Using PEX: A Great Alternative to Soldering
Are you afraid to solder copper pipes? If so, PEX could be a great option for you. Before we begin, it's essential to note that you need to check your local town's plumbing codes before using PEX, as it may not be allowed in all areas.
Tools Needed for PEX
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To get started with PEX, you'll need the following tools:
* Crimp rings
* PEX fittings (including 90° elbows)
* SharkBite fittings (although they're not necessary for PEX)
* PEX pipes (available in red, white, and blue, with red typically signifying hot water and blue indicating cold water)
* PEX crimper by Shark Bite
* SharkBite fitting depth tool
* Go/no go gauge by Shark Bite
* PEX cutter by Milwaukee
* Crimp ring removal tool
* Sharpie marker
The Ease of Use of PEX
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Using PEX is extremely easy. The first step is to slide your ring on, making sure it's about ¼"-1/8" from the edge of the fitting. Next, you slide on your fitting and apply the crimp ring tool to the crimp ring, ensuring it's at a 90° angle. When you hear that pop, you know you're done.
Tips for Proper Crimping
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To ensure proper crimping, make sure the crimp ring is not too far from the edge of the fitting. If it is, you may need to cut off the excess pipe using a PEX cutter and then remove the crimp ring with a removal tool. The Go/no go gauge by Shark Bite can help you determine if your crimper is working correctly. Simply slide the gauge over the fitting and check if it goes over the crimp ring or not.
Cutting and Removing Crimp Rings
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If you didn't like how the crimping looked, you can simply take out your PEX cutter and cut off the pipe as close to the fitting as possible. Next, use your removal tool to slide it in and cut the crimp ring. Be careful when doing this, as you'll want to wear goggles to protect yourself from debris.
SharkBite Fittings with PEX
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You can actually use SharkBite fittings with PEX. To do so, slide the depth tool over the fitting and place a mark on the piece of PEX. Then, slide your SharkBite fitting onto it, making sure to insert the plastic insert into the PEX pipe. This makes the connection nice and rigid.
Removing SharkBite Fittings
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If you want to remove a SharkBite fitting, simply slide the removal tool over it and press in on it before pulling it off. The SharkBite fitting will spin when you do this, but that's perfectly normal.
Conclusion
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Using PEX can be a great alternative to soldering copper pipes. With the right tools and some basic knowledge, you can make PEX connections easily and efficiently. If you're considering using PEX in your home, we'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Share your experiences and tips with our DIY community, and don't forget to check out BathroomRepairTutor.com for over 100 video tutorials on bathroom remodeling with step-by-step guidance from a professional bathroom remodeler.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enSo I’m going to ask you a quick question:Are you afraid to solder? Solder copper pipesthat is? If you are, then PEX could be a really,really great option for you. And in this quickvideo, this really quick tips video, I’mgoing to share with you some real basic ideasabout how to use PEX and how to use SharkBitefittings instead of soldering. Now I willsay this: Before we begin, you need to makesure that PEX is allowed in your local town.So you need to check on your plumbing codesbefore you use PEX, but I really do thinkit’s a great option for you. So let’sdive into the tips right now.So here are all the tools that you need forPEX. You have your crimp rings. You have yourPEX fittings. This is just a 90° elbow—theymake a whole bunch of different fittings.These are SharkBite fittings; you don’tnecessarily need them for PEX. These are thePEX pipes. So you’ve got red, white, andblue. Red typically signifies hot. White isjust kind of neutral; you can use it for hotor cold. And then you have blue, which isfor cold. You have the PEX crimper. This isby Shark Bite. You have the SharkBite fittingdepth tool. You have the Go/no go gauge forthis, which I’ll get into in a second. Youhave your PEX cutter; this is by Milwaukee.And then you have your crimp ring removaltool. And then a simple Sharpie marker.Using PEX is extremely easy. The first stepis to slide your ring on, and you want thisto be about ¼”-1/8” from the edge. Thenyou slide on your fitting. The next step isyou just apply the crimp ring tool to thecrimp ring, and make sure that this is ata 90° angle. When you hear that pop, that’swhen you know you’re done. And as a matterof fact, this is actually maybe a little bittoo far in from the edge. You know, it shouldbe 1/8” to ¼”. So if you had to cut thisoff, here’s what you would do.Oh, but before I do that, I wanted to showyou the Go/no go gauge by SharkBite. So thisis going to be hard to see, but this is ½”go. Basically, you slide this over the fitting.And if it goes over the fitting or the crimpring, you’re good to go. Now the no go—thisis the no go—it should not slide over thecrimp ring, and it doesn’t. And that’show you know that your crimper is workingcorrectly.But if you didn’t like how this looks, youjust take your PEX cutter, and you cut thispipe as close as you can to the fitting. Thenyou take your removal tool and you slide itin like so, and you’re just going to cutthe crimp ring. Now be careful. You want towear goggles for this. Then you spin it 180°and you do the exact same thing on the otherside. And it just kind of comes off like that.So you want to ensure that your fitting isin good shape. You just kind of inspect it,then you can reuse it.So like I said, you can actually use PEX withSharkBite fittings. In order to do that, youslide the depth tool over it, and you placea mark on the piece of PEX. Then you slideyour SharkBite fitting onto it. Now I willpoint out this: The SharkBite has a littleplastic insert in it, and that’s to go insidethe piece of PEX. And it makes this connectionnice and rigid. Now here’s the deal: TheSharkBite fitting will spin, and that’sperfectly normal. If you wanted to get theSharkBite fitting off, you just slide theremoval tool on, and you press in on it andyou pull it off.All right, so there you go. That is how youuse PEX. Now before you stop watching thevideo, I’ve got a question for you: Wouldyou be more willing to use PEX than copperpipe at this point? Tell me down in the comments.And if you would be willing to use PEX, howwould you go about doing that within yourhome? And if you’ve used PEX before, giveus some tips down in the comments as wellbecause the tips from you help our entireDIY community.So thanks so much for sharing. Thanks forwatching the video today. You can always subscribeto the Home Repair Tutor channel. If you’relooking to do a bathroom remodel, one thatyou’re going to plan, renovate, and wellI guess do on your own, you may want to checkout BathroomRepairTutor.com. That’s wherewe have over a hundred video tutorials onbathroom remodeling with step-by-step guidancefrom a professional bathroom remodeler. Andyou can check that out at BathroomRepairTutor.com.All right, I’ll see you down in the comments.Take care.Here comes my second daughter. Check her out.What’s up? They’re so cute.\n"
