19 replies to this topic

[Jim Wildman]

My 5er has a run of PEX plumbing in various places, in particular from the back of the water heater bypass valve down to the main plumbing (which looks more like garden hose). The bypass valve froze this winter and I had it replaced. Every since then I've had a very slow leak off the backside (1 drip a minute slow). I've had the dealer 'fix' it 3 times now and it is still leaking. Silly me, I figured, how hard can this be? (particularly irritated to see they had used clear silicone on the INSIDE of the pipe to try to seal it).

So other than getting a crimper, is there any other way to get the pipes clamped back together? I have 1/2" fitting and 1/2" pipe but regular pipe clamps are not getting the job done at all....

[bobsallyh]

My 5er has a run of PEX plumbing in various places, in particular from the back of the water heater bypass valve down to the main plumbing (which looks more like garden hose). The bypass valve froze this winter and I had it replaced. Every since then I've had a very slow leak off the backside (1 drip a minute slow). I've had the dealer 'fix' it 3 times now and it is still leaking. Silly me, I figured, how hard can this be? (particularly irritated to see they had used clear silicone on the INSIDE of the pipe to try to seal it).

So other than getting a crimper, is there any other way to get the pipes clamped back together? I have 1/2" fitting and 1/2" pipe but regular pipe clamps are not getting the job done at all....

[bobsallyh]

Jim, Lowes and Home Depot carry fittings that work join different kinds of pipes or the same kind of pipe. One brand is "Sharkbite". Lowes or HD sell Sharkbite and the other store has the same thing only sold under a different name. They sure do work. Also if you make a mistake there is a small tool that will seperate the joint.

[FurBall Express]

make sure you have the correct fittings and pex clamps and all should be well.

[RV Tamer]

My 5er has a run of PEX plumbing in various places, in particular from the back of the water heater bypass valve down to the main plumbing (which looks more like garden hose). The bypass valve froze this winter and I had it replaced. Every since then I've had a very slow leak off the backside (1 drip a minute slow). I've had the dealer 'fix' it 3 times now and it is still leaking. Silly me, I figured, how hard can this be? (particularly irritated to see they had used clear silicone on the INSIDE of the pipe to try to seal it).

So other than getting a crimper, is there any other way to get the pipes clamped back together? I have 1/2" fitting and 1/2" pipe but regular pipe clamps are not getting the job done at all....

Jim,

I have really good luck with white colored plastic "Flair-It " fittings. If you have an rv dealer nearby, ask him to show you one. They are very easy to use. I always carry a couple of "Flair-it " fittings with me in my rv repair kit . These fittings can be used on a variety of different types of water hoses.
I don't understand why the dealership used silicone on the inside of that pipe, thats asking for a slew of other problems.
Good luck to you, tim

[sundancer268]

Shark bite is the way to go. I have been removing the factory fittings and replacing with the shark-bite fittings when I have to work in that area, Yo do not need to use the Shark-bite tool. A pair of pliers slipped over the line and pressed on the release ring will release the fitting. I have the old gray stuff and it works good on it although it is not listed for that use. I have pressurized my system up to120 psi during my winterizing routine and have had no problems with leaks or fittings coming apart.

[Jim Wildman]

Saw the shark bite stuff, but the late evening shift folks weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. Found a fairly inexpensive tool (uses vise grips to close it) and we're all good now. Thanks for the advice.

[Earl]

You have the problem fixed so this is just additional info for anybody still reading. We had a seminar at our winter RV park by a mobile rv man and he also recommended the Flair-It. That's all he ever uses and he has never had to return to fix a leak in the joint he repaired.

[ralph perrello]

The way fittings in my 5er work is slip the nut onto the pipe then push the fitting hard onto the pipe then screw the nut onto the fitting which compresses the pipe onto the searations on the fitting.
I have never had a leak. I have done some plumbing modifications without problems. These fittings are sold at RV places and Ace Hardware stores. They can be taken apart and the fittings used again.
A hair dryer is useful to warm and soften the pipe for easier fitting insertion.

[bobsallyh]

Must had brain fade last evening. Posted the same thing twice and forgot to mention the Flair-It. I have used them also and they work great.

[weldon]

I have used Shark Bite, but keep wishing I would just go ahead & buy the tool. If I had bought the tool first would have saved some money. Who knows maybe next time (I have never had to re-use a fitting).

[RV]

I will also chime in for Flair it fittings.

Sometimes things are just preferences. Sometimes after trying all the preferences one thing turns out to be far and away the way to go. From experience and many fixes for others I would use no other fitting but flair its fittings. I always carried around two straight 1/2 inch, two right angles, and one water heater 3/4 inch to 1/2 inch PEX fitting. They are truly leak proof and hand tightening is easy and sufficient.
http://store.flairit...ing-system.aspx

Using a crimping tool is also excellent, however, leaks don't happen in planned joints like when assembling the rig at the factory where you have room to use the crimping tool. I trust PEX fittings to be easy to use, leak-proof when done, and as good as the crimped connectors.

I had a braided plastic line on my incoming water line behind the outside city water connector on my last rig that leaked as well. I redid the connection with PEX and tubing instead of the garden hose looking junk. Never had another problem. I did the water heater check valve repair with them, and several add on water filter systems.

[Alfa38User]

I have also used the Flare-It hand tightened fittings in several of the places mentioned. I did notice on one tag they said not to use them when hidden behind walls, I guess because you cannot easily observe them for possible leaks. Never had a leak and they are an easy fix without tools. They do require a little room to work though.

I think you will find that PEX piping is a little too stiff for hose clamp use.

[Gemstone]

I too have used PEX and the crimp bands available at Lowes...bands are about $1 each, and the crimp tool is about $38.... I have used the 1/2" bands in place of hose clamps on the braided hose....no more leaks.

Regards
Gemstone

[BrianT]

I had a pex line leak a little over a year ago. Tried numerous things. What finally worked was forking over the dough for a new brass fitting, the proper crimping tool and some of the pex clamps.

I couldn't help but wonder if it's really a problem with the pex line or the clamp or whether it's a problem with whatever it is you're trying to connect to. If the connector fits inside of the pex line has a defect or a deep scratch or some other little something wrong, that might explain why it won't seal. ?? Just a thought.

Good luck,

Brian

[SKTARICH]

I have also used Flare it fittings and they work great and are easy to use. I keep a variety of them in my Plumbing kit just in case!!! Steve

[0nther0ad]

I also have used Flare-It and found them inexpensive and great.

http://flairit.publishpath.com/

They also sell a small wrench like plastic tightener to use on the knurled nuts, which makes it much easier.

[bryanl]

crimped fittings are great in manufacturing where you can use a jig for setup, use a proper crimper without obstructions, and seek good work flow.

The use of silicon as a fitting sealant is a testament to a lack of qualification of the technician as a plumber IMHO.

For in situ repair, there are much better options. The sharkbite (gatorbite at Lowes) are push on and can be either permanent or replaceable and may work with copper tubing as well (check package carefully). The Quest fittings will also work with both copper and pex and are good for standard pipe thread interfaces (although I find the tube size to IPT size often inconvenient). The Flair-it is also usually available at the local corner hardware store and, like the Quest, a screw down fitting.

I tend to prefer Flair-it these days as it is a fitting that can be tightened if leaking, has positive clamping on the tubing, isn't bulky, and has a good selection of adapters and fittings (iplumb.tv is a good source) for my needs.

The crimped polybutyl (gray pipe common in the early 90's) with ABS fittings and aluminum crimps resulted in a lawsuit where Shell lost and a lot of RV and mobile home service companies got a lot of business replacing plumbing - the chloride in the water and other factors did a job on those fittings.

[B. Luck]

There is a cement now available, I boufgt it ae Ace. Good on plex ccpvc, abs and pvc. One can covers it all.

[Newt]

There is a cement now available, I boufgt it ae Ace. Good on plex ccpvc, abs and pvc. One can covers it all.

Do they have PEX fittings that work with the glue?

Newt