Comparing PEX Connections
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- There are 6 types of PEX Connections sold on SupplyHouse.com. They all use different tools and different fittings, but every tool and fitting sold at SupplyHouse.com is High Quality and will result in a secure, reliable connection every time.
The crimp method works with crimp fittings, copper rings and a tool with an interchangeable head for specific size fittings. The crimp system provides an inexpensive way to make a secure connection and can be used with Standard PEX, but does not work with PEX-AL-PEX..
The clamping method is popular because the clamp connections are easy to make and the Heavy Duty Clamp Tool is reasonably priced, making it a great choice for many DIYers. With this system, you only need to clamp the tab rather than the entire fitting, which allows you to use just one tool with one size head for all connections. For different size connections, only the size of the rings and fittings changes.
The expansion system works with expansion rings and expansion fittings made specifically for this system. This connection system is the most common system used by contractors. The tool requires a greater initial investment, but it is easiest to use and requires less manual labor than the other tools. The expansion system only works with PEX-a tubing.
The press method uses press fittings with sleeves already attached and you will need to use different press tools correspond with the size of your fittings and tubing. The tools can be purchased separately or in a kit with all necessary sizes.
If your job requires only a few connections or you are doing a small repair SharkBite will likely be your fitting system choice, as it is extremely easy to use as there are no tools required, however the fittings are more expensive per piece than the other systems.
The compression method works with a 3-piece compression fitting and requires no tool. The completed connections have threaded ends that make it easy to connect your PEX tubing to a manifold.
For more information on connection systems, tools and fittings, visit our website, www.supplyhouse.com, or email us with any questions.
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Thank goodness! Finally a video that's not 20 minutes long. Got all the info I needed in less than 3. Thank you!
the best vid about pex connections -- thank you for cutting to the chase!!!!!
Nice video. Makes me feel more confident with the clamp connections I used instead of the crimp rings.
Reinhard Fehling how so..? Just choose because I’m going to switch over from copper to this for all my jobs
@@Makeitwithmanny The clamping tool doesn't have to wrap around the pipe so it's perfect for those hard to reach places. This is particularly important in masonry buildings.
another advantage of clamp rings is that they can be removed without cutting the Pex.
clamps are garbage 😂😂
Wow! Great video with all the needed info without wasting time!
Extremely well done.
Thank you very much.
Success in all you do!
Clear and to the point no time is wasted in this video , here have a sub !
First: They have to be available for the average homeowner. That removes 'Press' and 'Compression' from the list (hard to find the brass inserts needed for compression fittings on 1/2" PEX). Second: They have to be legal to seal behind walls. That removes 'Shark Bite' from the list. That leaves only 3 fittings to select from: Expansion, Crimp, Clamp. Expansion has a much larger internal diameter, so that is the one to go for.
Shark Bites can be sealed behind walls.
yeah sharkbites can be put in walls but i would not of installed properly they will probably never leak but i would only install them in a accesible location
Spot on.
Great video. Easy choice. Crimps for now.... when I want to spend another 3,000 on plumbing tools, Ill go the other route...........maybe.... as a remodeler, its best to look for the guy coming behind me, too. So crimp is definitely an easy sell
I just re-plumbed our house with crimp fittings. If I had to do it over again, I would use the clamps. There were a few places that I had trouble getting the crimp tool in to make a crimp. The clamp tool would have been easier.
about to do my house and was debating the two, this comment made me go clamp.
I've been using pex in NJ for about 6 years now. I've been noticing a bunch of failures with the stainless steel crimp rings on hot water lines only. I think something to do with the expansion and contraction of the pex pipe. I switched to the solid copper rings about 2 years ago and haven't seen any problems yet
wish we can see the dislikes
I def love the copper ring system. I've used the stainless steel clamps and sharkbites. I think the best by far though is the copper rings
thanks short and to the point
I tried those 'clamp' rings. The first clamp tool had blue handles and left a rather large 'gap' inside the tab. The fitting was not tight. I went to the store, returned that first tool and bought one with yellow handles. That tool squeezed the tab tighter and left only a small gap inside the clamp ring (a small gap is normal). The fitting was not loose so I kept that tool. Make sure the gap is not more than the thickness of the stainless steel ring itself, if it is more, the tool is bad.
Tile nippers work quite well and easier to handle.
Hi... Would you say using a curved 90 is better for end pressure, as opposed to a fitting 90?... Using 3/4 pex Thanks...
thanks for keeping it short
If I want the most secure? which one? Compression looks like the easiest to maintain.
I LOVE Supply House ! Mark Campassi / Hamilton AL
Excellent 👍
time to update the video, PEX-b has been certified for expansion for years. any pipe that is F1960 rated can be expanded and this is most major brands of PEX-b these days.
Using SS clamp system. Trying to do everything right...some of my fittings with copper, rotate. Terrified that I'll have leaks all over the place. Plastic doesn't seem to rotate.
Excellent video - concise, informative, and hardly a trace of advertising. I'm going to check out the rest of your videos.
I work with Habitat and we got a donation of Watts oxygen barrier PEX. We've been using Watts brand crimp fittings, but from this video I gather that any brand fitting would work. Is that right?
Thanks, Bob
Thanks Bob! Yes that is correct, any brand would work!
That was a reasonable good clip.
1:16 that info is out of date. Several PEX type B pipes is now expansion F1960 certified like Zurn and Sioux Chief as is the Hyperpure PE-RT pipe.
Very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you Most Helpful.
0:02 there is one more type: axial press
1:54 actually it needs tool: two wrench or equivalent.
Well, if you already have wrenches then you don't need to get a special tool.
"Requires no tool" and "requires no special tool" are a bit different.
Hi, I currently have 1"shark bites connecting my pex to copper for my wood boiler system and both are leaking. They stop once the water gets to temp (175°) but I'm replacing them and thinking of using the crimp method. Can you confirm this is the right route and advise on everything needed to do the job?
Tks
Looking to invest in one of these systems initially for an RV remodel project. Original RV plumbing was mostly 3/8" and 5/16" poly tubing with plastic threaded compression fittings. I'm thinking PEX would be a better alternative to poly even if it is not as flexible. Is there a PEX connection system that would better handle the vibrations and dynamic rough and tumble environmental nature of an RV? Secondly, are copper fittings equally good with both crimp and clamp or should I stick with brass? (I'm not keen on plastic fittings for this application.) Or should I just go back to poly or even bite the $$ bullet and just use copper refrigeration tubing? Input/advise/thoughts appreciated.
I built a camper van with a full shower and kitchen and to avoid issues with rubbing I sprayed expanding foam into every tight space the pex was running. I used the softest of the foams so it allows for expansion of the pex with temperature change and also acts as a shock absorber.
I would stay away from copper. Just because pex doesn’t corrode. Pex is very easy to replace sections of and is very cheap. You will need flexibility with an RV because of the body roll and bouncing. My .02
Could one use a hose clamp of the proper size instead of a crimping system? That way it is entirely removable if needed.
Hose clamps will not be reliable if they work at all. Sharkbite is removable and reusable . The system works very well.
I don’t like shark bite! I use PEX B with ring compression tool.
I also use the Nibco mini throw propress tool, not the hand tool
Thanks for the video!
thanks🎉
Great Vid!
Great video
I prefer using the stainless clamps for the majority of doing pex and some sharkbite.......
sharkbite goes with Pex -A and B and you can transfer copper pex A and B barb fitting and cpvc off it
Will the stainless crimp ring work on polybutylene?
You didn't actually compare them. Which is better? Which lasts longer? Which is cheaper? etc.
The Uponor expansion is the Best and easiest to install, but the expansion tool costs about 400 dollars.
@@strangeroamer3219 That's for professionals then. No way to justify it for a home owner making only a few connections.
Did I get this correct: Pex A tubing can only work with the compression tubing! So, the clamp method won't work with Pex A?
You can use anything on any pipe but you can only expand pex a.. but I've expanded pex b before and it held
Thx
Can a MANIFOLD accept ANY fitting, ie - can we use COMPRESSION on ANY manufactured manifold (Viega, Apollo, Sioux Chief, etc) ... thank you !!
So which one is the most reliable?
Whats the deference between U16mm and TH16mm press type the yato press has to types of ring press and I want to know
The expansion pex is not a Pex a only system anymore zurn Pex b has a expansion system now too, someone needs to do an update!
Viega is the best PEX pipe Installation
What about QEST? AKA "indoor water feature"
How do i replace press fitting/joint? Will i have to cut the pipe?
You can cut the ring if you can get to it. We use an angle grinder with a diamond blade to cut the rings so we can reuse the elbows or couplings..
WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO FIND PEX-A FITTINGS TO WORK WITH THE VIEGA MANABLOC!?
What if I use sharkbite push connector on a pex-a will it reduce the pressure. I am repositioning a 3 ft hydronic baseboard 4ft away and thinking of using pex-a with sharkbite to transition from copper to pex to connect the loop.
No the shark bite is full flow .
can someone tell me what is the best an lost the longest year to come
Where are the mega press by pex
good information however i have never seen any pex connection other than crimp rings in my area ever. ive been around since pex came out.
I have expansion type pex here in Tucson
For pex A Is a copper crimp ring as strong as the expansion connections?
As long as the connections are made properly, the copper crimp ring system and expansion connection system should be equally reliable.
Can I use a clamp connection on PEX-A instead of expansion method?
Yes you can
Can I use Pex Al Pex compression fittings on regular Pex?
I am using half inch pex and have a special need for a particular fitting that I can only find in pex al pex compression but not for regular pex
You cant, the OD of PEX AL PEX is different and it wont seal correctly and the ferrule from the compression most likely will cut through non PEX AL PEX, since it doesn't have that layer to dig into. What are you looking for, maybe we can help?
SupplyHouse.com Thanks for the prompt and detailed response. I need some male and female 1/2" BSP threaded fittings.
The female fitting should be a 90 degree elbow (ideally ear drop), while the male fitting should be straight.
Hmmm, maybe www.supplyhouse.com/PEX-Drop-Ear-Elbows-573000
www.supplyhouse.com/PEX-x-Male-Threaded-Elbows-25410000
But we need to know what size and what tool you have to know for sure. Also I see you mentioned BSP, so if you are in the UK there actually might not be much we can help with. :(
SupplyHouse.com Thanks but these are NPT. I need BSP
Zurn has a pex b expansion system. When I was first told this at the supply house I thought the guy was mistaken then a few years went by and everything I saw reinforced that expansion was only pex a until recently when I saw an ad or something for pex b expansion. It may not be worth a damn, I don’t know but it does exist. It may have been watts instead of zurn i cant remember.
1:54 Why is it called "radiant" compression? Is it because Watts Radiant?
I think they mean radial, referring to the fitting's circular mode of connection to the tubing.
Think radial tire. The "radial" refers to the circles/bands of metal embedded into the treads along the entire circumference of the tire. With a radial compression fitting you use a nut and ring around the entire circumference of the tubing to make the connection.
Radiant typically means having to do with the transfer of heat so I don't think that would be correct.
Nobody does the radial/radiant/whatever compression fitting connector with Pex, due to cost anyway.
The only time you'll see compression connectors like that is on copper, and even then they are rare, in my experience at least but I'm not a pro plumber.
You won't want to use those because they are about 500% more expensive than just about every alternative, due to the compression connector's pieces typically being made of solid brass. The whole point of using that type of fitting is to make sure you can service the fitting or remove it later without having to sweat and solder copper pipe. But with Pex it's so cheap you just chop the bad/leaky parts out with a tube cutter and replace with new. No reason to use expensive brass fittings when you can "service" the plumbing by just cutting it out and replacing it as easy as electrical wire.
If you were dumb or made of money you wouldn't be switching to Pex in the first place.
Because it is used to connect to a radiant floor manifold.
Anyone know which is the most reliable connection system over the long term regardless of cost? Which ones will leak and rust. Also there is a Home Depot compression sleeve that wasn’t discussed in this video.
luvbeast77 I like the wirsbo expansion system the best, but we also use the crimp ring and shark bites as needed to connect to existing plumbing during remodels. We have experienced no significant issues with any system.
@@scottjanku8457 Wirsbo/Uphonor expansion is very good and probably the quickest and easiest but the absolute best/"most reliable" imo is the f2080 rehau-style connections with Pex A. Get the full-flow expansion but with brass connector and collar that has no risk of expansion under (unrealistic) extreme high pressure or heat. Of course for residential systems we are probably only talking about technically being better but there being no real-world difference as neither is going to fail.
Expansion
How do you undo an expansion connector?
Think you can use a heating then Pull it off
Just cut the ring off with a pocket knife and carefully cut the pipe but don't knick the fitting or the fitting will be useless
By the time I buy the tool and cutting tool, I was better off running all copper. Honestly the cost vs longevity of the products themselves I'd rather run copper. I'm in Florida now vs Ohio and have seen so many cases of pex and pvc failing that I chose to stick with copper from here on out. It's always going to be degrading plastic kids vs copper which in my 90 year old home in Ohio is still working like the day it was installed and still survives the elements...
copper is fine if you have perfect water, those of us who have harsh well water stay very far away from copper lol pvc all the way 👍🏼
@@michaelness2241 very true.....
Copper drains last about 50 years but when they go bad, they really go bad.
@@JESUSSavedMefromDeath I had cast iron drains in my Cleveland home. Seeing the snake blow out from that pipe was the first time I realized you don't always save .....
@@krazykozey2259 lol.
You should put the link to the store.
We're sorry about that! You can shop for PEX products here: www.supplyhouse.com/pex
OMG you work with this systems, come to europe and learn what quality materials and systems are, your living in the stonage
1/2PEX = 3/8 diameter which means reduced pressure. Go with uponourfor full bore pipe.
Reduced flow not pressure.
@@DavidSmith-fr1uz same shit different word. Give me a break
@@jamesruppert3152 David Smith is right. Picture a 6" dia. pipe with 60 psi driving the water through it. Your going to get a butt load of water (gpm) coming out. Now picture a 1/4" pipe with 60 psi driving the water through it. Much smaller (gpm) amount of water. Flow and pressure are two different measurements and not the same sh*t.
@@hotrodduffyd4183 by the time you run a shower in half inch PEX and it reaches the shower head when it feels that shower head up to release the water you lose your pressure due to the pipe sizing.
Can I use a clamp ring with Pex A ?
Yes
@@troylitle3116 thank haha
Lots of time with "you buy this tool" so little time with compression...Makes me think ??? Compression on Pex fits almost EVERY application
Do not use sharkbites
only press
Crap. I wish the ordering system would have caught my mistake of buying the expansion with regular Blue PEX Tubing. :-( It looks to me like this PEX tubing will not work with expansion fittings. >:-(
There is blue colored tubing that is PEX-a and works with expansion systems. The color doesn't matter, just the grade of tubing. Just make sure you purchased PEX-a and not PEX-b.
Pex comes out with a great product then screws it all up with all these different fittings and pipe all called PEX. Change the name of each kind to cut down on confusion!
I think each fitting is a competitors design. Pex is the name of the pipe material not the fittings. This is like saying only one solder manufacturer is permitted to use the term “copper pipe”
Nobody uses expansion rings
I do
Yawl young whipper snappers got no work ethic and always taking the easy way out.
We're still doing it the old reliable way.
Cutting and threading galvanized pipe and doping up the fittings.
Tried and true.
Don't see no reason for me to change now.
Been plumbing since 1952.
This guy installs toilets with a ladle of lead and oakum like real man.
Copper's tried and true. Galvanized is garbage. Hate that there's people out there like you still ruining people's homes for them.
@@orijimi Copper has good points, but problems too. In my area, due to the acid nature of the soil, copper is a time bomb if used in ground contact. Also, should a freeze ever occur, copper will split in an instant.
@@TimothySmithii Any other method is for wuzzes.
@@mothman-jz8ug Yeah, I'm just talking interior. People should be re-PEXing up to the meter.
Dude you don’t use brass Ferrels on plastic pipe 🤦♂️, oh well,
job security plumb away diyers...
Will the expansion system work on legend pipe??