1/2" or 3/4" PEX?

[Steven UK]

Originally Posted by snotter

If you are going to be showering on board, I’d recommend 3/4".

i made this mistake once in a house i renovated in the UK, my first house... there were two common sizes of copper tube then 1/2" and 3/4" i thought the 3/4" would help provide a more powerful shower. but what it did was just make the lead time for the hot water to reach the shower head much longer, the volume is directly proportional to the CSA. on a boat with limited water supply you may be wasting a lot of water due to this.

alternatively you could view the 3/4" tube as cheap tankage...

i will be using 1/2" pex or regular hose on my boat...

let us know what you choose and the pro's and con's...

Good Luck and Best Regards Steven

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

Why Sharkbite? Well I bought a cheaper knock off SmartX from Bunnings to comparenand some of the quality differences are obvious, some are not, but they're there.

1. Sharkbite make the tubing and fittings. All of it in Australia. They have ISO QA standards. So what? The knockoff connector had a very loose interior lining that holds the steel grip clip. The retaining support for the lining tube was missing, so the grip on the PEX tubing was not nearly as strong, and it showed by how easily the ring can be depressed and the tube pulled out. The Sharkbite is harder to depress and the tube comes out but you need to apply force.
The shiny brass of the Chinese knockoff I would suspect has high lead content as opposed to the very low lead content of the Sharkbite.
2. The range of fittings available from the knockoff is much more limited. Sharkbite has manifolds, valves, shower bars fittings, etc etc.
3. The Sharkbite half inch/16mm connector at Reece Plumbing was $5.05 inc GST, while the knockoff in Bunnings was $4.50. A 50 cent saving for me was not enough inducement to buy lower quality.

I hate plumbing leaks that cause the demand pump to cycle endlessly, so anything I can do to prevent it, within reason, is good enough for me. And saving 50 cents per fitting is not worth the hassle down the road, IMO.

I think you misunderstood my question. I'm not saying why use "Sharkbite" vs another brand, I meant is there a justification for using the quick connectors over other types? And, how do they respond over time? Especially in climates where it freezes solid every year? (Yes, I flush fresh water for antifreeze)

Do these types of connections survive several years of freeze/thaw?

[bpappas]

There are basically 2 types of PEX: Pex-A (or ProPex) and Pex-C. Pex-A uses expansion/contraction to seal fittings (and an expensive special tool) and Pex-C uses rings (and a cheaper special tool).

I'm going to use Pex-A on our boat when I redo it. The expense of the special tool will be worth it when I replumb out master bath and our daughter's/son-in-law's house. Pex-A has an advantage that the interior of the fittings is the same ID as the pipe, so no loss of pressure. And also, no rings to rust on a boat.

Also, I'd use 1/2" and branch circuits with shut-offs (not homeruns). Our boats are very small spaces.

[Dave9111]

I would recommend Pex A expansion fittings and tubing (no rings to screw up, crimp in tight spaces, corrode etc). I do a lot of things besides working on boats and after looking hard at the various pex solutions, bought a Milwaukee expansion tool. You can cobble together a new tool, expansion jaws, battery and charger for about $300 if you try hard. (Ebay, Amazon, etc)

Pex A is a dream for anyone who has done plumbing. By the time you buy the manual expansion tool and jaws, you are well into $150 anyway. And the manual expansion tool has the problem of being too big and awkward in tight spots. The electric cordless tool is incredibly easy to use and fast!

I'd go with nothing bigger than 1/2" on a boat. When I redo my boat this next year it will be with 1/2" Pex A. The tubing is 5/8" in diameter, so not too big.

BTW, Menards sells Pex A in 1", 3/4", and 1/2" in their stores. The fittings are about the same as the other Pex variants. I don't believe that Home Depot sells Pex A in the stores I have seen, but they sell it online. I don't do Lowes... If they have something in stock, its likely an accident. :-/

[bpappas]

Originally Posted by Dave9111

I would recommend Pex A expansion fittings and tubing (no rings to screw up, crimp in tight spaces, corrode etc). I do a lot of things besides working on boats and after looking hard at the various pex solutions, bought a Milwaukee expansion tool. You can cobble together a new tool, expansion jaws, battery and charger for about $300 if you try hard. (Ebay, Amazon, etc)

Pex A is a dream for anyone who has done plumbing. By the time you buy the manual expansion tool and jaws, you are well into $150 anyway. And the manual expansion tool has the problem of being too big and awkward in tight spots. The electric cordless tool is incredibly easy to use and fast!

I'd go with nothing bigger than 1/2" on a boat. When I redo my boat this next year it will be with 1/2" Pex A. The tubing is 5/8" in diameter, so not too big.

BTW, Menards sells Pex A in 1", 3/4", and 1/2" in their stores. The fittings are about the same as the other Pex variants. I don't believe that Home Depot sells Pex A in the stores I have seen, but they sell it online. I don't do Lowes... If they have something in stock, its likely an accident. :-/

You've come to the same conclusion as me. Good to know. I own a fleet of M12 tools and plan to add the Pex-A tool. Good to know about Menards; I'll check it out. Home Depot seems to be wed to Pex-C.

[Dave9111]

Originally Posted by Bigjim

I think you misunderstood my question. I'm not saying why use "Sharkbite" vs another brand, I meant is there a justification for using the quick connectors over other types? And, how do they respond over time? Especially in climates where it freezes solid every year? (Yes, I flush fresh water for antifreeze)

Do these types of connections survive several years of freeze/thaw?

I'd be more concerned about corrosion issues with Sharkbite type fittings. If you are in salt water there will be a metals issue with stainless being mixed brass. That could be a huge issue. Sharkbites have a pretty good reputation in residential but I view them as temporary or a quick and dirty fix. If you are doing a major plumbing job how can you justify the difference in fitting cost? If you are flushing with antifreeze, there should be no freeze issue.

[cj88]

Originally Posted by Bigjim

I think you misunderstood my question. I'm not saying why use "Sharkbite" vs another brand, I meant is there a justification for using the quick connectors over other types? And, how do they respond over time? Especially in climates where it freezes solid every year? (Yes, I flush fresh water for antifreeze)

Do these types of connections survive several years of freeze/thaw?

Here's a video Matt Risinger did on freeze testing Sharkbite fittings.

https://youtu.be/OOeBJ8mDr8Q

[bpappas]

Originally Posted by cj88

Here's a video Matt Risinger did on freeze testing Sharkbite fittings.

https://youtu.be/OOeBJ8mDr8Q

This is so cool! Pex comes out great (as do Sharkbites on Pex). I love the Pex-A (ProPex) fittings!

[Dave9111]

Sharkbite fittings were designed for the diy market. You just cut the tubing, push on the fittings and that's it. There is no advantage to the use of sharkbite fittings over anything else other than time and ease of use. You will never see a new house plumbed with sharkbite fittings. They are simply too expensive. A 1/2" Pex A elbow is less than $1, a 1/2" Sharkbite elbow is about $6.00.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Dave9111

Sharkbite fittings were designed for the diy market. You just cut the tubing, push on the fittings and that's it. There is no advantage to the use of sharkbite fittings over anything else other than time and ease of use. You will never see a new house plumbed with sharkbite fittings. They are simply too expensive. A 1/2" Pex A elbow is less than $1, a 1/2" Sharkbite elbow is about $6.00.

I don't have a problem with sharkbite fittings but some codes don't allow them inside the walls. I would guess they will eventually but not all do now. All the PEX fittings are easy and good. You just need the correct tools.

[Bigjim]

Originally Posted by Dave9111

Sharkbite fittings were designed for the diy market. You just cut the tubing, push on the fittings and that's it. There is no advantage to the use of sharkbite fittings over anything else other than time and ease of use. You will never see a new house plumbed with sharkbite fittings. They are simply too expensive. A 1/2" Pex A elbow is less than $1, a 1/2" Sharkbite elbow is about $6.00.

That's what I figured. Since I don't intend to ever remove the fittings once they are installed, using crimp connectors gives me more confidence that the connections will last without leaking over the long haul.

The main choice here is whether you use PEX A or C which are both available locally. The expansion tool for A is more expensive than the crimping tool used for C. Since I'm probably not getting into the business of installing PEX, I'll probably live with C and copper crimp rings.

[wsmurdoch]

These look like a good way to make the transition to fixtures with 1/2"NPT fittings because they can be disconnected.

https://www.pexuniverse.com/1-2-pex-...ead-free-brass

Are there similar fittings to mate up with 1/4" compression fittings?

Bill

[deluxe68]

I am 90% of my way thru replacing the 30 year old copper pipe and nylon tubing. I chose Whale 15mm tubing and fittings. A much bigger hassle and cost than new nsf rated pvc.

[BigBeakie]

I have just discovered fittings from a UK manufacturer John Guest, and they are pretty clearly superior to the Whale 15 Quickfit system. And very reasonably priced compared to PEX Sharkbite fittings. In Oz an elbow or T fitting is about $3, so about half of the PEX fitting, and all durable plastic.


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