All about PEX fittings

[Noc3]

I don't know anything about plumbing w pex. My only plumbing experience has been with household toilets and sinks that are copper pipe and solder. Don't want to deal with that for the trailer, but PEX looks awesome.

I see these "sharkbite" branded fittings that are supposedly just "plug and play," you push the pex into them and they seat and seal on their own, but I'm suspicious. Anyone use them? Do they hold up over time? They just seem gimicky to me.

The other option looks to be using barb fittings with crimp clamps, which require a specialized tool but look to be more permanent and solid.

Are there any other options besides these two fitting types?

Tell me things about this stuff.

My rig will have 20 gal tank in subfloor just in front of the axle, gravity fill and city hookup, pump w accumulator, on demand propane hot water shower, and a sink. I'm thinking of keeping an aux pump and filter for filling from the pristine springs and creeks in my area. My plan is to off-grid boondock for weeks if not months at a time.

 

[saltydawg-TNT]

Sharkbite fitting work great, would I want them all over my house thou, no. I have heard they have long term issues in houses, but that 10 years of being under full pressure.

They are also very costly compared to other pex options, basically a shark bit is 7 to 10 bucks each. If you only had 4 or 5 in your trailer that would not be bad, but if you had 10 to 15 it gets costly.

 

[MtnDon]

Sharkbite fittings are approved under all building codes in the US and Canada. Okay behind drywall, even underground. Yes they are costly but oh so easy to use without the need for special tools.

 

[Noc3]

so one vote for and one vote against the sharkbite.

Sounds like either option would cost about the same for me, with the barb fittings requiring an extra tool purchase vs. sharkbites being pricey proprietary pieces.

more votes please!

 

[saltydawg-TNT]

My vote was not a for or against. It was neutral.

But I just looked, there is a tool on amazon for 21 bucks. The tool does not spoil, you can use it again, be it in the next trailer, or your house.

And why do you need a reason to buy another toy.

 

[Tony Latham]

New plumbing is done with PEX. (And I used it for my air compressor plumbing in the shop.)

Those fittings are sitting there inside those walls –-both the Sharkbite system and crimp types–- at 60-70 psi.

I suspect your camper plumbing will never see anything near that kind of pressure.

Pick the PEX system you like and plumb it up. I use the compression rings and barbed fittings. Super easy to work with.

Tony

 

[swoody126]

i was forced to use the Pex system in my larger TT when a fixture failed(froze to death) and had to be replaced

buying the tool did take a bite out of my play budget butt i still have it along w/ a few extra crimp clamps for any future needs

the barb'd fittings and the crimp clamps are quite simple and pre designed to apply the prescribed force to seal the junction correctly

in the past i have experienced(personally and on friend's plumbing) the screw on clamps used on plastique fittings which were over tightened broke the fittings and leaked requiring another trip to the getting place

once past the point where your tool is paid for relative to the price of the fancy fittings the cost of doing business drops dramatically and the ease of using the tool will have already been realized IMHO

sw

 

[GerryS-TNT]

Shark bites work great but they are expensive and heavy. For quick repairs sure, but if you are building....then the debate begins if you want t9 use compression rings or crimps . Bottom line....they will all do the job.

For me? Crimp rings. When haven’t had a leak yet when done properly....


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[QueticoBill]

The sharkbite push on - no tools required - are great. I have great confidence in them. Fastest connection I can imagine. Not mentioned above is the push ons can be removed and reused a few times. Crimp pex fittings are cut off and toss.

 

[foxontherun]

I am researching pex myself for my build; my experience being with copper and solder only when building my house. I have never used Pex or sharkbite fittings but found an interesting youtube here:

titled "SharkBite Fittings - Awesome or A Failure Waiting To Happen?".

I would be curious as to how well the rubber inside the fitting would hold up to road vibration. Anyone have long term use in their trailer and have any feedback to share? He cut one in half around 1 minute into video.

Harry

 

[Tony Latham]

I would be curious as to how well the rubber inside the fitting would hold up to road vibration.I would be curious as to how well the rubber inside the fitting would hold up to road vibration.

Pipes in houses vibrate every time the water is shut off and it's at 60-70 PSI. The stuff has been in use for nearly forty years.

I have no experience with PEX plumbing in a teardrop. But I don't think you can compare its use in a camper vs. a residence since it's not pressurized. The stuff should last forever.

I used the PEX fittings with a crimped-on ring for my wife's glass web-lab plumbing and my compressed air system. They are a lot cheaper than Sharkbite fittings and it's the same method used by the guy that plumbed my home.

Tony

 

[skyl4rk]

I use crimp on fittings when I build pex lines on the workbench and take the assembly to where it will be installed. I also use crimp fittings where I can easily access the tubing in place with the crimping tool. For difficult to reach joints, I use sharkbites. Where I might want to disassemble the fitting in the future, I use sharkbites.

 

[PCO6]

I Installed PEX water lines in my trailer 2 years ago and they've been trouble free.

My Brother was a Plumber. He retired at 64 and said that if he had used PEX throughout his career instead of copper pipe he could have worked an extra 10 years, not that he wanted to. The wear and tear of hauling around copper pipe got to him. With PEX he said he could work a lot faster it was much easier.

 

[bdosborn-SMB]

Pex with compression fittings in the trailer for 11 years now. No leaks, no muss, no fuss.

Bruce

 

[foxontherun]

Good to hear; might try PEX out. Thanks for the feedback!
Harry

 

[GerryS-TNT]

PEX is amazing stuff as long as you keep it out of the sun, it does not stand up to UV well.

Mobile use? Every trailer that comes out of Elkhart is full of it…there’s a reason….it’s cheaper, easier to work with, and as long as you keep it out of the sun, it will last longer than your camper.

In researching, pex A is probably better….but it takes some expensive tools if you plan on any quantity. PEX A needs to be stretched before it is put on the barbed connector….it’s natural state is sealed. Where is crimp style are held tight by the rings.

In reality….I don’t think we’d ever see a failure rate worthy of concern in either case.


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[twisted lines]

It’s pretty similar to the push lock air fittings, in a Semi Truck and trailer
And what I would use pluming in a trailer if, light ez & fast.

 

[GerryS-TNT]

True. Stop overthinking it….and build. If it’s good enough for Lowe’s and homeless despot, you are likely just fine using it for anything short of a $6M mansion in LA for an average anywhere else. PEX rocks, Shark bites are truly under rated.

 

[Reubal]

you are likely just fine using it for anything short of a $6M mansion in LA for an average anywhere else.

I'm a plumbing estimator and project manager in LA. We did the plumbing on "The Most Expensive House In The World", a "$500M" mega mansion in Bel Air. The water was run in PEX.

If PEX is good enough for a $500M 105,000sqft mansion...

https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes-fo ... 234639528/

 

[JasenC]

I'd go with the crimp system. It's what the plumbers use, you can probably rent the crimper from HD.

I've used a lot of shark bites for temp repairs until I can fix it correctly, I always have a number of them in the van. I've had plenty of them not seal or start leaking on a properly dressed pipe/PEX
Watch those burs.
If you use them do an over pressure test.