How to install Pex Pipe Waterlines in Your Home! Part 4. Plumbing Tips.
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- Опубліковано 30 гру 2012
- The final stage in the pex installation. The main water from a pump tank and hot water manifold off the tank. Let's see how it goes.
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This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
Thanks for taking the time to do these videos. I am rehabbing an old home (1904) with Cast iron drains, galvanized and copper supplies that has had 3 additions. I am completely replacing all of the plumbing and your videos have been an enormous help. After watching this series I am 100% going with the pex system.
Just want to share this. Last year I purchased a small home that needed to be demolished down to the studs & then remodeled. This left me the option of re-plumbing w/PEX.
After watching TheOldKid888's PEX videos, decided I, a construction newbie, could do all the PEX install & misc. plumbing myself. So I did it. Yesterday turned on the main shutoff valve. Inspected entire PEX system. Not one leak.
If it were not for these excellent videos on this channel, I probably would have contracted out for a plumber. Thanks TheOldKid888!
Hello Nirky;
I am glad you got along well with your renovation.
I appreciate your kind words! Greatly appreciated!
Thanks very much for commenting and enjoy your new home! Al
I'm a realtor in Pensacola, Fl and started reading up on PEX yesterday. I have a buyer that was running into issues getting homeowners insurance because there was PEX in the house (We have this resolved now). Anyway, I found your videos and watched all of them. As a result, I have a good understanding of PEX, how it works and is deployed. Great videos! Thanks!
+Nathan Swafford
You are more than welcome!
Biggest thing that a homeowner has to be concerned about when it comes to pex is the sun or florescent lights. If the pipe is exposed to either one for a considerable amount of time the pipe will break down. I have seen this happen. By covering it with insulation will prevent this from taking place. They all come with a UV rating.; some longer than others, but regardless they will break down if exposed to them.
Pex in my opinion is a great product and has been around for many years. You could say it is relatively new to North America. Only a few decades.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
I'm in the Bay Area sir, looking to become an Apprentice plumber with my Union. Your tutorial video on soldering and your tips about just where you should place the 'cone' flame were priceless. Thank you sir for your time with uploading these videos. They do inspire one to learn and do the best work possible. Thanks again!
Hello BiNo,
You are more than welcome!
I hope everything works out for you!
Has treated me well over the years!
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with your future! Al
I'm glad I stumbled around your videos. I'm remodeling a bathroom in a 101 year old house, and the plumbing is a mess. So far I've found black iron, cast, lead, PVC, copper, and CPVC in the same house. I'm going to be replacing all of it with PEX for a clean and simple installation. This just saved me a ton of time and headache!
Hello Steven,
Sounds like you have your hands full on this one.
Everyone has had a crack at the plumbing over the past 100 years.
Pex will work fine as far as the waterlines for you.
Take your time and plan it out and you should be all set. I generally run all my main lines first and then make my tie ins once they are done. This allows you to keep the water on in the house as long as possible before you make the last tie ins.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Watched the whole series. Great work. You've given me enough courage to try and tackle my own project. Thanks again.
Hello bbtjd001;
Thanks very much for the kind words!
Lay out a route and take your time. You will do just fine.
You are more then welcome!
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Excellent series on pex!! I really appreciate the easy to understand instructional quality of your presentation ... Kudos!!!
+Emmert Deane Lind
Thanks very much for the kind words!
I hope it helps you out with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Fantastic set of videos. It's really great to see someone who takes a pride in their work and does such a beautiful job. Many thanks!
Hello SuperFrasman,
You are more than welcome!
Hopefully it will help with any future projects!
Thanks very much for the kind words and a great day! Al
WOW! Thanks for these videos.
I have to replace all the grey PEX water lines in one of my rent houses that i just purchased. Yes the same grey Pex that has the law suit against. Being a carpenter i avoid electrical & plumbing. The plumbing quote was so high "$5,800" for this small 3 bedroom 2 bath house that i have to do it myself. Your videos completely took my worries away.
+Drew Davis
You are more than welcome!
I believe that was Kitec. It had an aluminum shield in it.
I hope the project goes well for you!
Any questions you have in the future feel free to fire away.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
First off exclenta, going you have given me the faith to do this,Your videos were great. thank you so much,keep up the great work.
Hello Roger,
Thanks!
Planning is key in any job.One thing that you should always do is run as much pex and make as many pex connections as you can before you turn the water off. You may do that the first day and turn the water off and make the rest of the connections the next day. I often hear about people doing their own work and running into problems because they cut the copper out the first day and then began to install the pex. You want to have enough time so that at the end of the day; you have your water back on.
A little planning goes a long ways.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project!
Let me know how you get a long! Al
Hi Al, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the pex pipe series. Thanks for promptly answering all my questions over the last year and you and your family have a great 2013.
Tom
Great video and advice Al! I like the emphasis on the back up wrench; very important! I like to use unions anywhere it makes sense, too. I often put them on condensate drains as I sometimes have to remove them to access a unit. They're handy!
Was going to watch a rerun of The Beachcombers or this and am I so glad I chose this!
Those pipes running up to ceiling, that's art! After spending several hundred on a Manabloc manifold and various clamps you biatch slap together a manifold and zing your done!
Shister me senseless or what.. You rock Oldman!
Hello Rodger;
Thanks for the kind words Rodger!
A few tees together will make as good a manifold as you can buy and is cheaper as well!
Just takes a little prep work!
I am sure you can handle it with no problems at all!
Thanks for commenting and time to watch the Beachcombers now!
Enjoy your week! Al
thanks for the very informative videos about pex, i wish i had watched them before i started to do my reno's as i may have gone down this route.
i love were you live, im stuck in sk. for another 3 years until the kid leaves high school, but after that i will be moving out east, and you made me smile when you used your spanners and not wrenches, as i was originally from the uk, and i also have spanners.
+Steve Weston
You are more than welcome!
Glad you enjoyed the videos. Gotta love spanners. I use them quite often.
I can still see my father using them on almost everything he repaired. Was a plumber as well.
You are in the heart of winter now out there.
Enjoy those next three years! Next thing you know they are gone and you will wish they were still under your wing.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy the weekend! Al
+TheOldkid888. hey whats up im up in Canada running pex to all my connections got a box off connecters but having a few issues trying to run 160 feet of easy heat thru poly, this seems almost impossible👆, and i need some advice on connecting pex to water pump and water heater thanks hope to here back from you✌
Jules Sluman
What seems to be the issues you are having?
I made a few videos on pex and installing it off of a water pump and hot water tank as well.
Get back to me when you get a chance. Al
Great job... You inspired me man.... I'm doi'n mine now after watch'n this... and clean'n up all that old copper pipe that's just spiderwebed all over the place due to reno's I've done in the past.... Xcelent vid's......
Hello renegademanxxx;
Thanks very much for the kind words! Means a lot!
Pex can be run just as neat as copper if a little time and thought is put into it.
Thanks for the kind words and if anything should come up during the repiping job; drop me a line! Al
Ya your welcome man... I was wondering what to do here...should i use a manifold and run all separate lines or just run a main line then put in T's where needed ???
Hello renegademanxxx;
Manifolds are great as you have no worries about any fittings between the manifold and the fixture and they also give a constant flow of water with very little pressure drop.
I use them for hot water and go with a 3/4 line for the cold and take tees off where needed.
I have installed a few systems using manifolds for cold and hot.
Either way works fine!
Thanks for commenting and let me know how you get along! Al
Yup I agree .... im in the process now of drawing out my layout to figure out what I'll need to do the job... should I use 3/4 line (cold water supply) all the way to the water heater?
Hello renegademanxxx;
I would definitely run 3/4" pipe to the water heater. Then install your header coming off the tank.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the repair! Al
Thank you for all your videos, Oldkidd888. May the heavens shine their blessings down upon you! I'm plumbing hot water heater and washing machine lines today using know-how from your videos. You make a difference, Buddy!
Awesome videos! Amazing pride in your work! I watched all 4 parts and you left me with the knowledge I was looking for in a pex video. Thanks... :)
Hello SW412626;
You are more then welcome and thanks very much for the kind words!
Take your time laying out the project and you should be all set. Running all the lines from the source to the fixtures is the first step. Then making all the tie ins is what you follow up with. This will allow you to have water in your home until you make the final stage. You should be all set if you take your time!
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
I did it myself!!! I had to replace the water heater after it rusted. We called the plumber and it cost about $1200.00 total including water heater, parts and labors. We decided it was too much and so I decided to take a trip to home depot and bought the water heater. I also decided to use pex pipe 3/4 and snap in joints instead of cramp fitting. When I installed it, it worked great!!! No leak and I'm so glad I did it myself! It cost me $378 for the water heater, and more for the parts. I had to cut the copper line and push in fitting for pex pipe.
Hello dmana3172;
I am glad you got along well with the installation!
Saved a few dollars in the process!
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Hello dmana3172;
The inside of pex is very close to that of copper. the only flow restriction that there would be would be that of the fittings that are used with the pex. Some have a very small inside diameter and this is where there would be any flow restriction.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
I've just learned alot of patience go's a long way !! Beautiful job !!
Hello geneo*,
Thanks very much!
I always keep the motto...Do it nice or do it twice. At the end of the job you want to be able to stand back and feel good about what is done. Planning goes a long ways with replacing and running new water lines. Always try and run as much pex as you can before deciding to remove the copper pipe. It saves on the amount of time that the water will be off.
Thanks for the kind words and have a great week! Al
Great work man, appreciate your time doing this.
+Secured Surrounding
Thanks!
I hope it helps with any future products!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Nice install, gonna be plumbing up 4 electric heaters here in the near future and will definitely be going with pex. Great video here.
Hello John,
Thanks!
One very important thing to keep in mind is you cannot put valves on the outlet side of the tank as this is against code.
Best of luck with the project!
The manufacturer of Viega states that their pex can be used directly off the top of electric water heaters only.
It CANNOT be directly installed off oil or gas water heaters.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hey Al,
You really do cover all the bases! I finally understand how to apply the teflon tape now! Thanks for the great demonstration. I kept getting it backwards the last time I used some.
I like the look of your custom hot water distribution manifold at the water heater, awesome job my friend!!
This is a great video series Al, I have really enjoyed it. I also learned a great deal about what it takes to install Pex! You sure do make it look easy!!
Happy New Year to you and your family Al!
Excellent series. Thank You.
+Michael Aitchison
You are more than welcome!
Hopefully it will help you with any future projects!
Thanks for the kind words and enjoy your day! Al
Hello AlFlorida;
You are more then welcome!
Pex is very easy to install and if kept out of UV rays will last for many many years!
Best of luck with your project and thanks for commenting! Al
Hello David;
You are more then welcome!
I wish you and yours a Healthy and Happy New Year!
Al
Nice work Al.
A plumber with a level? Fancy that! Real neat.
Hello binnsh;
Thanks for the kind words!
I use one from time to time just to check my eye! LOL!
I like to see a job where things are all straight and evenly spaced.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Thank you for the videos ... Much Appreciated!
Hello 1hjehje,
You are more than welcome!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Clean work 👍🏻
Hello Crazy Dogs,
Thanks very much!
I try and keep thing as tidy as possible.
Thanks for the kind words and have a great week! Al
Hello Walter;
I haven't heard that myself, but there may be some truth in it. I know a few people who use it; I will mention that to them.
I haven't used the crimp ring system myself on any installs.
I have found this Viega system very easy to use. Not chasing rings; which is a big bonus!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Great vid, it was very helpful. Subbed
Hello Panic;
Thanks for the kind words and subbing!
I hope you get along well with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hey Al !!!
Ball Valve Ball Valve Ball Valve !!! LOL ...
You know i'm with ya on the Ball Valves !!!
Man so many great tips in this Video as Well !!!
I can see this Series Blowin Up on UA-cam Al !!!
I love the Pex System you are Using Brother it is Next Level Professional !!!
Al , I got mu Buddy Carl the Plumber pickin me Up a Special Tool !!! LOL ...
Can't Wait for ya to see !!!
Great Job , and Fantastic Video Al !!!
Hey JD;
The old level still works. At least it is relatively true!
Thanks very much!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Thank you man it looks ok to me, nice
Nice video and nice workmanship! I'm a big fan of the unions also. One thing about the manifold that might be of note is that if you feed both ends of the manifold with incoming water you can lessen the effect of a toilet flush or washing machine causing a pressure loss to a shower. If only one shower is supplied by the manifold, you can also just put one feed on like you did and make sure the shower is the first takeoff.
Hello Dall,
Thanks!!
Gotta have the unions on the tanks for certain.
I never would have thought about feeding the header in both ends.
Thanks very much for the information! Much appreciated!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hey Fritz;
You can't stress ball valve enough! It is the only way to go!
They may cost a little more, but the end result is what counts.
I am glad you likes it Fritz!
I appreciate your kind words Fritz! I like positivity! And you bring that!
Hopefully it will pick up a few views with time!
Viega system is pretty cool! Bonus part is no rings to install!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
I am looking forward to a great video on that tool! Can't wait!
Ridgid rocks!
Hey Tom;
I am glad you enjoyed them!
I still have a few up my sleeve!
Any time is a good time for a question!
Thanks for commenting and wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year! Al
Hello Doug;
I have been making the manifold like this as of late.
The manifold is 3/4 pex tees with 1/2 inch branches.
Veiga can be installed directly off the top of an electric hot water tank. All information on any type of pex can be found on line.
Oil and gas fired hot water heaters require copper coming from and going to the tank!
thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hello Hatya05;
Sounds like you have your hands full with this reno!
The pex system is hard to beat in my books!
As long as you keep it away from any sunlight or fluorescent light; it should be maintenance free for decades!
Thanks for commenting and good luck with the project! Al
love the sounds... cool dude
Hello Johnny;
Great to hear!
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Hello Mrnathann;
Manifolds do come with shut offs on them which are very handy! You can individually turn off each fixture which is fine. It is actually against the code to have shutoffs on the outlet of a hot water tank. That is the reason I have not installed any on this tank. The other thing to remember is how often you are going to turn the water off. Not too often hopefully. Each fixture should also have its own shutoff as well!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hey William;
Glad you like them and you are more then welcome!
I made the header to create better distribution throughout the house. They are on a well and the pressure fluctuates between 30 and 50 pounds. When the pressure drops down and a number of fixtures are being used; it can drop your pressure considerably. Making the header helps to compensate this.
Thanks for commenting and Happy New Year! Al
Nice, only thing I'd do different is instead of a straight length with two 90's into your manifold I'd simply run a single PEX line high up from the heater and down to the manifold with straight connectors. Much less pressure loss. That is one of the biggest advantages to using PEX. Cleaner straighter installs with less joints. I do like those clamps you used, Never seen them before.
Hey Al, you should see my wood level, LOL... Nice job!
7:35 One thing I learned is that after doing any work around the pressure tank is to flush the system as you're doing, run the plumbing for about 10 minutes, then *remove* the pressure switch and clean it and the feed tube thoroughly. My pressure switch picked up all kinds of crap after changing the manifold and stuck shut several days after I finished changing the manifold. The safety blowoff pressure valve let go (to protect the pipes) but flooded my basement. Make sure to clean the pressure switch and the stand pipe folks.
Hello GalaXy808;
I am sure you would get along just fine!
You are more then welcome!
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Hello 71dembones;
Thanks very much for the kind words!
I am a union guy for sure! It makes change outs and repairs a whole lot easier!
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Excellent videos...( all 4 ) Thank You
Ron Syph
Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated!
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Hello Anthony;
You can take pex and work it to the point where it is reasonably straight. It does take practice for vertical installs, but with a little patients anyone can install it in the same manner!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello sjdunham;
When coming through a slab, it is best to add some kind of sleeve regardless to prevent the pipes from being damaged at floor level. I do on all in floor installations.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
One thing I should point out regarding the PEX crimp rings... I was told this by the refrigeration mechanic I was working for... since metal has a plasticity (transition from elastic behavior to plastic behavior is called yield) range, it is a good practice to hold the crimp tool on the ring for about 4 seconds to overcome that threshold. That way, in plain English, the ring will not "decompress" after you release the force.
Hello GalaXy808;
I think you should be able to tackle it. Just a matter of taking your time and you should be all set. I am a big fan of using teflon and pipe dope on the threads of the tank. Almost assured of a tight joint then.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Hello Andrew;
There are many different codes when it comes to pex. I know on all GAS and OIL fired water heaters; the distance is 3 feet. Al depends on what corner of the world you live. ELECTRIC boilers in this neck of the woods allow pex directly in and out of the boiler.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
Hi theoldkid888, What a GREAT tutorial!!. We DIY'rs really appreciate the professionals who take the time to produce these. It takes a lot of your valuable time, but really helps us out. One question, My home is a hybrid, copper and CPVC/ABS/PVC. I cannot replace all the plastic. Is there a PEX fitting to join the two(PEX to Plastic)? Or should I go PEX to copper to PVC? Thank you.
Hello Alexis;
You can mark them with a sharpie if you like, but every line does not have an individual shut-off so you would have to turn off the valve on the tank itself.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Yes indeed, I am confident that I can repipe my house using pex instead of copper, I'll come off of the main with 3/4 to the water heater, tee off to the bathroom then the kitchen and laundry in a single day with about 50ft.of 3/4 and 50 ft.of 1/2 for under $500. including the fittings and the tools(crimpers), I'll do the hot another day. thanks for the vids.
Hello MiserableOldFart;
Having the manifold level is strictly for looks.My motto is ...Do it nice or do it twice.... Having your work square just makes the job look more professional. It does no have to be run on an angle.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
thanks for sharing video
Hello steele829;
You are more then welcome!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Hello Kevlar077;
I did mention this pretaining to oil fired or gas water heaters because of the smoke pipe. I would come off these tanks with copper 36 inches from the top of the tank to the pex. Electric is totally different and safety is not an issue when it comes to pex directly off the tank.
I hope this answered your questions!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
hi there thats fantastic video.ratch
+Ratch Riat
Thanks Ratch!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
awesome. thanks!
Hello Nathan,
You're welcome!
Hopefully it helps with any future projects!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello PlausableApple4;
I would say that pex does not hold heat any better then copper or cpvc. Big thing is insulation! Pex like nay other pipe needs to be insulated to hold heat for any considerable amount of time!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
Thanks again.
+Mark Aspery
You are more than welcome!
Enjoy your week! Al
I like watching your vids Al. Thanks for taking the time to make them & sharing. Thumbs up
The part where you did the manifold or heade, I always like that idea rather then doing the pipes in a series. However im not sure what the benefit is. I just know it makes more sense to do it the way u did. I was wondering, does using the header & making a parallel system eliminate the problem some homeowners get when taking a shower & getting a blast of cold water when some1 uses the hot water elsewhere?
I apologized, I laughed a bit when you dropped the screw when putting the first clamp in... That's exactly what I say... Of Course...
Hello jrainmaker19;
No problem...Glad you had a laugh!
Only when the camera is running. Never fails!
Thanks for commenting and best of luck in the New Year! Al
Another excellent video Al. Two 👍👍’s up!. Is the Viega system used with PEX-A or PEX.B?
And what was the brand/model of the clamps you used on the manifold? I missed that in the video.
Thanks Al
Ron
Hello Ron,
You're welcome!
The Viega system is a manufacturer of Pex B, but the crimping system can be used with either Pex A or B. Pex A systems cannot be used on Pex B pipe as it requires expansion where Pex B pipe is all crimping. Hope that is not confusing. to you.
I have used a number of different clamps over the years on pex. J clamps are the most commonly used where a nail is driven into the wood to hlod the pipe in place. I have also used plastic strap clamps that require two screws to hold it in place and the pipe simply slides through.
The clamps used on the video I call adjustable PPR clamps. Ideal for places where you want the pipe locked into place.I don't believe I mentioned that in the video. My apologize for that.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the kind words and enjoy your day! Al
Thanks for another great video! However seems again you have installed many more lines/fitting/bends with the manifold system. The manifold looks nice, but why wouldn't you run one 3/4" pex from the water heater then T-off when you need to go to a fixture? You only show about 5 feet of the four lines off the manifold, hopefully they don't go too further together....
Great idea on home made manifold! The manifold you made, is it 3/4" pex/fittings? And of course 3/4" to the H2O heater?
I too have an electric H2O heater and wondered about the 36" requirement.
Thanks
Hey rich b about re piping your house cause of bad pressure do not do no do that u will be wasting your time and money go directly to the source the water main or water supply line from curb to your house just might be an old gal. Line or old 3/4 copper line that if not grounded or just aged right might have built up crap inside so if u need better pressure to your house upgrade side of water main pipe or sometime there r restrictors in shower heads u can pull them out the head and re install hope this was a help i might have missed a few things if so ill state more at a later time good job tho fellas and never try to be hulk on brass when tightening cause it cracks easy if u t-tape and dope 1/2 and 3/4 and any pipe for that matter than should be fine
Hello Lenny;
Thanks for the tips!
Checking at the main coming in a good first start. No doubt about it. Over the years; many lines and fittings have a tendency to plug up.
Not all homeowners live in municipalities. Many have wells. The source is where you have to start at regardless.
Easy on the brass!
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
thanks for the great vid. I did have one question. I thought you couldn't directly connect pex to a hot water heater, i thought it was needed to be 30" away.
Dick Tracey 18” away and its only 30 dollars for stainless steel hookups
Hey dog;
I hope this has answered any questions you may have and the ones you asked.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello shparker;
Definitely not!
Don't take this as a quote, but you should have at least three feet of copper going into and out of a gas heater. Running pex directly into a gas heater is DEFINITELY NOT allowed!
Thanks for commenting and have a good week! Al
Hello, I made an outdoor spigot out of a 10" piece of copper pipe(1/2"), a copper-to-pex adapter, a ball valve(brass?) & a floor flange(iron?). Works great & the floor flange really holds everything in place. My only concerns are corrosion between the flange (iron?) and the ball valve (brass?). They were both threaded & simply screw together ..no water will be exposed to the two, other than outside rain. What's your opinion? UA-cam Video, search for: outdoor spigot - ball valve /w floor flange
Question. I heard in another video that you had to come out of the water heater a certain distance with copper first before you start the pex. (36"?) Something about the heat of the water heater possibly melting the pex. Thoughts?
I'm new at this and don't mean any disrespect. My Rheem water heater requires a Heat Trap on both the cold and hot water lines. Basically, the pipes need to turn down for at least 6 inches before turning back up. My guess is that heat rises naturally up both pipes, so the pipes act like a radiator. If the pipes turn down after the tank, then the heat is trapped or at least slows down. Now, with the low thermal conductivity of plastic pipes, maybe it's not as important.
Hello Nicholas,
I have heard of a trap such as this many years ago and it makes sense to me.
The heat is definitely going to rise naturally the way that most tanks are piped.
Will have to check into it in the future.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
great video. one question, i have city water ,under my mobile home and am going to connect to pex must i have a tee or two tees one to a cold water and one going to hot water tank im a newby to pex. thanks agian.
Hello Roger,
You are coming off your main with a tee. The branch of the tee will go to either the tank and the other end will be the main for the cold water. You will need tees along the way for all the faucets, but one tee will come off your main and supply your tank.
So you will have to figure out how many tees are required to pipe the mobile home. If you take a pen and paper; you can easily figure this out. Start with the main coming in and add your tees as needed.
This should help.
Thanks for commenting and good luck with the project! Al
I've seen Pex manifolds with a shutoff for each outlet. Is there a reason to have them or not? I've also seen shut off on the outlet of water heaters, is there any benefit there? Thanks for the great videos, again...
I always put a thermal loop on the hot water pipe coming off the top of the WH. It slows down heat loss. That was before tankless water heaters were popular. Now, I can't imagine why a person would install a tank water heater. (Unless they only have the option of electric and can't afford a service upgrade). Tank water heaters are good for in floor heating though.
Hello dave,
Thermal loops help for sure.
We only have the option of electric and oil in this neck of the woods. No natural gas.
Installed a few tankless and ran into a problem with mineral that affected the flow switch. Many wells in this region.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
thanks for the clarification on the PEX directly off the WH and needing to use copper on a gas one. I saw somewhere when looking into pex that it said you always had to run 18" of copper directly off of the WH but did not specify why or that you only need to do that with gas ones. I assumed it had something to do with the heat of the water coming directly out of the WH, as opposed to the flammability of the PEX.
I do have one question about the header/manifold you built. usually the ones i see have a shut off valve directly off each run and the entire header is a loop to supply constant water pressure on both sides of the header, but yours has neither, why is that?
Hello Chad,
I use pex directly off an electric water heater, but on gas and oil you need copper. I generally take it to the floor joist as it easier to anchor and makes a neat job.
You are not allowed by code to have shut off valves on the output of the heater. A shut off should only be installed on the cold side.
If for some reason the valves were shut off, the boiler would build pressure and hopefully the relief valve would blow off and you don't want that as they sometimes do not reset properly.
I have 3/4 pipe feeding the boiler and the outlet is 3/4 feeding each 1/2" branch. I am not certain of the loop you mentioned, but the header is to supply a constant water pressure.
Thanks for comenting and get back to me when you get a chance....Al
Hello, Mr. Al! You wouldn't happen to have a brand name for those nifty clamps? I would sure like to keep some of those in my tool box. BTW your DIY videos are the cat's tush. :)
Hello mccord fontenot,
Thanks!
Probably my favorite saying! No idea where I got it from...LOL!
They are called SMC clamps. Super Mounting clamps. Schedule 80 PVC.
Some people call them snap clamps...
There are a few different manufacturers. Excellent product.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Thanks for information. I appreciate it.
mccord fontenot
You are more than welcome!
Enjoy your week! Al
I love the look of that install. Im doing something similar in my house. So you can run pex straight to the water heater without 18 inch rigid lead off?
Hello Albion;
Thanks for the kind words!
With the Viega system; the manufacturer allows the pipe to be installed directly into the top of an ELECTRIC tank. When it is an OIL or GAS fired water heaters that changes. Rigid pipe such as copper (non flammable) has to be used and most codes state at least 18" above the tank. To be on the safe side; I recommend going up to the floor joists and adding your pex to the copper at that elevation and it looks neater. All manufacturers have their own regulations for these such tanks, but I believe the codes recommend solid piping off oil and gas fired water heaters.
Thanks for commenting and I hope this answers your question.
Best of luck on your project! Al
TheOldkid888
Thanks for the reply. Directly above my gas fired water tank is hvac ducting. I've been puzzling on how I am going to do 18" and not make it look like a hack job. I saw your video and there was a glimmer of hope of just running pex.
Hello Albion;
Maybe it could be possible to mount a header on the wall and pipe the tank over to it. You do not have to come straight up with the lines when you are running them. I am sure you will be able to figure it out.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Hello great videos. Very clear and informative. I have a few questions. I am thinking about replumbing my house with pex and I live in Texas where we have very cold winters sometime. Will the pex tubing stand the cold temperatures if I use it under my house? Or even better can it be used under the house? And I am subscribing. Thanks for the great videos.
Hello Paul;
You are more then welcome!
First off; most pex pipe can actually freeze and thaw and be used with no issues. I would imagine where you are running them; they will be in an enclosed space. Most crawl spaces such as trailers and older homes are all boxed in so the extreme cold temperatures don't get to the piping if sealed off having no drafts.
Pex pipe is used in many bungalows in this region and people simply drain as much water as they can out of the lines and simply walk away. The biggest problem with pex is UV damage...so it would be advised that if you are installing pex and there is an area where the sun could possibly shine on the product for a good portion of the day; it is best to insulate it to prevent the UV from damaging the pipe...I have seen this happen over time and the pipe have numerous cracks in it.
Thanks for subbing and commenting and enjoy your week! Al
I also enjoyed the videos 1-4 on home installation. You have talked about water heaters, but not mentioned tankless ones (I don't think). What if any issues need to be addressed with PEX use?
Hello Denise;
I am glad you enjoyed the series.
As far as tankless heaters go; I do not have a lot of experience with them, but I would run copper to and from the unit up to the ceiling.
They work on demand and the temp can go up quite quickly; so to be on the safe side; I would recommend copper to the floor joists and add your pex from there.
Just my 2 cents. It would be good to check your local code to be on the safe side.
Copper also gives that nice straight look that is appealing to most tradesman and homeowners if installed properly.
Thanks for commenting and let me know if there are any other things you would like to see! Al
(: k I gonna do it next time then, thanks for making me strong
is it ok to run pex on top of a gas water heater close to the exhaust vent that gets hot?
Sir . Is this Pex thing superior to copper or PVC ?
cool, just what i was looking for..... on electric water heater pex plumbing install was just wondering how close to the water heater i could run the plastic pex pipe. i see you bring the pex pipe right-up to the water heater fittings w/o lead-off metal pipes to space the pex pipe farther away from the water heater. ok... thx!
Hello Martina Dejaquiz,
With Viega pipe the manufacturer states that on electric water heaters ONLY you are allowed to come directly off the top of the tank.I have seen Rehau and Wirsbo used directly off the top as well. If you check your pex manufacturer it should state how it can be used.
For gas and oil heaters you MUST lead off with a metal pipe and the length depends on the code in your area. 18 inches is the minimum I believe. I generally run the copper to the floor joists and go with pex from there.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
I just ran 3/4" from main to water heater, and then 3/4" to under my
bathroom about 20' away from the tank. I then went up 2 feet to the sink
in 1/2", and it's taking 48 seconds to come out hot!! I'm thinking of
changing it all to 1/2" now....
How is your time doing on the second floor?!
Hello Mateo,
I made a video on why a header will save money over time. I had a lot of people with negative comments about it.
By running 1/2" pipe rather than 3/4 reduces your volume by half therefore saving a lot of money over time just in hot water and getting the water to your bathroom in half the time. It would be different if the pipe was feeding something that required a large volume and was going to have hot water in it all the time, but as you know once it is shut off it cools down and has to be reheated.
I would change it myself if I were you. Install a header or few tees with a branches feeding different fixtures. Running a 1/2" hot water line to the bathroom is suffice as generally there is only one person in there at a time.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
I have a similar problem. In South Florida, the attics get really hot, so your attic is basically a solar water heater. If I want a drink of cold water, I have to wait for all the hot water to pass.
Although some people suggest to up the size of your pipe if your switching from copper to pex because pex has a smaller ID, I decided to stay with the same size pipe because my flow velocities will be ok and I don't want to wait longer for cold water.
Hello Nicholas,
A lot depends on water pressure coming into the house. If the pressure is good coming in then you won't see any difference in pressure at the faucet. Many faucets have energy saving aerators on them that only allow a certain amount of water to flow through.
Some pex such as Rehau and Wirsbo have larger inside diameters than others. So it will depend on what pex you run.
The speedway supplies that feed faucets are feed with 3/8th supplies that have 1/4 inside diameters so I really see no need of upsizing the piping myself.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hello Al. Just realized what your name was :)
I'm sure you've heard people say, "but the real benefit of pex is fewer fittings". So, I gotta ask, why didn't you use bend supports instead of elbow fittings. Better yet, why not go directly from the water heater to the header with one pex line swung out wide... straight into the first tee of your header...with no fittings or bend supports.
I'm guessing you were going for something more rigid and attractive since it will be in an accessible and visible area.
By tightening the fittings under the union in that manner you risk the chance of gaulding the surface of the seat in the fitting and causing it to leak.
+Roger Deaver
I have been tightening them in this fashion for years with no issues.
Always willing to learn though. What exactly is gaulding?
Get back to me when you get a chance...Al
my bathrooms are back to back so could I run one hot line to the kitchen and tee it off with a line to the sink then a line going to the bathrooms and then split them off for each faucet and shower? Do I need some kind of manifold system so there are no drops in pressure?
+Fat Harold
You can do that, but you may want to take two lines directly from the tank. Drop of pressure is most noticeable when getting a shower as other fixtures are turned on the water temperature will change either to hot or cold; so taking separate lines to each fixture will help this from happening.
If your faucets are posi-temp then you can do exactly what you said although there will be a drop in pressure you will not see a difference in temperature.
I would at least run a separate line to the sink and one to the bathrooms. If both bathrooms are used a lot at the same time; I would also run one to each bathroom. If not, I would just run one and tee off to the fixtures.
So a good run would be one to the sink and one to each bathroom. I prefer running one 3/4 cold and branching off myself, but everyone has their own thoughts on that. This is just the way I do it and it works for me.
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
attn: You are suppoded to have at least 12" of copper pipe on top of water heater, hot , and , cold sides both before transitioning to any cpvc, pex, or whatever type of plastic piping due to heat from tank i believe, its code for Indiana anyways !
Hello Peter,
If you read the manufacturer's specifications about installing this product on electric water heaters; they state that it can be used directly in and out of the tank. This is on electric heaters ONLY.
When installing it on oil or gas heaters; that depends on code as you stated. They are different in all areas, but most have a minimum of 18 inches I believe. I go to the floor joists with copper whenever I attach them to oil or gas heaters and then go to pex.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
I seen another video stated: Pex needed to start 36" away from hot water heater. What is your thoughts about distance from hot water heater? I see you ran right to it. Thank you for your time and response in advance.
Hello 455supreme;
When installing Viega pex you can run it directly off of the top of an ELECTRIC hot water tank. Whenever installing it off of an OIL fired or GAS fired hot water heater; you must be at least 36" from the top of the boiler.
Thanks for commenting and I hope this answers your question! Al
What brand are of PEX and fittings? I've seen the rings and clamps. Curious if those are local.
Hello Dario,
The fittings and pex pipe used in this video are both Viega.
They are not generally found in the big box stores.
I purchase them at the wholesalers myself.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Next time you don't have to remove the handle. Just turn the crescent wrench around for one turn.
I thought PEX had to be at least 12 inches away from the hot water inlet?
Hello Noan YoBiseniss,
The pipe I used in this video is Viega and the tank is electric. Viega states that their pipe can come directly off the top of electric tanks. A number of manufacturers state this as well. All pex connections to oil and gas water heaters have to be at least 18 inches from the top of the tank and at least 6 inches from the exhaust vent. I generally take copper off the top of the tank on a gas and oil heater up to the floor joists and run pex from there.
You also have to keep it away from the smoke pipe so that is the reason I run it to the floor joists or ceiling.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Does pec pipe hold heat better than copper or CPVC?
Good job and it looks good to me but they say your supposed to have like 18” of metal off the water heaters cold &hot water connectors before you go to péx but I’ve seen others use pex as you did even had it even closer without a valve they went pex right to the male nipple on the tank seems fine to me but I’m getting ready to change my tank and I keep seeing that ya need 18” of metal before u go to pex well what about cpvc?
Hello Todd,
Thanks!
The Viega system can be used directly off the top of an electric water heater only as stated by the manufacturer.
If this was an oil or gas fired boiler a piece of copper or other metal pipe has to come off the top of the boiler on both the cold and hot.
I generally run copper to the joists and go from there with pex if it is an oil or gas heater.
I am not certain about CPVC to be honest with you. To play it safe I would go with copper and then pex myself.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
TheOldkid888 yes all your input helped I used blue ,red &white pex and cpvc and all shark bite compression fittings and believe me I wasn’t to crazy about the idea of using shark bites (being a retired municipal water dept. worker) but I used a bunch of them female to pex male to pex ,90’s , couplers and a slip ball valve and to my surprise not one leak I’m just hoping the pex can handle the heat it’s rated at 180 so it should good I hope.