PEX crimping info

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#1

Originally Posted By: bking
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I have PEX with hot water recirculation pump and check valves in my home and was installing the expansion tank that the plumber left out…


I needed to reuse a 90 deg fitting so I cut the copper crimp rings off and tried to pull the pipe off, no luck without cutting the pipe.

The fittings have barbs that get smashed into the pipe which in effect will keep the connection intact even if the crimp breaks, up to normal pressures and probably more.

I wonder if there are fittings out there without the barbs ?

If anyone has PEX connection problems they should see if the barbs are present.

I see no way for a properly installed PEX crimp connection to fail, ever.
The compression fittings? Now that might be for someone else to comment on.

Bruce King

www.BAKingHomeInspections.com

#2

Originally Posted By: Julie Hogan
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


We have (had)pex in our brand new home (4900 sq ft) and it failed miserably. SS Clamps broke (jagged breaks) and our home flooded more than once. Inserts were brass by Dura PEx


We just replaced it with Copper.

It was Plumb-Pex white pipe by RTI--.Uponor Wirsbo took over their warrantees...etc.

Julie

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Julie

#3

Originally Posted By: bking
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Julie,


Those were stainless steel clamps that failed? were they round crimp rings or something else? I didn't know the crimp style were called clamps.

Did the fittings come off or just leak?

Did you mean that you replaced the entire system with copper or just part of it?

sounds like something different, PEX systems now in use in the US have been used for years in Europe with no problems (when installed correctly).

please provide more info, also would like some info on the compression style connectors too if anyone can provide it.

thanks
Bruce

#4

Originally Posted By: phinsperger
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Bruce,


Read http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/viewtopic.php?t=9106&highlight= for detailed information about the problems Julie had with the PEX instalation in her home.

#5

Originally Posted By: Julie Hogan
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Hi


I guess they are clamps. They are ear clamps by Oetiker. They have a jagged break. Apparantly the compression fittings they used are not very good because the leak was more than a trickle. Like a bleed.

I would not recommend this system to anyone. The system is 1 yr old. Yes, copper is replacing the entire Plumb Pex RTI system. We had no choice. The original builders plumber (Paul of Production Plumbing) came to repair the flood. When he did, they made mistakes and cut the pipes to the slab. Then, they had to jack ahmmer into the slab 8 inches. What we found under there is more of the faulty clamps. Many joints/splices. They installed the PEX totally against the manufacturers recommendations. They had splices and joints everywhere. Over 500 of them.

The clamps/joints in the slab were not protected with sleeves either.


Julie

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Julie

#6

Originally Posted By: bking
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


I looked at the pictures of the original “crimped clamps”, interesting… exactly what BMW used for at least 1986 thru 1992 for power steering hose clamps and they leak too ! (after 4 to 7 years). The fix for the cars is to just install another small clamp right next to the bad one.