Hello MrGraygrizz; I use a silicone spray and spray them about every 2 months. I open the doors and roll down the windows, spray it on, let it dry and you are all set. It dries in a few minutes and works well. About every 2 months should work. At least that is what works for me. Nothing worse then getting to the drive through and not being able to get that morning coffee easily. I actually made a video on it... Always lube your rubbers.... Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Hello spelunkerd; Thanks very much! It has been on my mind for a few years now.Living up north where the weather is below freezing for a few months;I wondered if all different types of pex would freeze and not split.My supplier told me he thought Veiga would split because it is Pex B.Great to see that it didn't.I was pleased to see the Pexrite from HomeDepot didn't either considering many people use it in bungalows that are shut down for the winter. Tks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Great that you thought about trying this. But the way you did it we would never know if they would actually leak under 80 psi or more. Often you do not see the leak with your eyes. Also, the winter in a country like Canada is much colder than your freezer. I have had both copper and pex corner fittings leak after a cold winter with water left in side the pipe.The copper corner fitting was visibly broken, but the pex corner fitting was not. It leaks only after I pass water through it.
Hello Grace Ho, After I made the video I should have fired some pressure on it to see the effects it would have on it. May get something going like this in the future. Guaranteed copper will leak and it needs no pressure on it. Just water lying in the pipe and freezing will do it. I have seen lots of that over the years. Thanks for the input and have a great weekend! Al
Hey Al !! Great demonstration!! I am a Pex fan all the way now, it is indeed a great product. Wow, I didn't know it had been around since 1970!! That's cool, that's the year I was born..lol! Brother, I am with you on adding a few extra hours to the day. I could use a few myself most days!! Nice work Al, and thanks for the video!!
Hey Pete; I haven't tried anything bigger per say, but I would imagine the end result would be the same. I hope to get a complete make over in a house using pex in the next few weeks. The biggest pex I have used is 1" and it was pex A; so I know that it would expand if frozen. It is great stuff and as long as it is out of the sun; it will last for many years. Thanks for the kind words and I hope you enjoy your weekend! Al
Hey Brett; Thanks partner! I don't think the HD guy really gave a cat's tush about what it did. The crimp copper rings are a big seller. Much cheaper then the other styles. Fittings are thin, but are made of brass and should last for some time. The Veiga are actually made of bronze and contain no lead. I really like the fact that all you have to do is compress it and no rings or clamps have to be applied. I am headed in that direction. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend Brett! Al
Thanks so much for responding! One more question, other than the extended UV Rating, what other benefits have you found in switching to Viega? I saw you using the clamping style applicator for capping it off, but is there another method where I can use my Milwaukee M12 Expanding Tool? Or is the Viega method restricted to just the large clamps? I badly want to grab that Ridgid ProPress, just need some persuasion...lol
Hello TheFloorBoys; Pex A is only made by Wirsbo or Rehau. Other types of Pex that are manufactured cannot be expanded. Veiga is the crimping system with the stainless sleeves attached to the fittings and in my books; it is a very good system. No chasing sleeves or rings like you do with Wirsbo or Rehau. I think the Rehau system is the best system, but the prices of their fittings have tripled since I started using them. I have used the Rigid ProPress on the Viega system and it is ridiculously fast. The ProPress tool is remarkable as you have no worries about water if you are pressing copper fittings on copper pipe. The fittings are about 50% more expensive, but the time required for installation is very, very fast. The tool isn't cheap, but if you are planning on doing a lot of work in this field; it is well worth the money. I made a few videos on the tool. One crimping Viega and the other joining copper without soldering. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with your projects! Al
Hey old kid, Rog here and I really needed to know if Pex was ok to run under my new addition for my outside water bibs and you nailed the answer! THANKS. I'll likely still wrap them in pipe insulation but it's nice to know they'll withstand Northern Ontario winters...
Roger Diotte Hey Rodger! I have seen it run in a few barns outside now where there was no heat and there were no issues. Be sure to leave your bibs open in the winter. What type of pex are you planning on running? Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you get a chance! Al How is the fishing up there Rodger?
It's Bow Superpex Blue 100 ft coil from Home Depot. Item 589705 so is that a B-type? Running 3 bibs outside and the run will predominately be in an outside crawl space under my new addition. I'm going to install a waste ball valve inside on the run from the manabloc say 10 feet into the run so I can open the waste valve and drain and air blow out the line in the fall. I'll have 3 trunks from this line feeding each side of my house. I'm doing window build outs right now and then I'm heading in elbow deep into wiring the addition! I really enjoy this stuff muchly and especially watching your vids Oldkid...Thanks a million times over again ok...
Hey Al !!! Dag On Al , You been Hittin the Weights Brother !!! I would of thought it would have Split !!! Thank You very much for Taking the Time to Show us this Awesome Demonstration my Friend !!! I think Pex Rules Al , and I also Like the Sharkbites !!! Great Job Al !!!
Thanks for posting this.Rick Lames, this is very Representative of actual working systems. Issues as you describe are very likely poor workmanship. Often times water lines will be prematurely laid before a slab is ready to pour. The result is workers walking all over the material for weeks causing damage. The water lines should be the last thing that happens prior to a pour. I will comment from experience here,. We have a campground / marina in Michigan with about 3 miles of PEX underground. PEX can take a freeze, but the brass fittings are still susceptible to freeze failure. Also repeated (annual) freezes will eventually stretch PEX to its fatigue point (it expands a little more each year). It is still a good idea to blow your lines down for winter. Thanks for taking the time to produce, and post this video, Great Job! All the Best, Bill
hey there :) great videos.. but i have a question still.. my area is in the extreme north of ontario canada.. what would be the best PEX to use for my water system... the old owner had some installed and it had cracked during the extreme temperatures... any hints? ideas? :) thanks
+Ready Group Pex A is probably what you would be looking for. It can be expanded for fittings to be installed with no issues. Wirsbo and Rehau are the two manufacturers of this pipe and system. I cannot guarantee you will not have any freezing, but Pex A is what I would recommend. The other thing to think about before closing the door tight for the winter would be to use compressed air to blow the water out of the lines. Small 2 gallon compressor will work fine for this job. Pex B should not be used in situations where it has to be expanded. It will break down and crack. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Me too! 4 more hours would be perfect. Non-working hours for sure LOL! Two in the morning and two in the evening. I have been trying to figure that out for a long time, there just has to be a way..lol! You bet! I hope you have a great one too Al!
Hey Ray; Thanks very much! It is remarkable stuff for sure! I didn't realize that myself until I started doing some research on it a few months ago. You are only a young wippersnapper. I am sure you will see lots of changes on many products in your lifetime. I would love to have about 4 more in each day. Non-working of course. LOL! Any ideas how we go about making this happen? Thanks for the kind words friend and I hope you have a great weekend! Al
Hi, thanks for sharing all of these useful videos! I was hoping maybe you could help me with a question I have regarding woodstove hot water plumbing. I am going to be heating my water for my tiny house with a wood stove. I will have a 30 gallon hot water tank relay water to the wood stove ( most likely with 3/4 copper) it will then heat the water and thermosyphon back up into the 30 gallon hot water tank via 3/4 copper. I was wondering on the hot out line to the tempering valve.. if I could go with PEX or if I should use 3/4 copper until it meets the tempering valve and then begin to use pex. I just want to make sure the pex will be able to handle the temperature of the hot water before it mixes with the tempering valve. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated! Thank you, sir !
+VAN SOLO You are more than welcome! I would stay with the copper until it meets the tempering valve myself. The water could get exceptionally hot so copper would be my choice. Be sure to install a temperature pressure relief valve on the tank. This is a must. Not exactly sure of the set up, but always safety first. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Question for you. I bought a roll of the clear pex (pex A) and I left it in my van for a day, in the front seat....before it dawned on me a day later to put it in a black contractor bag to protect it. Now, do you think that one day of possible exposure ruined it? Thanks. I love you vids by the way.
Hello TheFloorBoys; No worries there. If I am not mistaken, the Pex A that you are talking about is 90 day UV protected. The clear that you bought is called Uponor or Wirsbo. I have used it quite often and have switched over to Viega. that has a 1 year protection. Biggest thing when installing pex is to keep it away from UV rays. I have seen it crack from over exposure. You are good to go with what you have purchased. thanks for commenting and best of luck with your project! Al
The possible reason why they did not split might be that there was not water pressure in these pipes when they froze. You only had standing water in them. Remember in a functioning water system in a house, you have 25-30 psi in the pipes which would create more pressure and then even more when they freeze.
+Ari P Possibly so. I know pex A can expand so there should be no issues with it when it does freeze. There are a number of places in bungalows where they drain the system and not all the water is removed from the lines and have no issues in the spring. If that was copper you would have many leaks in the spring; so it is great for places like that. May see a video of it frozen with pressure in the future. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Water molecules connect when they become still from cold which what causes the splitting of tubing not water pressure. Look it up and you also find out there are different types of ice as well.
@@cravinbob In general you are right, although I think the point is that in this test, if there is any room at all left in the pipe to allow for expansion, even a tiny air bubble, it would greatly reduce the chances for splitting. A pressurized system in a house has much less chance for air space.
I have Uponor AquaPEX exposed in my basement. I don't think it gets direct sunlight but the basement has small windows and CFL bulbs which are not left on unless I'm in the basement probable less then 2 hours a month. Should I be worried about UV. It's been like this for 2-3 years since I moved in. Thanks.
Hello fakeusa; Sorry I missed your comment. I would put a little insulation and cover it to be on the safe side, but I wouldn't be to concerned about it. I have seen it where it was exposed to fluorescent lights 24/7 and it finally cracked after 5 years. So there would be really no deterioration or very, very little to the piping in your home. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
You can use Pex and crimped fittings and you will be fine if the pipe freezes. If you use Pex and sharkbite fittings, and the pipes freeze, you might have a few sharkbite fittings that pop off the pipe itself.
Hello Willilly Bab; I have come across a few places where pex has been frozen all winter and when the spring arrived; not a leak. It was pretty impressive! You maybe right with the sharkbite; I haven't found any places yet to see this happen, but when I do; I will make note of it. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
An interesting comparison, however part of what makes pipes burst isn't just the water inside freezing, though that is sometimes enough, it's the combination of normal water pressure from the street, and freezing, the freezing drives the inside pressure through the roof. Also was the length of copper pipe type M or type L? For those who are not aware type L copper pipe has almost twice the wall thickness of type M.
Hello A. Fritz Becker, Very true about pressure being one factor, but I have seen many pipes freeze and split with zero pressure or low pressure. Drain lines such as traps will split easily if they are left without a nearby heat source. I am sure you are familiar with this taking place. Generally it occurs in crawl spaces unfortunately. I used type L copper in this video. I only use type L on potable water and type M on hot water heating systems myself. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hey Fritz; If things ever get slow in the hvac world; you should consider comedy.Too funny! No,just eating all my greens. I was surprised that none of them split. Even the wholesaler told me that veiga would probably split.They are all made of crosslink poly.Apparently there is room for expansion. I was always curious about it in the cold. A little more knowledge about it.Darn, I'll be making it soon! Pex definitely rules; along with sharkbites. Big fan here for sure! Tks friend. Take care.Al
Great video Al !! Pex is about all I use these days unless a customer demands something else. I've bought pex from many places and many styles and all had a label that said do not allow to be in sunlight,lol. The HD guy must can't read. Still using copper crimp rings due to cost and ease and been using them 10 years. Like those other styles though. Take care brother. Brett
In PEX plumbing you should use the exact fittings that each manufacturer has designed for it's product. PEX A is the best in cold and/or freezing applications because of the expansion capabilities of type A. The crimp tool works fine for bench work but try using it up in a joist space. Clumsy and impossible in many cases. I use the Uponor Propex with great success and the UV problem is easily overcome by wrapping the Pex with insulation or hiding it in PVC (like a conduit) if sunlight contact is possible. Sharkbites are quick and dirty but remember your seal is nothing more than a "O" ring that will fail in time. You already mentioned the high price. The typical home center product is B mostly. A good product but again I don't like the crimp rings and clumsy tool needed. Copper is pricing itself out of favor and the top grades of Pex are a great substitute.
Hello moomike; All good points...thank you! The price of copper has priced itself out of the plumbing world when it comes to residential. Pex is that much faster and cheaper. Most tools can be bothersome to use depending where the connections are being made. The crimp ring is more superior then the cinch clamps in my books. I have seen many homes done with that system. I know the sharkbite is fast and painless, but the jury is still out on their life expectancy as far a leak occurring. The one o-ring is the only seal, but they have been around for a few decades now just not in North America. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Hello OldKid! You're videos on Pex are phenomenal and very, very helpful. I will be attempting to plumb my first house using all pex, and information obtained from your videos! I will be adding a tankless water heater, considering I'm already plumbing the entire house. What would you recommended for different sizes of pex as far as what should input and output at the water heater, and once my manifolds are created would it be acceptable to run 1/2" Pex to each of the faucets and rest of the fittings throughout the house?
+Andrew Adams You want to go into the unit with 3/4 and come out into a manifold of 3/4 with 1/2 inch branches coming off it. I am a big fan of running 1/2 to every fixture. That is how I would run the pex. If you want you can run one 1/2" hot line to the bath/shower and tee off to the basin while doing that. Chances of you using both the basin and shower in the bathroom at the same time are slim. That is the only place where I would consider doing that. You are in the right direction. Best of luck with the project! Thanks for commenting and if you have any further questions fire away. Al
Hello Prinz Eugen, LOL! Mother nature probably did it numerous times since then. Just never had it on camera. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello Steve Pond; I can't give you an answer on the heat tape. I can say that the pipe can freeze and when it thaws there is usually no leaks. Speaking from my dealings with it so far!
Hello again I am having a problem with crimp tool ...cant even open it enough to put around the ring in a tight area ...I used push fittings i bought from eBay and they leaked right after installation ... Removed them and Now i will try cinch or sharkbite brand. Any suggestions ? The cinch tool might work ..Please advise.
Hello Sajid, Sorry to hear that. Were the push fittings Sharkbite? I have had great luck with these fittings where they were needed. Be certain to mark the pipe the amount that it is going into the fitting. This will allow you to be certain that it has gone on all the way. pipe goes into 1/2" fittings 7/8ths of an inch. 3/4 fittings aloow the pipe to go in 1-1/8th. I generally mark the pipe with a marker. One thing to keep in mind before you make a joint...ask yourself if the next joint can be made where it is located. If not I would crimp all joints on a fitting and place the fitting with the pieces of pipe in place and make the crimp where it is easy to get at. It takes a bit of planning, but it works every time. The cinch tool will work for you as well. Thanks for commenting and let me know how you get along....Al
No...They were not sharkbite brand . I bought them on eBay . The seller admitted there were problem fittings and is being very co operative in taking them back ..BUT, I have lost many hours of labour in re opening the dry walls and removing them ( their removal was extremely difficult ) . . They are even sending me a free Cinch tool to try crimp types wherever i can..Yes, i agree, planning is needed to handle the area which is difficult to get the tool in. I will buy sharkbite brand for wherever i cant reach with crimp tool or cinch tool . And, oh yeah, my pipes were all the way in to the marked line . Thanks !
Hello Sajid, Sharkbite work very well. Remember to mark them if you are going to use them. The cinch tool will get into almost any space. You should be all set! Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al Let me know how you get along!
I'm curious, has anyone tried this test and also measured the diameter of the pipe in its room temperature and frozen condition? I'm wondering how much of the water's expansion was absorbed by stretching the PEX versus pushing into the fittings or even moving the fitting itself (as happened with the copper example)?
Hello James, I will say that a friend of mine used it in his barn and it froze over the winter. When it thawed in the spring; he simply reattached the pipe from the inside of the house and turned on the water. Didn't have a leak. It was the Uponor (wirsbo) system that he used. Hope this helps.. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
I had a full replacement from copper to PEX this summer. I had copper in the house I live in and experienced no less that 10-15 pinhole leaks over the past 15-20 years. I woke up this morning, went to the kitchen and turned the knob on my kitchen faucet, Nothing came out! I realized that I didn't leave a faucet dripping! I took a space heater into the attic where the pex was crossing the house. Within 10-15 minutes, the water was running! My copper pipes would have split and cost me alot of $$, I can promise you having PEX in your house will give you peace of mind, Also, it will be a good upgrade to advertise when you sell your home.
Hello Mike, There are a number of factors that go into the life expectancy of copper; water acidity, minerals and the grade of the copper to mention a few. Type M copper with the red label is used quite often for waterlines. It has the thinnest wall and is the cheapest copper pipe. I have seen it used quite often in homes for waterlines, but I believe it should be used on heating only. That is one advantage of pex as far as freezing goes. You can simply apply a heater to the area and it will thaw. Like you said...if it was copper; it would have split. I am a pex fan myself. Will be for life. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Guess i disagree with the shark bite being excellent. Good for a wick repair yes. Last a long time without leaking maybe most of the time. I know I've personally seen those kind of fittings blow off without being froze. Also i prefer a total strong physical connection over a rubber o ring which you have to wander when it'll rot. And I'm guessing after that one freeze test there if it happened a couple times you'd lose all connection. But maybe I'm picky but no push on connectors for me especially in my house or under my foundation or anywhere that could cause damage from leaks or be hard to access later.
Hello jackle842000, I am all about solid connections myself, but the Sharkbite do work well. Would I use them underground or behind walls....probably not. As far as them blowing off; if they are installed properly chances to slim to none. I have used them up to two inch in size and have had great success with them. I think installation is key in having a watertight connection. They have been around for a few decades now and I have done several tests on them. I made a video also using weights..... I placed Sharkbite couplings and pipe together (copper and Pex). I then hung it from a beam and placed 275 pounds on the bottom piece and they did not come off. The teeth only dug in deeper. One of the biggest mistakes people make when installing them is not marking the pipe at the depth where it bottoms out in the fitting. There is a half way point where the pipe feels like it has gone into the fitting the complete distance when in fact it hasn't. It geenrally needs another push. That is why marking the pipe is very important. I have done several tests on them and they have passed them all. I know they are not everyone's go to, but they do work well especially where water is an issue. That being said...you can't beat a soldered joint. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Find out whom the manufacturer is, and ask them whether you can use heat tape on their product, other then that they usually have a temperature rating printed on the side of the tubing . One problem with any plastic pipe is that heat can weaken it somewhat, the amount of pressure it can take drops.
How does your PEX get exposed to UV inside your wall or in your basement? Also, it doesn't matter what color or clear the plastic is, exposure to UV will cause it to become brittle and shorten the life of the plastic.
Hello Felix, The first time I saw it happen it was caused by florescent lighting that give off UV rays, but you probably knew this already. Piping is run in basements and many do have florescent lighting as you know. Made a video on it if you are interested...ruclips.net/video/V4pII1llVcU/видео.html UV rays will cause the pipe to break down, but every manufacturer has a different UV rating and some are much higher than others. Do some research on it and you may be surprised. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Unless these were brought up to room temp we didn't learn anything except for the shark bites. That being said I also believe PEX is the way to go when freeze /thaw is an issue.
Hello fonduemonkey; I am not sure if it is toxic, but it has been used for over 4 decades in Europe. I am using it for most of the work that I am doing now unless the owners want copper. It is exceptionally fast to install as well. Thanks for commenting and have a good day! Al
TheOldkid888 Thank you for replying. I just spoke to a man who designed the best water filtration system i have seen. He recommends only using copper. His name is Al McDonald. Check out his website ,,, amacwater.com ,,, and read up on his filtration system. It's not the shortest read in the world but very eye opening. amacwater.com/whole-house-filtration. Then call him and ask him his opinion on pex vs. copper and why he recommends his filtration system. I would love to see you do a video on what you find out from him. BTW what part of N. America are you in???
Hello I read the article. Interesting read. You can spend as much money as you want when it comes to filtration systems. Into the thousands easily. I am from the east coast of Canada. Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
Hello Dorsey; You would be looking at about 5 years to get your journeyman's license. You can go to school for the first block or two and then you must work to get your hours. 10,000 hours are required which is about 5 years in total. It use to be 8000 hours. You will be given hours when you go to school for your first block. The biggest thing is to get your hours as quickly as possible and this all depends on the company you are working for. Thanks for commenting and have a good week! Al
ice in the supply line is not the direct cause of having a pipe burst. the ice that forms in the pipe expands into the pipe and pressurizes the water in the line. the water busts the pipe. the problem in this experiment is that there was not enough water in the line to pressurize. in an actual system the ice would keep growing and increasing the pressure of the water in the line, which may or may not burst the pipe. we know that it will burst copper. this experiment simply used material that was too small. the physics is that you simply cannot generate the pressure needed to burst a pipe. also, Ive done this experiment with a 10 ft 1/2" copper pipe with shark bite caps. I put half the pipe out the window in freezing winter, and kept the other half inside. the copper pipe split but the shark bite did not fail. you cannot force a shark bite. I believe this experiment did not properly fit the shark bite. Im not 100% sure, any longer, but I think that after thawing one of the shark bites in my experiment was destroyed and fell apart.
I have recently moved to the southern part of the U.S. where they build a lot of homes on slabs and there seems to be an awful lot of pin holes developing in the pex not to mention the problems with the fittings on certain brands corroding. I would never buy a house on a slab with this stuff in it. I have a friend right now looking at tens of thousands of dollars of slab damage and possibly even jacking up the house to pour a new slab basically. My house isn't going in the freezer in 12 inch pieces so I really don't get the point of this.
+Rick James I live in an area where temperatures are anything but warm as compared to the southern part of the U.S. and this video is for people who live in areas with cold temps. Temperature at the present time is 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius) and it is only going to get colder for about 5 months. There are many bungalows in Canada and the upper U.S. where the temperature drops below freezing and cracked copper waterlines is a problem; so most pex can freeze and thaw in the spring with no worries of leaks. I know exactly what you are talking about when it comes to pinholes and cracking of pex pipe. I see it in this area as well. Pex cannot be exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time. Pex pipe manufacturers state different UV protections. Some being as short as 90 days. Others may even be shorter. I know there are manufacturers that have one year protection on their product as well. There are a few things that allow this to happen. One thing is the installer may have that pex in his or her vehicle out of the box for an extended length of time before it is installed. This allows the sun's rays to slowly break the product down. Another thing that I see quite often in many areas is pipe that comes through slabs not being covered which allows the sun's rays to break it down as well. Often someone will install the slab and get to the structure at a later date. By then the pipe has basically become brittle and cracks off. Fluorescent lights act the exact same way as the sun and break it down as well. Have seen this first hand where cracking and pinholes have occurred from this lighting. A friend of mine used it for water feeding the slide in his pool and half way through the summer the pipe sprang leaks and had to be replaced. The bottom line is the pipe should not be exposed to the sun for an extended length of time as it will deteriorate rather quickly. I am not aware if many plumbers know this or not, but I once asked the question at a big box store and the guy working the area had no idea about UV protection. Pex pipe has been around for over 5 decades, but we must know what to do to make it last. Keeping it covered and out of direct sunlight and away from fluorescent lights are critical when it comes to the life expectancy of the product. The manufacturers do say it only has a certain length of UV protection. It is basically up to the installer do the rest. I am not a Pex expert by any means, but have seen first hand what can happen if it is not protected. Thanks for commenting and best of luck in the future! Al
According to your test copper Durant burst when frozen. We know that's not true. You commented when filling the first pex tube that there was an air bubble in there. Any air, which is compressible, invalidates the test.
I have a piece of pex that froze and burst last winter in my garage.. After I watched your video I wondered why. There is a couple of feet of copper from the pex to the outside water valve on the back of the house. My theory is that when the water in the copper froze and expanded that increase in volume which caused the pressure necessary to burst the pex. Also, the pex must have frozen is a second place trapping the water else it would have forced the water back out the incoming line. My house was built in 1970 and does not have a back flow preventer. The pex has expanded and now I can't get a sharkbite fitting on the pex to reconnect the line after I cut out the break. An issue with the freezing test. Wouldn't it be more realistic to refill the tubes and refreeze several times. If the pex is expanded each time it freezes it will eventually break. If it is not going to break it must expand and then contract . It just can't keep on expanding. TheOldkid888, please don't take this as a criticism, the test you did was great and I recognize it took a lot of time to do it and make the video, thanks for your efforts.
+avendco I have to be honest with you I have heard nothing about a lawsuit against them. I know one of the other manufacturers had one a number of years prior, but nothing about Viega. I started using Viega because of the cost of Rehau. It's gone through the roof the last few years. I will check it out. Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Not a good way to test pex. Find some pex that's 4 or 5 years old and see what happens. It doesn't do very well. After a few years pex becomes brittle. I have been a plumber for 45 years....
Hello barry, I have been using pex for over twenty years now and it only becomes brittle if it is exposed to UV rays or florescent lights for long periods of time. I have seen it happen twice. Made a video on it. Pipe was exposed to florescent lights 24/7 for years. As long as the pex is not exposed to direct rays from either source you will have no issues. I have joined Uponor pex that I installed 18 years earlier and had no issues. A lot depends on where and how it is installed. Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
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Thanks for the video! Very informative!
Hello Joseph,
You are more than welcome!
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with any future projects! Al
Nice demo.
Hello MrGraygrizz;
I use a silicone spray and spray them about every 2 months. I open the doors and roll down the windows, spray it on, let it dry and you are all set. It dries in a few minutes and works well. About every 2 months should work. At least that is what works for me.
Nothing worse then getting to the drive through and not being able to get that morning coffee easily. I actually made a video on it... Always lube your rubbers....
Thanks for commenting and have a great weekend! Al
Hello spelunkerd;
Thanks very much!
It has been on my mind for a few years now.Living up north where the weather is below freezing for a few months;I wondered if all different types of pex would freeze and not split.My supplier told me he thought Veiga would split because it is Pex B.Great to see that it didn't.I was pleased to see the Pexrite from HomeDepot didn't either considering many people use it in bungalows that are shut down for the winter.
Tks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Great that you thought about trying this. But the way you did it we would never know if they would actually leak under 80 psi or more. Often you do not see the leak with your eyes. Also, the winter in a country like Canada is much colder than your freezer. I have had both copper and pex corner fittings leak after a cold winter with water left in side the pipe.The copper corner fitting was visibly broken, but the pex corner fitting was not. It leaks only after I pass water through it.
Hello Grace Ho,
After I made the video I should have fired some pressure on it to see the effects it would have on it. May get something going like this in the future.
Guaranteed copper will leak and it needs no pressure on it. Just water lying in the pipe and freezing will do it. I have seen lots of that over the years.
Thanks for the input and have a great weekend! Al
Hey Al !!
Great demonstration!! I am a Pex fan all the way now, it is indeed a great product.
Wow, I didn't know it had been around since 1970!! That's cool, that's the year I was born..lol!
Brother, I am with you on adding a few extra hours to the day. I could use a few myself most days!!
Nice work Al, and thanks for the video!!
Hey Pete;
I haven't tried anything bigger per say, but I would imagine the end result would be the same. I hope to get a complete make over in a house using pex in the next few weeks.
The biggest pex I have used is 1" and it was pex A; so I know that it would expand if frozen.
It is great stuff and as long as it is out of the sun; it will last for many years.
Thanks for the kind words and I hope you enjoy your weekend! Al
Hey Brett;
Thanks partner!
I don't think the HD guy really gave a cat's tush about what it did.
The crimp copper rings are a big seller. Much cheaper then the other styles. Fittings are thin, but are made of brass and should last for some time.
The Veiga are actually made of bronze and contain no lead. I really like the fact that all you have to do is compress it and no rings or clamps have to be applied. I am headed in that direction.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend Brett!
Al
Thanks so much for responding! One more question, other than the extended UV Rating, what other benefits have you found in switching to Viega? I saw you using the clamping style applicator for capping it off, but is there another method where I can use my Milwaukee M12 Expanding Tool? Or is the Viega method restricted to just the large clamps? I badly want to grab that Ridgid ProPress, just need some persuasion...lol
Hello TheFloorBoys;
Pex A is only made by Wirsbo or Rehau. Other types of Pex that are manufactured cannot be expanded.
Veiga is the crimping system with the stainless sleeves attached to the fittings and in my books; it is a very good system. No chasing sleeves or rings like you do with Wirsbo or Rehau. I think the Rehau system is the best system, but the prices of their fittings have tripled since I started using them.
I have used the Rigid ProPress on the Viega system and it is ridiculously fast. The ProPress tool is remarkable as you have no worries about water if you are pressing copper fittings on copper pipe. The fittings are about 50% more expensive, but the time required for installation is very, very fast.
The tool isn't cheap, but if you are planning on doing a lot of work in this field; it is well worth the money. I made a few videos on the tool. One crimping Viega and the other joining copper without soldering.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with your projects! Al
Hey old kid, Rog here and I really needed to know if Pex was ok to run under my new addition for my outside water bibs and you nailed the answer! THANKS. I'll likely still wrap them in pipe insulation but it's nice to know they'll withstand Northern Ontario winters...
Roger Diotte
Hey Rodger!
I have seen it run in a few barns outside now where there was no heat and there were no issues. Be sure to leave your bibs open in the winter.
What type of pex are you planning on running?
Thanks for commenting and get back to me when you get a chance! Al
How is the fishing up there Rodger?
It's Bow Superpex Blue 100 ft coil from Home Depot. Item 589705 so is that a B-type? Running 3 bibs outside and the run will predominately be in an outside crawl space under my new addition. I'm going to install a waste ball valve inside on the run from the manabloc say 10 feet into the run so I can open the waste valve and drain and air blow out the line in the fall. I'll have 3 trunks from this line feeding each side of my house. I'm doing window build outs right now and then I'm heading in elbow deep into wiring the addition! I really enjoy this stuff muchly and especially watching your vids Oldkid...Thanks a million times over again ok...
Hey Al !!!
Dag On Al , You been Hittin the Weights Brother !!!
I would of thought it would have Split !!!
Thank You very much for Taking the Time to Show us this Awesome Demonstration my Friend !!!
I think Pex Rules Al , and I also Like the Sharkbites !!!
Great Job Al !!!
Thanks for posting this.Rick Lames, this is very Representative of actual working systems. Issues as you describe are very likely poor workmanship. Often times water lines will be prematurely laid before a slab is ready to pour. The result is workers walking all over the material for weeks causing damage. The water lines should be the last thing that happens prior to a pour.
I will comment from experience here,. We have a campground / marina in Michigan with about 3 miles of PEX underground. PEX can take a freeze, but the brass fittings are still susceptible to freeze failure. Also repeated (annual) freezes will eventually stretch PEX to its fatigue point (it expands a little more each year). It is still a good idea to blow your lines down for winter. Thanks for taking the time to produce, and post this video, Great Job!
All the Best,
Bill
+BIll Tabbert
You are more than welcome!
I appreciate your input and kind words!
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
hey there :) great videos.. but i have a question still.. my area is in the extreme north of ontario canada.. what would be the best PEX to use for my water system... the old owner had some installed and it had cracked during the extreme temperatures... any hints? ideas? :) thanks
+Ready Group
Pex A is probably what you would be looking for. It can be expanded for fittings to be installed with no issues. Wirsbo and Rehau are the two manufacturers of this pipe and system. I cannot guarantee you will not have any freezing, but Pex A is what I would recommend. The other thing to think about before closing the door tight for the winter would be to use compressed air to blow the water out of the lines. Small 2 gallon compressor will work fine for this job.
Pex B should not be used in situations where it has to be expanded. It will break down and crack.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Me too! 4 more hours would be perfect. Non-working hours for sure LOL! Two in the morning and two in the evening.
I have been trying to figure that out for a long time, there just has to be a way..lol!
You bet! I hope you have a great one too Al!
Hey Ray;
Thanks very much!
It is remarkable stuff for sure!
I didn't realize that myself until I started doing some research on it a few months ago.
You are only a young wippersnapper. I am sure you will see lots of changes on many products in your lifetime.
I would love to have about 4 more in each day. Non-working of course. LOL!
Any ideas how we go about making this happen?
Thanks for the kind words friend and I hope you have a great weekend! Al
Hi, thanks for sharing all of these useful videos! I was hoping maybe you could help me with a question I have regarding woodstove hot water plumbing. I am going to be heating my water for my tiny house with a wood stove. I will have a 30 gallon hot water tank relay water to the wood stove ( most likely with 3/4 copper) it will then heat the water and thermosyphon back up into the 30 gallon hot water tank via 3/4 copper. I was wondering on the hot out line to the tempering valve.. if I could go with PEX or if I should use 3/4 copper until it meets the tempering valve and then begin to use pex. I just want to make sure the pex will be able to handle the temperature of the hot water before it mixes with the tempering valve. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated! Thank you, sir !
+VAN SOLO
You are more than welcome!
I would stay with the copper until it meets the tempering valve myself. The water could get exceptionally hot so copper would be my choice. Be sure to install a temperature pressure relief valve on the tank. This is a must.
Not exactly sure of the set up, but always safety first.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
+TheOldkid888 My thoughts exactly, I appreciate your feedback! Look forward to watching more of your videos! Cheers!
VAN SOLO
My pleasure!
Stay tuned.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
any difference on larger pex or copper same test ?TY great vid!
I'm only seeing sharkbite and zurn and home depot or plumbing supply. where you getting veiga or rehau systems from
Question for you. I bought a roll of the clear pex (pex A) and I left it in my van for a day, in the front seat....before it dawned on me a day later to put it in a black contractor bag to protect it. Now, do you think that one day of possible exposure ruined it? Thanks. I love you vids by the way.
Hello TheFloorBoys;
No worries there. If I am not mistaken, the Pex A that you are talking about is 90 day UV protected. The clear that you bought is called Uponor or Wirsbo. I have used it quite often and have switched over to Viega. that has a 1 year protection. Biggest thing when installing pex is to keep it away from UV rays. I have seen it crack from over exposure.
You are good to go with what you have purchased.
thanks for commenting and best of luck with your project! Al
The possible reason why they did not split might be that there was not water pressure in these pipes when they froze. You only had standing water in them. Remember in a functioning water system in a house, you have 25-30 psi in the pipes which would create more pressure and then even more when they freeze.
+Ari P
Possibly so. I know pex A can expand so there should be no issues with it when it does freeze. There are a number of places in bungalows where they drain the system and not all the water is removed from the lines and have no issues in the spring. If that was copper you would have many leaks in the spring; so it is great for places like that. May see a video of it frozen with pressure in the future.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Water molecules connect when they become still from cold which what causes the splitting of tubing not water pressure. Look it up and you also find out there are different types of ice as well.
@@cravinbob In general you are right, although I think the point is that in this test, if there is any room at all left in the pipe to allow for expansion, even a tiny air bubble, it would greatly reduce the chances for splitting. A pressurized system in a house has much less chance for air space.
You must have low water pressure, where I am it's between 40 and 60 psi.
I have Uponor AquaPEX exposed in my basement. I don't think it gets direct sunlight but the basement has small windows and CFL bulbs which are not left on unless I'm in the basement probable less then 2 hours a month. Should I be worried about UV. It's been like this for 2-3 years since I moved in. Thanks.
Hello fakeusa;
Sorry I missed your comment. I would put a little insulation and cover it to be on the safe side, but I wouldn't be to concerned about it.
I have seen it where it was exposed to fluorescent lights 24/7 and it finally cracked after 5 years. So there would be really no deterioration or very, very little to the piping in your home.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
You can use Pex and crimped fittings and you will be fine if the pipe freezes. If you use Pex and sharkbite fittings, and the pipes freeze, you might have a few sharkbite fittings that pop off the pipe itself.
Hello Willilly Bab;
I have come across a few places where pex has been frozen all winter and when the spring arrived; not a leak.
It was pretty impressive!
You maybe right with the sharkbite; I haven't found any places yet to see this happen, but when I do; I will make note of it.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
An interesting comparison, however part of what makes pipes burst isn't just the water inside freezing, though that is sometimes enough, it's the combination of normal water pressure from the street, and freezing, the freezing drives the inside pressure through the roof. Also was the length of copper pipe type M or type L? For those who are not aware type L copper pipe has almost twice the wall thickness of type M.
Hello A. Fritz Becker,
Very true about pressure being one factor, but I have seen many pipes freeze and split with zero pressure or low pressure. Drain lines such as traps will split easily if they are left without a nearby heat source. I am sure you are familiar with this taking place. Generally it occurs in crawl spaces unfortunately.
I used type L copper in this video. I only use type L on potable water and type M on hot water heating systems myself.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Hey Fritz;
If things ever get slow in the hvac world; you should consider comedy.Too funny!
No,just eating all my greens.
I was surprised that none of them split. Even the wholesaler told me that veiga would probably split.They are all made of crosslink poly.Apparently there is room for expansion.
I was always curious about it in the cold. A little more knowledge about it.Darn, I'll be making it soon!
Pex definitely rules; along with sharkbites. Big fan here for sure!
Tks friend.
Take care.Al
Great video Al !! Pex is about all I use these days unless a customer demands something else. I've bought pex from many places and many styles and all had a label that said do not allow to be in sunlight,lol. The HD guy must can't read. Still using copper crimp rings due to cost and ease and been using them 10 years. Like those other styles though. Take care brother. Brett
In PEX plumbing you should use the exact fittings that each manufacturer has designed for it's product. PEX A is the best
in cold and/or freezing applications because of the expansion capabilities of type A. The crimp tool works fine for bench work but try using it up in a joist space. Clumsy and impossible in many cases. I use the Uponor Propex with great success and
the UV problem is easily overcome by wrapping the Pex with insulation or hiding it in PVC (like a conduit) if sunlight contact
is possible. Sharkbites are quick and dirty but remember your seal is nothing more than a "O" ring that will fail in time. You already mentioned the high price. The typical home center product is B mostly. A good product but again I don't like the
crimp rings and clumsy tool needed. Copper is pricing itself out of favor and the top grades of Pex are a great substitute.
Hello moomike;
All good points...thank you!
The price of copper has priced itself out of the plumbing world when it comes to residential. Pex is that much faster and cheaper. Most tools can be bothersome to use depending where the connections are being made.
The crimp ring is more superior then the cinch clamps in my books. I have seen many homes done with that system.
I know the sharkbite is fast and painless, but the jury is still out on their life expectancy as far a leak occurring. The one o-ring is the only seal, but they have been around for a few decades now just not in North America.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
cant even open it enough to put around the ring in a tight area ...I used push fittings i bought from eBay and they leaked right after installation .
Hello OldKid! You're videos on Pex are phenomenal and very, very helpful. I will be attempting to plumb my first house using all pex, and information obtained from your videos! I will be adding a tankless water heater, considering I'm already plumbing the entire house. What would you recommended for different sizes of pex as far as what should input and output at the water heater, and once my manifolds are created would it be acceptable to run 1/2" Pex to each of the faucets and rest of the fittings throughout the house?
+Andrew Adams
You want to go into the unit with 3/4 and come out into a manifold of 3/4 with 1/2 inch branches coming off it.
I am a big fan of running 1/2 to every fixture. That is how I would run the pex.
If you want you can run one 1/2" hot line to the bath/shower and tee off to the basin while doing that. Chances of you using both the basin and shower in the bathroom at the same time are slim. That is the only place where I would consider doing that.
You are in the right direction. Best of luck with the project!
Thanks for commenting and if you have any further questions fire away. Al
+TheOldkid888 Great information! Thanks again!
Andrew Adams
More than welcome!
Best of luck! Al
PEx came into the plumbing world in the 1940s, that was a LOOONG wait to do this experiment
Hello Prinz Eugen,
LOL!
Mother nature probably did it numerous times since then. Just never had it on camera.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Hello Steve Pond;
I can't give you an answer on the heat tape. I can say that the pipe can freeze and when it thaws there is usually no leaks. Speaking from my dealings with it so far!
What should I lube my rubber truck door seals with, for winter?
Hello again I am having a problem with crimp tool ...cant even open it enough to put around the ring in a tight area ...I used push fittings i bought from eBay and they leaked right after installation ... Removed them and Now i will try cinch or sharkbite brand. Any suggestions ? The cinch tool might work ..Please advise.
Hello Sajid,
Sorry to hear that. Were the push fittings Sharkbite?
I have had great luck with these fittings where they were needed. Be certain to mark the pipe the amount that it is going into the fitting. This will allow you to be certain that it has gone on all the way. pipe goes into 1/2" fittings 7/8ths of an inch. 3/4 fittings aloow the pipe to go in 1-1/8th. I generally mark the pipe with a marker.
One thing to keep in mind before you make a joint...ask yourself if the next joint can be made where it is located.
If not I would crimp all joints on a fitting and place the fitting with the pieces of pipe in place and make the crimp where it is easy to get at. It takes a bit of planning, but it works every time.
The cinch tool will work for you as well.
Thanks for commenting and let me know how you get along....Al
No...They were not sharkbite brand . I bought them on eBay . The seller admitted there were problem fittings and is being very co operative in taking them back ..BUT, I have lost many hours of labour in re opening the dry walls and removing them ( their removal was extremely difficult ) . . They are even sending me a free Cinch tool to try crimp types wherever i can..Yes, i agree, planning is needed to handle the area which is difficult to get the tool in. I will buy sharkbite brand for wherever i cant reach with crimp tool or cinch tool . And, oh yeah, my pipes were all the way in to the marked line . Thanks !
Hello Sajid,
Sharkbite work very well. Remember to mark them if you are going to use them.
The cinch tool will get into almost any space. You should be all set!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al
Let me know how you get along!
The Home Depot stores in Minnesota all sell "Sharkbite" brand type-B PEX.
Hello IceDevil200;
Thanks very much for the info!
Much appreciated!
Thanks for commenting and have a good day! Al
I'm curious, has anyone tried this test and also measured the diameter of the pipe in its room temperature and frozen condition? I'm wondering how much of the water's expansion was absorbed by stretching the PEX versus pushing into the fittings or even moving the fitting itself (as happened with the copper example)?
Hello James,
I will say that a friend of mine used it in his barn and it froze over the winter. When it thawed in the spring; he simply reattached the pipe from the inside of the house and turned on the water. Didn't have a leak.
It was the Uponor (wirsbo) system that he used.
Hope this helps..
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your day! Al
I had a full replacement from copper to PEX this summer. I had copper in the house I live in and experienced no less that 10-15 pinhole leaks over the past 15-20 years. I woke up this morning, went to the kitchen and turned the knob on my kitchen faucet, Nothing came out! I realized that I didn't leave a faucet dripping! I took a space heater into the attic where the pex was crossing the house. Within 10-15 minutes, the water was running! My copper pipes would have split and cost me alot of $$, I can promise you having PEX in your house will give you peace of mind, Also, it will be a good upgrade to advertise when you sell your home.
Hello Mike,
There are a number of factors that go into the life expectancy of copper; water acidity, minerals and the grade of the copper to mention a few. Type M copper with the red label is used quite often for waterlines. It has the thinnest wall and is the cheapest copper pipe. I have seen it used quite often in homes for waterlines, but I believe it should be used on heating only.
That is one advantage of pex as far as freezing goes. You can simply apply a heater to the area and it will thaw. Like you said...if it was copper; it would have split.
I am a pex fan myself. Will be for life.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Guess i disagree with the shark bite being excellent. Good for a wick repair yes. Last a long time without leaking maybe most of the time. I know I've personally seen those kind of fittings blow off without being froze. Also i prefer a total strong physical connection over a rubber o ring which you have to wander when it'll rot. And I'm guessing after that one freeze test there if it happened a couple times you'd lose all connection. But maybe I'm picky but no push on connectors for me especially in my house or under my foundation or anywhere that could cause damage from leaks or be hard to access later.
Hello jackle842000,
I am all about solid connections myself, but the Sharkbite do work well. Would I use them underground or behind walls....probably not. As far as them blowing off; if they are installed properly chances to slim to none. I have used them up to two inch in size and have had great success with them. I think installation is key in having a watertight connection. They have been around for a few decades now and I have done several tests on them.
I made a video also using weights..... I placed Sharkbite couplings and pipe together (copper and Pex). I then hung it from a beam and placed 275 pounds on the bottom piece and they did not come off. The teeth only dug in deeper. One of the biggest mistakes people make when installing them is not marking the pipe at the depth where it bottoms out in the fitting. There is a half way point where the pipe feels like it has gone into the fitting the complete distance when in fact it hasn't. It geenrally needs another push. That is why marking the pipe is very important.
I have done several tests on them and they have passed them all.
I know they are not everyone's go to, but they do work well especially where water is an issue.
That being said...you can't beat a soldered joint.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
residing in Maine, temps can drop to -20 for days during the winter, can I safely use a heat tape along the side of PEX piping
Find out whom the manufacturer is, and ask them whether you can use heat tape on their product, other then that they usually have a temperature rating printed on the side of the tubing . One problem with any plastic pipe is that heat can weaken it somewhat, the amount of pressure it can take drops.
How does your PEX get exposed to UV inside your wall or in your basement? Also, it doesn't matter what color or clear the plastic is, exposure to UV will cause it to become brittle and shorten the life of the plastic.
Hello Felix,
The first time I saw it happen it was caused by florescent lighting that give off UV rays, but you probably knew this already. Piping is run in basements and many do have florescent lighting as you know.
Made a video on it if you are interested...ruclips.net/video/V4pII1llVcU/видео.html
UV rays will cause the pipe to break down, but every manufacturer has a different UV rating and some are much higher than others. Do some research on it and you may be surprised.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
Unless these were brought up to room temp we didn't learn anything except for the shark bites. That being said I also believe PEX is the way to go when freeze /thaw is an issue.
Is that a Toronto accent you're sporting?
Hello ZephZhang;
No. Coming from the eastern coast line.
Thanks for commenting and have a great day! Al
I wonder if pex is toxic like pvc is??? I heard they're using pex in Europe which is encouraging but not always foolproof.
Hello fonduemonkey;
I am not sure if it is toxic, but it has been used for over 4 decades in Europe.
I am using it for most of the work that I am doing now unless the owners want copper.
It is exceptionally fast to install as well.
Thanks for commenting and have a good day!
Al
TheOldkid888
Thank you for replying. I just spoke to a man who designed the best water filtration system i have seen. He recommends only using copper. His name is Al McDonald. Check out his website ,,, amacwater.com ,,, and read up on his filtration system. It's not the shortest read in the world but very eye opening. amacwater.com/whole-house-filtration. Then call him and ask him his opinion on pex vs. copper and why he recommends his filtration system. I would love to see you do a video on what you find out from him. BTW what part of N. America are you in???
Hello
I read the article. Interesting read. You can spend as much money as you want when it comes to filtration systems. Into the thousands
easily.
I am from the east coast of Canada.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck with the project! Al
allplastic is toxic to one degree or another it s a petro product. google spark people otto warburg
Are you a Viega representative in anyway and are being paid by them?
+avendco
Definitely not a Viega Rep.
I have had no contact with the manufacturer. I simply install it.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
How long does it take to become a master plumber? And get a license?
Hello Dorsey;
You would be looking at about 5 years to get your journeyman's license. You can go to school for the first block or two and then you must work to get your hours. 10,000 hours are required which is about 5 years in total. It use to be 8000 hours. You will be given hours when you go to school for your first block. The biggest thing is to get your hours as quickly as possible and this all depends on the company you are working for.
Thanks for commenting and have a good week! Al
ice in the supply line is not the direct cause of having a pipe burst. the ice that forms in the pipe expands into the pipe and pressurizes the water in the line. the water busts the pipe.
the problem in this experiment is that there was not enough water in the line to pressurize. in an actual system the ice would keep growing and increasing the pressure of the water in the line, which may or may not burst the pipe. we know that it will burst copper.
this experiment simply used material that was too small. the physics is that you simply cannot generate the pressure needed to burst a pipe.
also, Ive done this experiment with a 10 ft 1/2" copper pipe with shark bite caps. I put half the pipe out the window in freezing winter, and kept the other half inside. the copper pipe split but the shark bite did not fail. you cannot force a shark bite. I believe this experiment did not properly fit the shark bite.
Im not 100% sure, any longer, but I think that after thawing one of the shark bites in my experiment was destroyed and fell apart.
ps...if the water in the supply lines freeze increasing water pressure, and the pipe does not burst, something's gotta give! that would be the faucet.
p.s-Ice is most definitely the direct cause of burst pipes.
doo a lil test doo a lil test put it all out and figure out the bestt
Hello Gary,
I Like It!
Very well put!
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your week! Al
I have recently moved to the southern part of the U.S. where they build a lot of homes on slabs and there seems to be an awful lot of pin holes developing in the pex not to mention the problems with the fittings on certain brands corroding. I would never buy a house on a slab with this stuff in it. I have a friend right now looking at tens of thousands of dollars of slab damage and possibly even jacking up the house to pour a new slab basically. My house isn't going in the freezer in 12 inch pieces so I really don't get the point of this.
+Rick James
I live in an area where temperatures are anything but warm as compared to the southern part of the U.S. and this video is for people who live in areas with cold temps. Temperature at the present time is 32 degrees Fahrenheit
(0 Celsius) and it is only going to get colder for about 5 months. There are many bungalows in Canada and the upper U.S. where the temperature drops below freezing and cracked copper waterlines is a problem; so most pex can freeze and thaw in the spring with no worries of leaks.
I know exactly what you are talking about when it comes to pinholes and cracking of pex pipe. I see it in this area as well. Pex cannot be exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time.
Pex pipe manufacturers state different UV protections. Some being as short as 90 days. Others may even be shorter.
I know there are manufacturers that have one year protection on their product as well.
There are a few things that allow this to happen. One thing is the installer may have that pex in his or her vehicle out of the box for an extended length of time before it is installed. This allows the sun's rays to slowly break the product down.
Another thing that I see quite often in many areas is pipe that comes through slabs not being covered which allows the sun's rays to break it down as well. Often someone will install the slab and get to the structure at a later date. By then the pipe has basically become brittle and cracks off.
Fluorescent lights act the exact same way as the sun and break it down as well. Have seen this first hand where cracking and pinholes have occurred from this lighting.
A friend of mine used it for water feeding the slide in his pool and half way through the summer the pipe sprang leaks and had to be replaced.
The bottom line is the pipe should not be exposed to the sun for an extended length of time as it will deteriorate rather quickly.
I am not aware if many plumbers know this or not, but I once asked the question at a big box store and the guy working the area had no idea about UV protection.
Pex pipe has been around for over 5 decades, but we must know what to do to make it last. Keeping it covered and out of direct sunlight and away from fluorescent lights are critical when it comes to the life expectancy of the product.
The manufacturers do say it only has a certain length of UV protection. It is basically up to the installer do the rest.
I am not a Pex expert by any means, but have seen first hand what can happen if it is not protected.
Thanks for commenting and best of luck in the future! Al
According to your test copper Durant burst when frozen. We know that's not true. You commented when filling the first pex tube that there was an air bubble in there. Any air, which is compressible, invalidates the test.
"doesnt burst"... stupid phone!
I have a piece of pex that froze and burst last winter in my garage.. After I watched your video I wondered why. There is a couple of feet of copper from the pex to the outside water valve on the back of the house. My theory is that when the water in the copper froze and expanded that increase in volume which caused the pressure necessary to burst the pex. Also, the pex must have frozen is a second place trapping the water else it would have forced the water back out the incoming line. My house was built in 1970 and does not have a back flow preventer. The pex has expanded and now I can't get a sharkbite fitting on the pex to reconnect the line after I cut out the break.
An issue with the freezing test. Wouldn't it be more realistic to refill the tubes and refreeze several times. If the pex is expanded each time it freezes it will eventually break. If it is not going to break it must expand and then contract . It just can't keep on expanding. TheOldkid888, please don't take this as a criticism, the test you did was great and I recognize it took a lot of time to do it and make the video, thanks for your efforts.
In what world does a frozen water pipe freeze and then continue to expand without being able to contract again when thawed? Idiot
I'm sure you're aware of the class action lawsuit brought against VIEGA in 2013 and anyone who used VIEGA products can file a claim against them.
+avendco
I have to be honest with you I have heard nothing about a lawsuit against them. I know one of the other manufacturers had one a number of years prior, but nothing about Viega.
I started using Viega because of the cost of Rehau.
It's gone through the roof the last few years.
I will check it out.
Thanks for commenting and have a great week! Al
Not a good way to test pex. Find some pex that's 4 or 5 years old and see what happens. It doesn't do very well. After a few years pex becomes brittle. I have been a plumber for 45 years....
Hello barry,
I have been using pex for over twenty years now and it only becomes brittle if it is exposed to UV rays or florescent lights for long periods of time. I have seen it happen twice. Made a video on it. Pipe was exposed to florescent lights 24/7 for years.
As long as the pex is not exposed to direct rays from either source you will have no issues. I have joined Uponor pex that I installed 18 years earlier and had no issues.
A lot depends on where and how it is installed.
Thanks for commenting and enjoy your weekend! Al