to say, it must be fixed. Depending on how difficult it is to find / fix the leak.
I'm considering running new piping up the side of the house, and through the attic. I have a few questions? Understanding that it's layman advice, and not something I'd hold you liable for (had to say that so you would never feel on the hook).
Do you think PEX would be a good choice? Would it stand up to the heat of an attic in Florida during the summers?
From what I've read it's OK according to Florida Building Codes, but is there still an issue with the newer (2012 on) PEX plumbing as far as homeowners insurance. I understand each carrier is different but generally speaking is it an ongoing issue?
Home Depot appears to carry Shark Bite brand PEX fittings, not the quick connect type you show in another video, any opinion on that brand for PEX? I read below where you prefer Veiga. My main concern is it lasting the next 30+ years problem free. My goal is to be pushing up daisies from old age before I have to fix the plumbing again.
Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hello Ryan,
No worries there.
Nothing worse then a leak under the slab. Finding it can be an issue. It is probably soft copper that was run.
As far as your insurance goes, I would give them a call about installing it in your home to be on the safe side. I am not aware of any issues myself, but a phone call could answer your question easily.
I would imagine if they are selling it in the big box stores; it should be alright to install in your home. Pex can easily survive an attic. Sunlight and florescent lights (UV rays) are the big problem when it comes to pex being broken down over time. So being installed in the attic should have no bearing on its make-up. If I come across a situation where sunlight is an issue I simply insulate it.
Home Depot has the sharkbite pex fittings with the copper rings that are very popular now. I personally would use the brass fittings rather then the plastic, but that is just me.
It should last at least thirty years for you and hopefully with any luck you will easily outlast it.
Viega is my go to. The sleeves are attached to most fittings which helps in installation, especially if you are doing a lot of work.
I am not really familiar as far as using Home Depot pex. It has been very popular from what I have seen in many homes along with the copper crimp ring system.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week!
Any other questions feel free to ask! al
Al, thank you for the advice. Spent the day digging up the yard, got lucky and found the lead at the transition from the PVC pipe that goes from the meter to the foundation and the copper pipe that disappears into the foundation cement.
I would love to "talk" with the contractor who built our home back in the 80's. Other than the one valve at the meter, there is no way to cut off the water, isolate sections for trouble shooting, or access any of the plumbing other than right at the end point, all the piping is run straight down into the cement slab, and straight through the foundation on the exterior walls.
I am seriously considering going ahead with the re-piping of the whole house, running it from the attic, with appropriate valves and accessibility. I really don't want another emergency like this, especially during the hotter months of the year.
Thanks again for all your help. Ryan
Hello Ryan,
It is generally a major project doing a repair in a slab.
I think installing new pex lines in the manner that you suggested is the way to go.
Hopefully everything will go well for you.
Thanks for commenting and good luck with the project.
Any other questions feel free to ask away. Al
Hey Ryan!
I'm another faithful viewer of the great videos and vast knowledge of Al aka TheOldKid888. I too have a home with a slab foundation. You wanna talk about the desire to talk to the builder? I'd like to do that, and maybe beat them a little, or a lot haha. Not only was my home (built in 1971) erected on a slab (when we are on one of the highest points of the area, NO REASON not to have a basement or at least a crawl access space), but it was also wired with aluminum, sheathed with glorified pegboard, and fueled with a buried oil tank. Top this all off with a poorly graded property, and I want to basically walk away from this place- if not for having zero mortgage payments. So, the reason I am writing- aside from letting you know you're not alone there with slab leaks (me too! half the heat was connected here last Winter- Southern NY) -but I also am planning a whole house replumb in PEX, heat included, moving boiler, maybe a tankless or two, and abandoning the buried tank. NO ONE will buy my home one day if I don't remedy at least that. If nothing else, perhaps my situation will serve as moral/morale support. So, my water main (also ONE VALVE, like yours!) comes up from the Earth on one side of my kitchen. I plan to run PEX from this main valve (was replaced with a quarter-turn ball valve in March 2008) over into the garage where the boiler will be in its new home, freeing up a large cabinet/fridge space in my kitchen. From the garage, I will run all my heat and domestic PEX to serve the whole residence and 2 or 3 garden spigots. Remember to have O2 barrier PEX used in the heating end of things. I managed to trace and bypass the leaking heat pipes last Winter so I still had some heat. We had a mild cold season, thankfully! If I can help you or compare notes, that's great. Good luck with whatever stage you're at now. Al rules!
How much space does there need to be between branches coming off the main line? Can I put T fittings within inches of each other to supply all fixtures in a bathroom? And how do you end the main trunk line? Do you just cap it off at the end of the run? Thanks!
Hello Aj John,
There doesn't have to be much space between the branches. You can put branches as close to each other as you like.
When I am running a 3/4 inch line I end it off by using a 3/4 by 1/2 by 1/2 tee. The two half inch lines go to the last fixtures. I use a header off the hot water tank and run a 1/2 inch line to each fixture. You can do the same for the cold line, but I run a 3/4 cold line with tees myself.
Thanks for commenting and have a good week! Al
the electric wire in the shot?
Great video as always. I m in Canada and HD only has superpex . Can I use it with propex/uponor fitting or do I need pex A?
Thanks
+The chosen one
You are more than welcome!
Uponor and Rehau are two systems that require the pipe to be expanded. So you would need pex pipe (pex A) that can expand to accommodate the fittings. The pipe from HD can only be used on crimping systems and NOT expanding types such as Uponor.
Hope this helps. Any other questions just fire away....
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
+TheOldkid888
Thank you for the quick reply . I ve trying to get this question answered and couldnt find anything on forum . Really appreciate your input.Thumbs Up !
Take care
The chosen one
You are more then welcome!
You as well! Al
I like your videos and you provide a lot of helpful information. The only issue I had with your video is that you use a lot of Ts. If you're using a PEX manifold (which I don't see why anyone would not use one), Ts defeat the purpose of the manifold as you no longer have the ability to turn the water off/on to a specific line.
If you're just replaying your copper pipes with PEX, keeping everything as-is, I guess it is OK. But if you're going through the trouble of installing PEX, the manifold should be a mandatory component.
Hello Adam;
I am glad you enjoy the videos!
It is strictly up to the installer I believe as to whether or not you use a manifold. The cost of manifolds is more expensive then Tees depending on the manufacturer considering some are made of copper and require adaptors to go to pex for each run.
As far as being able to valve off each run; I cannot figure out why anyone would need a valve coming off the manifold considering that all fixtures in the house generally have shut offs at the fixture.
I have come across quite a few manifolds where you cannot turn the water off at the manifold after a few years of being installed.
They are ideal for situations where you don't want any joints between the fixture and the main source.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
all that you are required by code is to have a main shut off for the hole house and individual shut offs for each fixture and a shut off on the cold side of the water heater other than that he can run it any way he wants it good tip thought help me in some tight spots in crawl spaces
Hello Colt;
That is correct.
One big thing to keep in mind is the one valve on the cold side of the hot water tank.
I see valves on the inlet and outlet of some tanks and it is against code.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Hello ChosenofThor;
This is how I run my lines. I run a separate cold 3/4" line and take branches off as I go. Have been doing it this way for over three decades.
It has been working thus far.
Everyone has their own way of doing things and this is mine.
I use to run a 3/4 hot copper as well, but since the introduction of pex, I run separate 1/2" lines from the source to each fixture.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
great
+ROBERT GOUDREAU
Thanks you!
Have a good one! Al
Why not have a dedicated dishwasher line coming out of the wall if you have access to the inside of the wall ? (I'm doing a whole new install). Especially with pex since it's so easy to install?
Hello Xolo Martinez,
You perhaps could do that, but the reason for the waterlines coming through the floor is because I live in a northerly climate where waterlines would freeze on any outside walls.
I have been installing the waterlines inside cabinets such as this for over forty years and have had no issues.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy the weekend! Al
Yes, run straight through joists... instead of around in bathroom :') Imagine that plumber doing the work ha
Thank you for the video, its a great source of info for my tankless water heater project.
@ around 3:32 you soldered a 1/2 inch fitting to convert from copper to Pex. I know you also like sharkbite fittings, so I was wondering why not use skarkbite instead of pulling out the solder?
Hello jrainmaker19;
You are more then welcome!
I like the connections to be rigid whenever possible.
Sharkbite would work as well, but it is just the way I do my installations.
I know a friend of mine who installed all new waterlines using sharkbite fittings as the homeowner requested. This was a number of years ago and I spoke with him and their has been no issues.
I could have used them there, but I prefer this method. Just a matter of choice.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with any future projects! Al
Nice video...whoever did the original copper sweating should have waited for PEX and quick connect technology!!! Those were some UGLY connections. If the amount of solder used was proportional to the plumber's bill I am sure it was double or triple the standard rate.
Hello OF CV;
Thanks for the kind words!
Some of those joints weren't that pretty for sure. Watertight apparently though. Just could have cut back on the solder a little. Hard to beat the pex! Its so much easier then copper as far as labour is concerned and the price as well is considerably lower.
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Thanks. But kitchen red pex line seems too short, and why don't you use dual output valve for dishwasher?
Hello Joe,
You're welcome!
I can easily get a fitting on there and cut the line and crimp another if necessary.
I always use individual valves.
If by chance there is a leak with the dishwasher and you have to turn the water off; the sink hot water is shut down as well I believe if you use the dual outlet valve.
Thanks for commenting have a great week! Al
Replacing copper lines in our garage that froze up and burst, does it matter if pex are run horizontal or vertical to ceiling joists? Also, if I run vertical, can I have them
Up closer to the subfloor above it ?
Hello jwb0323,
You can run pex in either direction. When running them along the side of a joist it is best to run them in the middle of it at least a few inches from the top and bottom. You don't want them to close as a nail could penetrate them. I have had people install them up tight to the floor only to put a nail in it when installing hardwood floors. Another time someone ran them close to the bottom of the joist and pierced it when they were installing strapping. Funny thing about that situation is they could see the lines, but were using an air nailer and it popped through the side. Keeping them in the middle is what I prefer doing.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
@@TheOldkid888 thank you !
@@TheOldkid888 thank you for
This response, very helpful. Another question I have is can I make a
Different path with the pex? I want to move the line closer to one side but still split it out to go to the shower, toilet, sinks, etc. The water lines are in part of a garage ceiling and I want to have the majority closer to the house and not the outside, if that makes sense
Hi Again, Al. I ripped open all my walls and am installing red blue pex from home depot made by Sharkbite . My Qs are : 1. Can I use any brand crimp rings on them or cinch rings or should i buy sharkbite ? Do I have to clamp them every 18 inches as you did in this video which is very difficult ? What brand cinch crimps have you used here in this video ? Why did you cut the red pipe much shorter than the blue at 14:50 ?
Hello Sajid,
I would use the crimp rings rather than the stainless cinch clamps. I have seen the rings in many places. Very popular and a good system.
I used the Viega system on this install.
The red pipe at 14:50 is the hot as you know. I installed a tee at that point. The branch of the tee is feeding the dishwasher and the run of the tee continues towards the faucet where I installed a valve as a shut off for the sink.
I always place valves on every fixture.
I always clamp every floor joist myself which are 16 inches apart. If you can't clamp every floor joist; get as many as possible. I have seen many places where people only clamp every second joist with the cold water with no problems. The reason I clamp every joist; especially the hot; is the pipe will sag over time and it really doesn't look that good. I have seen places where every third joist was clamped and the pipe sag down about a foot. The cold is not as big an issue. There are going to be places where clamping is impossible. As long as you place them where needed.
I got your other post, but couldn't get it out of the spam list for some reason.
Hopefully the install will go well for you. Drop me a message if you have any other questions.
Take your time and plan it out. It should go well for you!
Remember to run as much pex as possible before you make that final connections and switch from copper to pex.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck! Al
Thanks Al. That was helpful !
One more question: What are those trim rings called that you put on the pex at 14:50 ? I need a proper name to buy online.
Hello Sajid,
Not a problem! My pleasure!
The plumbing term is escutcheons. They come in both metal and plastic. I generally get the plastic as they are cheaper and work very well. Most plastic have a line in them that allows you to bend back and forth to cause it to break as they can bend around pipe already installed. I believe I made a video on it.
The name of it is...A split flange to cover the hole under your sink or basin around your waterlines.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for commenting and let me knwo how you are getting along from time to time. Al
what s the brand of your yellow crimping tool ? Thanks
+The chosen one
The system I used in this video is Viega. I used both the 1/2 and the 3/4 inch tool in this series of videos.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Aah, shut off valves on everything, i like it...
Hello Uncle Slappynuts,
It's nice to be able to isolate each fixture separately and allow the rest of the house to have water.
All to often I find places that have only one shut off in the house and the homeowner
is without water until the leak is repaired. A few extra dollars spent in the right place makes a big difference.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
you are direct to the point, you don't go off on left wing nut job tangents or play stupid music that grounds out your wisdom. Thank you ! ( Place something under to protect the base from the legs///? )
Hello Ken,
You're more than welcome!
I believe people come to my site for a little education on plumbing so I try and stick to the plan.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck in the new year! Al
What brand of pex crimping tool did you use
Hello onenblue;
The system I used in this video series was called Viega. Excellent product and the price of the fittings are considerably lower then Rehau which I am a big fan of.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
A plumber showed me a pic of Red Blue pipe leaking after a few years . He wanted $9700 to do my whole 3bath house with kitchen and one heater and 3 garden outlets. He said that uponer expansion type is the best...what is your opinion?
Hello Sajid,
I have seen a few pex pipe leaks as well, but proper installation makes a difference They were installed near fluorescent lights that broke the pipe down over time. The lights were on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Uponer has been around for a few decades now. Works very well.
Rehau is perhaps the best system although the price of the fittings is costly as compared to other systems.
Veiga is the system that I use. Fittings are bronze and very easy to install. The rings are attached to the fittings and it is a compression system so it makes for an easy installation.
There is a bit of work involved in replacing the waterlines especially if he is running the pipe right up into the bath and shower faucets which should be done. It takes a bit of time to do it right.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Thanks for the explanation !
Any tips on how to do this in a basement with all finished ceilings??? Talk about a pain in the arse...
Hi helpdogs,
Painful is right at times!
You can fish lines across the ceiling in the same direction of the strapping for a good stretch by cutting the pex on a slant at the end so that it goes under wires that may be running in the opposite direction.
Access holes have to be cut into the ceiling at different occasions to make connections unfortunately. You can't get past them. If you don't want to fill the gyproc afterwards you can use access panels that you can make fit easily that are clean looking and are relatively cheap.
Patience is the key to getting it done when you have this kind of a situation.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Shark Bite quick connectors are your friend.
Hello GoSpursGo #RaiderNation,
They are very convenient! That's for sure.
Very user friendly.
I try and use as many solid connections as I can whenever I am installing any kind of pipe, but I have used Sharkbite over the years. And as big as 2" in size. Very convenient when you can't get the water off to solder a joint.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Viega sorry for miss spell and they r like 150 a tool around by me and sorry i didnt realize till now someone answered ya question
Why is the tee angled that way instead of being on a 90 degree?
Hello Jun,
I am not certain of the tee you are talking about, but if you are talking about the one under the sink; it is because of the direction flex supply coming from the dishwasher and the further back you can keep the pipes to the back of the cabinet; the more space underneath for storage you will have.
If it is another tee in the video; drop me another line and I will get back to you!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
@@TheOldkid888 sorry I was unclear with my question back then. I rewatched your video to find what I was asking and got myself lost lol.
However, the answer you gave brought good information for such subject. thanks again. I appreciate you posting this video. very informational.
Nice job how's the pex holding
Hello Jogo g,
No problems at all.
I have been installing it for years now with no issues at all.
Big thing is to keep it away from sunlight and florescent lights as the rays from them will break it down over time.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Well, OldKid, you don't like Manifolds, so I'll ask this anyways, because your opinion DOES matter. I'm making my own H/C Manifolds. I want to use 10" Pipe on the left and right side, in between with my 10 Outlets(5 on top and 5 on bottom). spaces in between the Valves of 6"(For Ex. - 10" up, 6" tube,then Valve,6" tube, then Valve, and so forth). Question : Besides extra PEX tubing usage, would it be considered extra volume(more tubing=more holding tank water) a good thing beings all the "homemade" manifolds are very small out there ? I figured like a Football team, the more 2nd string players(more /longer tubes), the better "relief" to send in if need be(extra supply). Meaningless or a Patent idea ?? Good Video(as always), you never have talked down to any question, just plain ole truth, WE appreciate that.
Hello missmyredwolf;
I am a believer in manifolds, but do not use a cold water manifold. I definitely use hot on my installs. As in my previous video I run 3/4" cold main and branch off with tees. I always use a manifold coming off of the hot unless the homeowner wants otherwise and I will make a suggestion, but they have the final say.
I make my own manifolds quite often as well!
As far as the length of the length of any lines on your cold off your manifold goes; it doesn't make any difference. When it comes to the hot; you want to keep the tees as close together as possible as it will make a difference in volume which in turn is hot water and over time will cost you more money. The valves can come off the branches at any distance.
With the header system it doesn't make any difference as far as how far apart the tees as the tees are as they are bigger in size and that is what make the manifold system so nice have. A 3/4" pipe has twice the volume as a 1/2" pipe. Keep in mind that the inside diameter of a speedway supply feeding a faucet is only a 1/4" in size. That is why I only use a manifold with 3/4" tees. More then suffice!
Hope this answered your question.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
you sure you arent gonna get pressure drops branching off like this?
+Fat Harold
Drops in pressure can also come form the source. If you are on a well there will be noticeable drops in pressure regardless of how the lines are run, but by running separate lines off a manifold balances out the system.
Municipal water will give you more constant pressure.
Are you on a well?
Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you get a chance. Al
Why not use rings and the pexgun?
Hello Anonymous Indica,
There are a number of different applications. I have used them all. I like the Viega system myself. Sleeves are already on the fittings; which makes installations much easier.
Thansk for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
where are the air pipes?
+ROBERT GOUDREAU
Would you mean pipes for water hammer? Not needed any more and also didn't really work after a short time.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Yes
+ROBERT GOUDREAU
What happens over a short period of time is the air mixes with the water and the pipes actually serve no purpose then. If the system was drained every few months and refilled it would be fine, but that never happens.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Agree. I did an experiment with clear tubing. The air chamber filled mostly with water within a week.
professions dont use split eschuteons-
Hello Jessedog11,
Really???
OH...They cut the pipe off if the flange is rusted bad and slip a new full flange over. I don't think so.
Everyone uses split flanges.
Can't agree with you on this one!
Thanks for commenting and have a good day! Al
add more explanation to your work
Hello Amanda,
I will keep that in mind for future videos!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
You heat along the pipe all you doing is burning the pipe not the correct way
Hello Derrick,
Been doing it like that for decades. Never any issues.
I appreciate the input.
I guess everyone does their own thing.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
E
Hello Jose Romano,
Hopefully it helps with any future projects! Al
hose washers???????????lol
washing machine hoses
Thanks for bringing that to my attention Nate!
Very observant!
Have a good week! Al
just kiddin bro