How to Connect PEX to Copper Plumbing Pipes
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- It’s pretty common in your plumbing career to run into situations where you’ll have to connect copper to PEX. It’s pretty common on reroutes, a lot of new construction is using PEX now. But there are times when you’ll have to connect it to copper. In this video I’ll show you how to do that!
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Thanks for watching! I'm Roger Wakefield, LEED AP, The Expert Plumber and welcome to my channel. On this channel I teach homeowners how to save money on their plumbing by doing DIY plumbing projects. I also teach plumbers and plumbing company owners how to be the best plumbers in their area and run successful plumbing businesses. My goal is teach you everything you need to know about plumbing.
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Roger, I love that you started with safety. So many content creators just skip right through it. Emphasis on safety are hallmarks of the real deal. Never work in a place that doesn't put safety first.
I don't have an interest in plumbing, but recently I have been addicted to these videos. I'm only 15 and plan to be a pilot for the USAF.
I hope u accomplish ur goals young man!💪🏾💪🏾💯
Good luck, I just retired from the AF after 28 years! Also... pilots also have plumbing problems, dripping sinks, clogged toilets, usually over the holidays or while they’re deployed and have to explain things to their wife that’s at home with the kids. So watch and learn as many of these videos as you can. You ALWAYS want to empower YOURSELF and this knowledge is definitely power.
Roger, great videos. I'm currently a plumber in the US Air Force (yes, the Air Force has plumbers!) and I'm about to retire after 20 years of service. I just got a job at a local plumbing business. Where I've done just about everything from fixing 10 inch water mains 10 feet deep in the ground, to installing faucets in bathroom, I feel there might be a little bit of a disconnect between the military world and the civilian world in terms of the job. Watching your videos gives me some insight into that new world I'm about to enter. Thanks for the great content!
Now you're a real plumber instead of AF CE.
@@JB-jk3ow lol, hey now!
That ‘s a lot of experience 20 years. Thank you for your service. Would you ever consider sharing a day in the life of a plumber in the military? The interviews are quick no more than 10 minutes.
@@zeppelin5000 haha I may know a thing or two about your AFSC and the Big Blue 👍2A...
I am glad to help. Thank you for your service. I have a nephew that's a pilot in the USAF. I wish their was a way to work with the military and help get people ready for an amazing civilian life. Plumbing is great work!
Huge fan of Uponor/Wirsbo pipe system. Recently invested in an expansion tool. Have had a Nibco crimp tool for years. I like that crimp method above all other brands on the market, mainly because it's dummy proof. No guessing on where the ring has to be centered. But as a service plumber , it's necessary to have a crimp tool for repairs on type b, and I have expansion for new installs. I have switched to male to female adapters when transitioning from copper to pex. Our company has had a lot of issues with the brass adapters not soldering properly. They seem to overheat quickly.
Uponor pipping can be used both for Uponor fittings and pex fittings. I have installed both Uponor and pex in my years as a licensed plumber. Copper is still to me superior over any other water system altho here on the gulf coast or any salt water body I recommend going to Pex or Uponor. Avoid sunlight as much as possible on both. They do have UV rays protectant on the materials but like anything after awhile it'll wear out. Not a fan of CPVC in a house. Sure the I.D. is bigger than pex but it is the most fragile vs the other pipping. Can't take a freeze for nothing. Copper can't much either but it is tougher. Love the vids thank you
For PEX, I use PEX-A exclusively. I've used it for both potable water and hydronic heating applications. I have used PEX-A with crimp rings to temporarily attach plugs (as they're easier to remove and reuse the plugs than trying to remove an expansion collar). PEX-A is rated for either expansion or crimp (obviously expansion has benefits but if you had a crimp style fixture [like a laundry box] you can still crimp it).
Hey there roger, watching your videos really made me enjoy my love for plumbing, I just started working at a great plumbing company in bryan tx, so wish me luck on my plumbing journey!
Hello Bryan,TX!
Here in Ontario, Canada, plumbing apprentices start out working in 'internships'. They work for free, with zero pay, for up to 3 years for the plumbing company. After 3 years the 'intern' hopes to get hired, but the companies usually just hire another 'intern' for another few years.
Uponor (Pex A) in my opinion is the better pipe. You get better water flow through it.
Sharkbite (Pex B) is still good. I like it better than cpvc. But at each fitting you get water restriction. 1/2" pipe is 3/8" water flow at each fitting, same on 3/4" is 1/2" water flow at each fitting.
Thanks Roger! Please do a video on CPVC vs PEX.
Why? Cpvc is garbage
I really wish you were around when I started plumbing. Definitely would have smoothed out my learning curve with basic skills. Amazing videos and fun to watch. Thank you for taking the time.
I always slightly squeeze the crimp ring with pliers to keep it from slipping while using the crimp tool
Pro crimp rings have a plastic "cap" that prevents the the ring from sliding. Lifesaver for crimping
We ripped out all of the corroded galvanized steel and pitted copper from our home. I used upsized Sharkbite Pex B (Lowes) and steel crimps. I also used the Ryobi P660 (direct tools $70 black friday) crimper for everything. It made the project faster and one tool crimps everything. In fact the only real elbow grease applied was when I was cutting out the old pipe.
Pex a UPONOR in my house except mechanical plumbing at solar and geothermal tanks. No leaks or breaks or issues in 12 years now. I installed copper distribution manifolds and valves, but the manifolds are horizontal and face down into the pupes. This causes sediment to settle downwards and a rarely used pipe water will sometimes be discolored. So I would change the design a tad next time. Otherwise great.
I've seen and repaired far too many bad crimp joints to feel at all comfortable using it myself. Copper is my go to method, something spiritual about sweating clean joints. That said, I've got my trusty Milwaukee expansion tool and uponer ready to go if copper is not feasible. I think uponer is genius. Especially for situations where freezing is a concern.
Also good when the water chemistry is evil. Copper isn't what it was 20 years ago or so. Now it is imported, and quality is not the same, unfortunately.
@@elbuggo Roger that. I use Uponer for well systems.
There is a class action lawsuit against the developer in a local town. All of the copper plumbing in a newer development are developing pinhole leaks.
Lately we've been using PE-RT at our shop. It's a little stiffer than PEX, but it is supposed to be stronger, especially with hot water. We use copper crimp rings.
Thanks uncle Roger ! Your videos are really helping me through my apprenticeship
I like to crimp rings for New York, I am a boiler guy and if the boiler goes down for any reason, freezing is a possibility anywhere.
You explain it well. Texas and Florida few freeze days but does happen. Why not be protected. Great content.
Best way to run pex. Throw it in the trash. Copper is proper. 30 years and counting running healthy copper water, drain, HHW and chill water and med gas. Soldering and brazing are dying art forms. We need more young people to learn this awesome skill!
Mr Brilliant..they don't run copper in new houses anymore..do you know what year this is:? lol
I wanted to add one more comment. I'm not an expert plumber by any means, but I have done some contracting and hired a few here and there. One thing I also prefer about the pex A over B is that you can visually look to see that the job was completed. If the ring is on the pipe and it is snugged up on the fitting, it's done. As for pex b, there is a possibility they forgot to crimp a ring, or did not use the go-no go gage you showed to test their crimp (I never have seen one used on the jobsite). So it would be possible to have the drywall all on and painted before you figure out there is a sudden and massive leak behind the wall.
And it's easy to say (plumbers fault), but they aren't the only one that has to deal with the mess, and likely aren't going to be every completely liable for the error. If nothing else lost time on the job and heartache.
I so like pex A in fact i would gladly prefer this over copper any day. I do NOT like the plastic fittings that uponor sells though, I would spend money on the brass ones. There is a lot of banter out there on that one, though, as the facts seem to indicate the plastic ones do not break and are highly reliable. Somebody correct me with a differing opinion if you have heard otherwise.
Roger, I’m only a first year, but I work in new construction and we definitely crimp type A. We do it for every shower valve and we do it for fixes in tight spaces, when we don’t want a 1in sleeve to slip behind Sheetrock, for example. I’ve been told using crimp on pex a voids the warranty, so I guess the company I work for just counts on insurance?
Roger another great video you rock. Thanks
Good luck getting that sharkbite crimping tool in a tight spot.
A lot of people are buying the combination crimp ring tool that does both 1/2" and 3/4" to save buying two tools or a tool with interchangeable heads. The 1/2" crimp section is out front and bad enough to get into tight spaces, but the 3/4" crimp section is further down the tool and almost impossible to get into fifty percent of locations.
I use pro press to pex adapters. I prefer viega pex and uponor. I do slab leak re-routes with uponor and pro press adapters.
Hella faster
Uponor, is the best way to go. It pretty much copies R W Lyall's LycoFit couplings design for polyethylene gas tubing ( pipe). Instead of an expansion tool, it uses the actual coupling as an expansion device and uses a mechanical or hydraulic press tool to insert the coupling. We've been using them for decades in the gas industry with no problems ( in my opinion there is nothing better on the market to connect 1/2" to 2" polyethylene gas tubing).
where do you purchase and how much should i expect to pay
@@jeffjacobs8682 , if you're talking about the lycofit fittings, you should call RW Lyall in New Berlin ,
Wisconsin ( you might be on hold a while, they're understaffed). I believe Ferguson Plumbing has a limited supply of their materials. You probably should watch some of their CZcams videos to familiarize yourself with their products. As far as pricing I would not have a clue ( I worked for the seventh largest gas utility in the country and we bought the stuff by the tractor trailer full).
Uponor stuff , all the plumbing supply houses sell Uponor.
As a maintenance worker/head of maintenance i have only ever used shark-bite as an emergency tool, for something at 2 in the morning that i can fix tomorrow/ later in the day or that allows for a temp fix.
Now I prefer uponor (wirsbo) PEX A pipe over PEX B because it's much easier to un coil I use it with both fittings uponor and pex b fittings but I use viega stainless steel crimp sleeves instead of copper rings or stainless steel clamp rings. But that's what I prefer because my Milwaukee M12 jaw are for viega sleeves and I have Milwaukee propex M12 expansion tool as well.
Definitely use latex gloves so if you burn yourself on accident the melted rubber instantly melts and seals your wound
Excellent idea
It's for flux, not solder. That will fly through any thin glove.
Just curious, does the sharkbite crimp tool open big enough to come off the pipe sideways? Otherwise how the heck would you get in off if both ends were connected 20' away and through the top plate of a wall? Anyway, we use PEX A exclusively and the local supply houses don't carry anything for B. B is considered to be DIY home depot stuff in by the pros around here.
I personally use pex b. I have also used pex a pipe with pex b fittings. The only reason I prefer pex b is because I can retrofit from the old PB plumbing. Nibco makes a lot of Polybutylene fittings for use with pex b.
Thanks Roger, your videos are amazing! I did a search on what is the most reliable plumbing method. As a real estate agent, it is my responsibility to become an expert on all building systems. Then i came across your videos and just cant stop watching them!! Having said that, i had a listing in a multifamily building with 1 inch pex leak at the joint & the building is 16 years old.
---- Question!!------
What is the most reliable plumbing method in a new house? I do like the Uponor pex a system, have seen many issues with pex B leaks at the joints, copper, over time pinhole leaks, but nothing catastrophic, and the propress system. What about using type k and braise for the utility room and using a large diameter home run system with a hot water return line? Roger or plumbers, Please comment!!
I really think uponor PEX Type A will be what we all use for new builds in the future. I like copper but price and labor cost will always win out.
i use zurn now uponor had to many failures with the expansion ring sliding down pipe as you would expand it, I have used pex b, also had to many failures of all different crimp rings. good video!!
I'm sure the uponor rings sliding down was before they added the shoulder stop. I've never had a problem with the ring sliding down pipe.. pretty much impossible with the improved rings in my opinion.
Love your videos been watching them for a while hi from Wisconsin I have family in Austin texas copper to pex b I usually use aqua flush which is similar to shark bite
where do you purchase your uponor?
Another great video thanks Roger!
I would prefer to use the manual tools for both crimp and uponor.
I seen both of this leak later down the road. Electrical tools need to be service/ calibrated..the milwaukee tool needs to be greased it sometimes gets stuck and doesn't rotate.
I do use viega fittings for both pex A and B for repairs and they work great for me.
I’ve used battery expansion tool for 14 years and putting grease once in a while isn’t hard. Try getting the manual one in a tight spot and expanding, good luck?
@@joem5332
Yes, you right i would use the m12 on a tight spot,but I'm in the new construction plumbing business.
This type of leaks are rare ,but they do happen.
Which blow torch system are you using there in the USA, that looks alot more stable and hotter than the hand held mapp gas systems we have here in the UK,, hand held canister torches seem to waste too much gas before you can turn the torch upside down as the thermocouple needs to be at temperature, if not it becomes a flame thrower and I watched another of your videos and you certainly don't want to flame throw if you have removed bricks to a cavity like you did,, great video ❤️👍and I hope the USA gets back to being the USA soon and us here in the UK,, the world may have gone mad but you'll always need a plumber unless you want to get typhoid eventually 😉👍❤️
Acetylene/Air. We use turbo torches fed with Acetylene 'B' bottles.
Great video , thank you !!!
Thank you
Welcome!
We use pex a all the time. I also solder alot, seems like i sweat joints more often actually
Which do you prefer?
Work for piper mech. In vancouver wa. Im still a first year apprentice, was a framer for 5 yrs before. I personally enjoy soldering but im still new to plumbing to really know which i like better. Thx for the reply i watch youre vids all the time
Well good luck on your Journey! Never stop learning and thanks for watching 💪
Yo Roger! Your a beast! Keep up the great work! Hope your well and having a wonderful day brother!
Lol came from the I hate shark bite video to this like wait did he say I love shark bite 😂
Yea exactly
Zurn has an expandable pex b now I think.
Love your videos!
Pretty much every manufacturer of PEX-b is expansion certified at this point (F1960)
not a plumber one bit I’m actually a welder and I hate plumbing but this dude makes some damn good videos 😂
You got my "like" when you said you like to line up your letters of your pipe!
It's a good practice to face all the identification lettering out where it can easily been seen by the inspector. They do appreciate it, if they don't have to use an inspection mirror to see the pipe codes.
Ive also seen uponor leak only on air test never seen pex type A leak water but my company only does air test because water test will freeze in the middle of winter
Upinor is the name brand of pex . They are both pex . Type a is much better than type b pex. The inside diameter of upinor fittings is closer to the actual size of the pipe . Type b pex is almost a size smaller. If type b crimp rings have any strain against them they can and have broken and or leaked.
No corrode? I had thought you knew good flux when I saw the c-flux in another video but I guess not. They make pex x pro press fittings now which are wonderful.
I know I'm just a "handyman" but I've been replacing old nasty copper/brass pipes and iron fittings that old plumbers used with the almighty pex for nearly 10 years. How do you feel about sharkbite push fittings? Some people stand by them, some not so much?
Great Video 👍
I would not trust the shark bite o-rings under pressure for a long duration of time.
I would also NOT sweat fittings together while wearing latex/neoprene gloves.
I crimp A without issue. Expanding B has given me issues.
You get a higher volume of water flow with A. Especially with 90* elbows in the line. Also, you can make a tighter bend with type A without kinking the one. If B kinks, cut the kink out or you will have problems.
What are you using to hold the pipe horizontally? Thanks for the video
when running all pex. should i T junction off or use a manfold to distribute from the water heater? its a small house, single kitchen, single bath. would have 5 hots and 7 colds
I have a Riobel pex shower valve. The tub spout is for 1/2 inch copper pipe. A plumber friend of mine said I need to run 2 inches of pex out of the valve then put a pex to copper adapter and run copper to the tub (drop ear to tub). My question, does it matter if I do 2 inches of pex, or could I go longer down to the tub with pex and a little copper before the drop ear. Will one be better for water pressure? Does it matter? Love your channel. DIYer.
How about a torch review video. I am looking for a good all around torch for doing soldering and possibly brazing. I bought one of those map/02 torch from home depot. Its a piece a shit, it burns through the 02 in a matter of minutes. It would be nice to have some sort of map gas torch that gets hot enough for brazing. A turbo torch of some type? You tell me
Is there a video that shows how to connect CPVC to PEX?
Roger..your thoughts on the Uponor colored PEX failures and the company taking it off the market.
He likes Sharkbite now or just this Sharkbite set up? I've watched several videos where he said Sharkbite is for emergency/temporary situations.
It'd be cool if you used Viega brand pex-b instead of the standard ring brands
Hello, thanks for your videos. They have been very informative. I am totally new to anything to do with plumbing but I love to learn. I would like to build my own RV in a few years. Is it possible to use Pex A for all the pipes? ( kitchen/ tub/ toilet)
Yes.
I have a question. I am having a home built in Ohio and the plumber is using pex pipe as the 2x4 that goes in between the studs to hold the copper transition between the pex and copper. Visualize a 14.5" pex pipe screwed horizontally between the studs and the copper transition is screwed to that. Is this common now instead of installing a 2x4 between the studs to attach the copper transition for a faucet. To me if I was doing the job I would use a 2x4 is there any thing against codes to use pex pipe in replacement of a 2x4 or am I just being too picky?
Where do you get your gloves love the color
Serious question....how do you replace real world piping with that rachet tool if you have to pull it up and over an unconnected end or it can't come off?
I have a different brand tool; it opens wide enough to come off the side. His probably does also.
Could someone replace their entire copper setting for pex or do we still need copper in some places?
I believe you can run pex all the way from water meter to inside house, so only metal you would need that I can think of is possibly shower head/tub spout and outside water faucets
I prefer the stainless steel pinch rings
Can I use pen underground?
yes pex can be used underground. Like all water lines, check to make sure you've got the water line deep enough for your area to avoid freezing.
are these the only 2 pex systems you guys in america have?
I'm trying to get my boss to use more pex-A and pro press for some boiler installs
So “ should “ is the key word.
Am I going crazy or did roger really say “I love sharkbites”?! 😂😂
I said that? 😅
@@RogerWakefield0:12 I literally couldn't believe my ears, I had to listen to it a few times 🤣
Roger Wakefield... so you're saying not to just slide the Uponor/Pex-A onto the copper pipe and only use the expansion ring like plumber did in my house? 😂
What is the tool he is using to expand the pex A?
$400 Milwaukee.
I use Amazon shark bites I had great luck with them longevity who know how long from copper to pex
Is PEX code in Pennsylvania?
they now make a pro press to pex adapter that is very convenient if you use pro press!
yeah, your tool is cool, but how much does your umpemoor tool cost?
In Canada the basic Uponor expansion tool, made by Milwaulkee, sells for $650.00 Only a professional plumber is going to make that type of investment. DIY'ers are pretty much restricted to the crimp ring or clamp rings.
@@chrisgraham2904 or spend 100 bucks and get the manual expander tool. Or I think the Milwaukee m12 version is about $250?
I send this warning/challenge to everybody I see working with open flame while they're wearing rubber gloves. Take off the gloves before lightning the torch. I was working on my car burning out a suspension bushing. As I watched the flaming rubber sputter and boil I looked at my hands and realized that the gloves I was wearing were made of a similar material. So I took the gloves off, set them next in the gravel, and turned the torch on them. Instant tire fire! Do you want that to happen to your hands? I'm going to guess the answer is no. Don't wear rubber or nitrile gloves while doing hot work. You're probably causing a problem that's worse than the one you're trying to prevent.
Pex b, reduces water pressure
Not pressure , volume.
👍
Did someone say Pecks?😜
Thank god you didn’t use sharkbite fittings. do it right don’t use sharkbite
#FACTs
You would not believe how I connected my pipes (totally illegal!): I took a flaring tool and put a slight flare of the 1/2" rigid copper pipe (only 1/16" of the pipe was flared). Luckily, the copper didn't crack during flaring; old pipes usually do. I then used a file to file off the sharp edges of the flared end of that copper. I then took a heat gun and heated up some 1/2" PEX-B, and expanded it to fit OVER the copper, and while the pipe was still hot I used two stainless steel hose clamps to clamp the PEX-B down onto the copper. I didn't think it would work, I thought it was going to leak like crazy, but 10 years later it is still leak-free. The flare on the copper keeps the PEX from slipping off the end of the copper pipe.
Today, you day you love sharkbite. I watched another video where you had nothing good to say about *Sharkbite*
Wait a minute, you have a video called "Sharkbite Fittings: Why I don't use them on my plumbing jobs" posted back in July 2019, The thumbnail for that video shows a SharkBite fitting with a big red circle x and reads "STOP USING SHARKBIES". While your content was weak, your message seemed clear. You explained that SharkBite fittings can leak, so that's why you don't use them. Sure, you said, solder fittings can leak, but you just go in and fix them. Um, ok. So that video wasn't as instructive as I had hoped. I searched for a different video and cam across this one (how to Connect PEX to Copper Plumbing Pipes) which was posted eleven months after the STOP USING SHARKBITES video. What a difference a day makes. Or nine months. Maybe take down the first one, or at least explain your change of heart.
Think he was referring to the push and connect shark bite fittings vs what he is doing in this video
I've got to say this Roger,, it's a play on word's but not about you,, it's relevant because of the structure of the saying involving water,, I once said to someone well your the expert,, he said Rob an Ex is a hasbeen and a spurt(spert) is little more than a drip 😂❤️👍it was then I realised it's only the quality of your work that will seperate yourself from the drips 👍
I DON'T THINK FINGERING THE COPPER PIPE WAS NECESSARY....
Where im from your not even allowed to have any copper up in the attic of a house
Where I'm from, where winter temperatures in the attic hit minus 30 degrees, your not allowed to run any type of water pipe in an attic for any reason.
Never ever is a long time.
Are you talking about wirsbo&pex?!!?There is a difference!!!
Uponor (wirsbo) PEX A is the same , Now PEX B is different but you can use PEX B fittings on PEX A pipe but you can't use PEX A fittings on PEX B pipe .
I’m not even going to watch this video cause they make sharkbites for that.
Um nobody notices the wording is lined up.
Connecting copper and pex is easy! You throw the pex in the trash and go buy more copper!
faaaaak this! Why couldn't they make a universal/standard connections/thread sizes. As if imperial measurement system wasn't enough.
“I love SharkBite!” WHAT?
🤣 I said the same thing
Sharkbite also makes pipe
No they do not make pipe, don’t believe this fool 🤦🏻♂️.......
Miguel Ramirez they do make a pex system and it is called shark bite. Home Depot I think carries it? And it’s type b pex
i think you are psi plumber
I used shark bites please forgive me
Sharkbites
NOOOOOOOO
someone doesn't understand expansion and contraction lmfao. in freezing things contract in the heat things expand you may argue if the water freezes it would expand it but nope wrong again the water expanded causing the ring to stretch out and possibly crack which in this situation I'm almost certain the copper pipe would fail before the ring as it's a lot thinner gauge
You've sniffed too much glue, the concern is definitely the water expanding during freezing
@@Dj-yq3un obviously you eat glue by the gallon as that was covered in my original comment wich is not what roger described not only that but you have a later of brass the fitting and the copper ring tht would have to give way to the expanding water when its frozen the copper pipe will fail first almost everytime
@@timjohnson6864 it seems you’re using a type writer on the internet. This is more proof you sniff glue.
@@Dj-yq3un says the guy that cannot come up with a valid argument
@@timjohnson6864 my argument was my first comment, you’ve chosen to ignore science
1st video novice. Not doing a great job explaining what your doing and why while your doing it
copper
🤦🏻♂️....Hide you’re scrap metal Danny’s here 🤣👨🏻🔧 #PlumberOnTheGrind