I wanted to touch base with you guys on installing this stuff called PEX
Seems a LOT of DIY home owners are installing this stuff because it is easy to do
all you need is a set of crimpers and Bingo bango bongo you are a plumbing machine.
WELL just hold up a darn minute and listen to what i have to say, I do not profess to be the sharpest tool in the shed but i am a card holding master plumber in 3 of the 50 states. Colorado, Texas, and the great state of Mississippi. Being a master just means I am a certified AH not a regular run of the mill AH
So. Back to the pex. Personally i hate the stuff. I am a copper installer,
Here mis a rule of thumb when installing a water line.
ONE fixture per 1/2'' line
OK...Copper piping and galvanized piping is measured using the ID [inside diameter} of the pipe or it is also called Nominal , meaning the actual
PEX on the other hand is NOT nominal, it is sized by the OD [outside diameter}
SO, In reality, a pex 1/2'' is actually a 3/8'' ID
SO why does this matter? Why should you care?
You care when it takes FOREVER to fill the tub or you care when you are taking a shower and some idiot turns on the washing machine and gives you a sudden loss of hot wate
So here is MY rule of thumb when piping a house
Use 1'' PVC from the meter to the house, install a valve in the flower bed and transistion to your PEX
If it is a 2 bath house. Run 1'' pex from the flower bed to your manblock [ if using that system] run 3/4 from the manblock to the fixtures
OR. run 1'' from the man block to the shower/tub, 3/4 to the sink and 3/4 to the terlet, 3/4 to the hose bib
ONLY use 1/2'' on the icemaker, and to stub out of the wall
If you are not using a manblock but are running the pipe main and branch
1'' from flower bed to every bathroom
3/4 branchs
I hope this made sense.
I am getting tired of going into houses and re piping the pex because 1/2'' was run everywhere and the volume at fixtures sucks
only use the 1/2'' pex to tie your ladder to the pipe rack
Seems a LOT of DIY home owners are installing this stuff because it is easy to do
all you need is a set of crimpers and Bingo bango bongo you are a plumbing machine.
WELL just hold up a darn minute and listen to what i have to say, I do not profess to be the sharpest tool in the shed but i am a card holding master plumber in 3 of the 50 states. Colorado, Texas, and the great state of Mississippi. Being a master just means I am a certified AH not a regular run of the mill AH
So. Back to the pex. Personally i hate the stuff. I am a copper installer,
Here mis a rule of thumb when installing a water line.
ONE fixture per 1/2'' line
OK...Copper piping and galvanized piping is measured using the ID [inside diameter} of the pipe or it is also called Nominal , meaning the actual
PEX on the other hand is NOT nominal, it is sized by the OD [outside diameter}
SO, In reality, a pex 1/2'' is actually a 3/8'' ID
SO why does this matter? Why should you care?
You care when it takes FOREVER to fill the tub or you care when you are taking a shower and some idiot turns on the washing machine and gives you a sudden loss of hot wate
So here is MY rule of thumb when piping a house
Use 1'' PVC from the meter to the house, install a valve in the flower bed and transistion to your PEX
If it is a 2 bath house. Run 1'' pex from the flower bed to your manblock [ if using that system] run 3/4 from the manblock to the fixtures
OR. run 1'' from the man block to the shower/tub, 3/4 to the sink and 3/4 to the terlet, 3/4 to the hose bib
ONLY use 1/2'' on the icemaker, and to stub out of the wall
If you are not using a manblock but are running the pipe main and branch
1'' from flower bed to every bathroom
3/4 branchs
I hope this made sense.
I am getting tired of going into houses and re piping the pex because 1/2'' was run everywhere and the volume at fixtures sucks
only use the 1/2'' pex to tie your ladder to the pipe rack