My whole house copper to PEX & Manabloc conversion project
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- Опубликовано: 24 май 2019
- After years of pinhole leaks and failed joints, I decided to replace the 19 year old copper pipes in my house. This is a video journal showing how I did the install and cutover to PEX alongside my copper, one fixture at a time. I used ViegaPex, which is PEX-B, and copper crimp rings.
Some links and info:
MANABLOC (9 hot, 15 cold) - www.supplyhouse.com/Viega-502...
Zurn QCRTMH Crimp Tool kit - www.amazon.com/Zurn-QCRTMH-Mu...
Husky Flexible Tube Cutter - www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Fle...
Most items purchased from www.supplyhouse.com
Blue & red Viega PEX, 100’ rolls, 3/8”, 1/2", 3/4"
I used a combination of fittings and valves from Viega, Bluefin, and Dahl, all worked perfectly.
This video is such an inspiration. Nothing about plumbing but about problem solving. Acceptance of what needs to be done, step by step patience and dedication and focus on the little steps and not just the end result. May not seem like much to you but it's a big deal to take on a project like this and putting one foot in front of the other at a time. I'm not like this at all and that's why this video is so inspiring for me. I'll remember this video next time I have a project that seems daunting. You're a grown up now. LOL
This comment was so profound it left me speechless for a month! Thank you so much. I was super stressed out with all the problems I was having and didn't want to do this project, but I felt like it was inevitable. I embraced it and did my best, and thankfully it was a big success. So anything I can do to help others, I am glad to do.
Thanks for doing this video. I moved into a 100 year old house. My plumbing is way overdue for total replacement so I'm looking at the exact same project.
same lmao. 86 years old
I’m in the process of doing this exact same thing. So far so good. Just need to connect the supply hot and cold lines. This stuff is so easy to work with. Good video.
I meant to ask the size you used for the supply line PEx tubing?
3/4" PEX tubing for hot & cold supply to Manabloc. Also 3/4" coming out of my pressure tank and through the sediment filter. All the fixtures the Manabloc supplies are either 1/2" or 3/8"
Thanks for sharing this. It's good to know that I'm not crazy thinking I can do this too. It might be harder because I'm in a much older home with plaster walls, but I'm still going to make the switch.
This was one of the more ambitious projects I've done, but so worth it. Planning, and having the right tools is key. If you can do it one fixture at a time it definitely takes the pressure off. Once I got to that point it went quickly.
Wow, fantastic job! I’m planning to do exactly the same thing so this was an excellent video for me to watch how you did this. Very well planned and thought out, and you deserve that cold Killians, one of my favorites too, cheers! 💪🏻💥👍🏻😁
Thank you so much, I'm glad it helped!!
Thanks for posting! I’m buying everything this week to replace my copper plumbing. I found out that the solder has lead in it in all my plumbing and that’s got to go lol.
Houses, the gift that keeps on giving! I'm really happy with how my project turned out. Nothing's perfect, but I think this system is so much better than copper.
BluesriderDF amen to that. I’m huge on doing it myself before I call a pro. As longs as it works the way it supposed to, cosmetics really don’t matter. Out of sight out of mind lol.
That looks great!!
Thanks so much! I really dreaded doing this project, especially cutting into drywall because I stink at fixing that stuff. But it really needed to get done and it was such a relief when I finished.
Great job!! You saved a hella lot of money doing it yourself. It was amazing how thin the copper was and now I'm thinking about my house.
Thanks! I'm exhausted, LOL. Now it's off my mind and I can enjoy summer riding. 😊
Some houses go 50+ years without a copper issue, and others don't make it 15. It all depends on your water.
@@bluesriderDF Before upating the plumbing, how can I check on the water type/quality? My plumber says he only does copper because it's the best, but so many videos on youtube like this say otherwise.
@D Z I ended up going with copper. Unfortunately commenting on youtube has cons because of they delay in response, but also the trustworthiness on the other side since you don't know who is who (no offense!) haha there's just too much info and when both sides are saying one something different, it's hard to know who is giving the most accurate info. So far so good with the copper.
@D Z I did plenty of research lol. I saw plenty of problems with PEX and talked to 6 different plumbers all around Chicago and a handful of investors too. They all said copper. Just because you do something one way, doesn't mean it's the right way.
Wow! You know a lot more about pipes and plumbing than you humbly admit. I would have loved to see how you tweaked the copper out of the walls. Must have been crazy! Anyway, excellent job!
Well thank you! That's what 35 years of homeowner repairs will do for you. I bought a new copper cutter just for the removal, my old one couldn't handle it.
ha nice touch with all the funny clips and such - thanks for posting
Thanks for commenting :)
Nice video. Thanks you for doing it.
I suspect you had some type M copper tubing (red marking)which is much thinner than the standard type L copper tubing (blue marking) now required for potable water. Plus your water chemistry must be bad for copper. I live in NY and here even type M will last for generations.
I live in a ranch house built in 1948 with galvanized pipe. This was repiped in the open basement with copper. The stuff in the walls going up to the bath fixtures is galvanized inside the walls. This is showing signs of needing to be replaced. I will be replacing that with PEX. I will be using brass or copper stubouts because i don't like plastic floppy stubouts. Very little wall access will be needed and I have done some drywall work before.
Thanks again for the well organized and edited video. It will be very useful.
Thanks for the feedback, I hope your project goes well!
I have been redoing the hot water in my house. I haven't had leaks but the delay usage points for hot water are scattered around the house and it took over 2 minutes to get hot water to one bathroom. I just put a string of T's at the water heater with a ball valve on each the ran a 3/8 line to each bathroom and the kitchen. Going from a circuitous half-inch steel pipe to a direct 3/8" pex line cut my time for hot water from 157 seconds to 30 and reduced the waste water by the same ratio. The 3/8 line delivers plenty of water hot for one bathroom.
My runs aren't that long, but I definitely see an improvement with 3/8" hot water going to upstairs lavatories.
Thank you, great work!
Thanks for watching!
Excellent. Thumbs up. I am about to do my place.
Awesome, here's wishing you success!
Great video. I redid all my crawlspace with pex. My risers are in good condition. A friend is looking to replumb his entire house and has gotten quotes of $7000 and up.
Yowza!! I did my whole house, including the tools I needed, for approx $1,200
@@bluesriderDF His quote also did not include any drywall replacement or paint. Crazy. Trying to talk him into me helping him rip it all out. Haha.
@@sparks6666 The worst part of the whole project was replacing the dry wall, I hate that stuff!
I knew someone who had the same problem with copper pipe detoriation it seemed to occur only on the hot line. Hard water which is high in minerals can cause this problem.
Awesome job. I’m in the process of doing this to my house but right now I only have two cold and one hot lines going to a remodeled bathroom. Right now 3/4 pex is from the water meter to copper with shark bite connection. I’m planning on going straight to manabloc from water meter but how do I branch off the main line to the rest of the copper lines until I get pex run to the other outlets?
Thanks!
Get a 3/4" PEX tee. Crimp version is $4, Sharkbite version is $14. With this you can branch off. You may also need 3/4" PEX to copper fitting.
Very good thank you.
Great vid...I am planning to do the same thing in a few weeks as I have oil boiler with coil water heating system within boiler. I have a few questions to ask. How's the water pressure using 1/2 and 3/8 pex? Would I get better water flow and pressure using 1/2 for each fixture and pass inspection as I would like to have a better pressure on multiple shower heads setup? Did you also do homerun to manabloc for baseboard heating pipes?. if you have to do it all over, what would you do different?
1/2" for bathtub/shower, washer, hose bibs, utility sink. 3/8" for toilet, kitchen/bath sink, dishwasher/refrigerator. No issue with water pressure anywhere. 3/8" allows cold water to purge faster since there's less volume. Avoid cuts and elbows, try to do uninterrupted runs from manifold to fixture. I have no idea about baseboard heating, sorry. If I had to do over again...hmm...nothing comes to mind. Everything is working fine. I researched a lot, took my time, used good materials & tools. Worst part of the whole thing is dealing with drywall.
Great video! I am about to make my all in one purchase from supplyhouse etc. Quick question, what kind of hookups did you use for the washing machine? From the pex to the actual valve, thank you!
Do a search for "washing machine outlet box"
Great video sir. Any chance you could list the tools you used for your project.
Thanks! I added some links to the video description. I would use these same items again, all worked well. They make a crimp tool for tight spaces which would have been easier in some instances, but since this was a one-time project I got by with just the one. The Zurn kit was really great. i didn't have to redo a single crimp.
Looking at this in the next few months. House built in the 70s & I'm sure they used lead solder back them😉... hasn't hurt me yet, but every 6 months or so the next weakest link goes & I'm off to spend 50$ at home Depot ...& Waste a day.
Thanks for the video
Yup, nothing like a plumbing week to rearrange your whole day!
Great video. I'm going to be replacing polybutylene with Pex A in my house but I'm more concerned with the drywall work. Did you reuse the cut out sections of drywall?
I've reused drywall sections from time to time if they are cut cleanly, but in this case I just got a few new 4x8 sheets, which was all I needed to replace what was cut. Each time I do dry wall I get a little better at it but I have a long way to go.
There is a newer mud from UGS called Plus 3 (blue lettering on the bucket), and it's easier to work with than the standard bucket with green letteting.
Great video. This is exactly what I have to do to change over. A question I have is, would there be any issues using snakebite T for the main line coming in then to the manabloc, and still branching to the house copper and hwh, and a snakebite T from the hwh to the house copper and manbloc instead of sweating those copper adapters? Thanks again. I’ll be watching this numerous times in the coming weeks
Sorry I missed replying to this last year. How did your project go?
Great overview video. I'm curious the net cost after you take out copper scrap metal cash back. Should pay for the manablock, required tools and a decent amount of tubing.
I got around $100 for the copper. There wasn't as much as you'd think. The house is around 1,900 sq ft and the water fixtures were all relatively close to each other, no long runs. Glad you enjoyed the vid.
The net cost was $950 including tools. Saved thousands doing it myself.
Outstanding work. Thanks for the video. I have a different problem, my 20 year old home is piped with CPVC. Supposedly has a 50-70 year lifetime, we now know it starts to get extremely brittle after 10-15 years. I broken two water lines during a remodel of a bathroom. The pipes shattered like glass. Supposedly, it also starts to crack and leak spontaneously after some point.
I'm considering replumbing with PEX, but its a big house, concrete slab (no basement access to plumbing.
Just out of curiosity, how much did materials cost you? How much time did this take? Did you get an estimate on how much to have a plumber do this work?
Wow, that's crazy about CPVC, yikes! My PEX job cost me approx $1,000 including tools. I didn't get a quote but I am certain it would have been a min of $4,000. It took me about 32 hours for install. Then drywall repairs on top of that.
What really made it easier was being able to cutover one fixture at a time.
Great job bro!
I need to do to same to my home, will not be as difficult as yours..
I'm just confused on where and how to start... Any advice would be appreciated.
Supplyhouse.com is a great resource.
First, how many hot/cold ports do you need? Then choose the appropriate size Manabloc. Next, decide on PEX-A or PEX-B. PEX-A is made by Uponor. It's more flexible, and allows a bit more water volume. However it requires a fairly expensive tool for installation. PEX-B is available from several companies. I went with Viega. With PEX-B you can use copper crimp rings or steel cinch clamps. I went with the rings because I felt they were reliable and they also look better. But the clamps are quite reliable also. I also realize now that the clamps are a little easier to install because the tool doesn't have to wrap-around the PEX tubing. You can get in tighter and closer with the clamps. Next, decide if you are removing all the old plumbing first, or if you're going to do a gradual install like I did. Do research, watch videos, ask questions. It seemed daunting in the beginning but once I got going it wasn't that bad. Take your time, and don't take shortcuts you'll regret later.
where did you get the 90 degree bends? is supplyhouse the cheapest place to get pex supplies? thanks
90 degree bend supports at Supplyhouse.com
Thanks for the Video, I have the same setup with a well and bladder tank that I will need to convert. I was wondering if the use of the Manabloc reduced the overall pressure to the system/fixtures? I have a 40 gallon bladder with a 50-60 switch and maintaining pressure with multiple users is a problem that I don't want to multiply. Thanks, JA
There's only 2 of us here and we have a 30/50. I used 3/8" PEX to sink, toilets, smaller stuff, and 1/2" to tub/shower, hoses, washer, etc.
It sounds small but this kept the same level of pressure I had with copper. There's a write-up explaining the logic of using the recommended tubing sizes.
To answer your question, you should not have a loss of wonder pressure.
@@bluesriderDF thanks for taking the time to respond. It’s interesting to downsize the feeds, never thought of that. Will need to research that a bit.
Super nice job -- thank you so much for sharing this! I live in Folsom, CA where everyone is getting pinhole leaks in their copper piping causing tons of damage. So I'm thinking about doing this myself. How long did the entire project take?
Thanks! Once I got all the parts ordered, it took me 2 weeks off and on, but more specifically, 35 hours, for the entire plumbing work...not counting drywall repairs (which I hate, because I am not good at it!) It went faster than I expected. Routing the tubing to the 2nd floor was a bit or work because I was alone, so a lot of trips up & down stairs. I kinked 1 tube and had to discard it and pull a new one, otherwise no problems there. I had 1 or 2 spots where crimping was a struggle because space was tight and the tool I had needed to be opened up so far. I like the look of the brass rings, but the stainless steel rings are easier, especially in tight spaces. And they are very strong.
I always start at the source,test your water, correct problems, 80 years old hose with original soft copper,no problems
You know how they say you don't know what you don't know? Turned out it had nothing to do with the water chemistry. There was some voltage leaking into the copper from a bad piece of romex. I had already committed to PEX at that point, and I had no idea how much copper was still damaged that I didn't know about. I have no regrets. The job will outlive me.
Nice video!
I'm preparing to do this to my 45 year old home.
Since you're on a well, have you noticed an improvement in pressure after changing to PEX? I'm on well and I had plumbers tell me changing to PEX would likely increase pressure since there is likely much corrosion and sediment sitting on the bottom of the horizontal copper piping. I'm hoping for this to be the case.
Hey thanks for watching! I have a 30/50 pressure switch and I haven't noticed any changes since the conversion. I'm not sure why the pressure would change, really.
Soon or later, I'm gonna do this to my home!! Nice 👌!!!!!
Congrats man, GREAT video! And you definitely earned that cold beer. Really solid content, and I appreciate you sharing.
A couple questions (I am a newbie): I imagine you couldn't connect the Pex directly to the water heater because it could get too hot (correct?), but why did you use the new copper in between the Pex and the braided steel lines (as opposed to connecting the Pex directly to the braided steel)? Also, it made a lot of sense why you avoided extra elbows/joints, so thanks for explaining that. But why did you need the two elbows going to your water filter? Couldn't you have also made that short run without any elbows at all? Just curious.
Hey buddy...I don't exactly know why I put those copper pieces in at the water heater. I guess I could've done what you said, I just didn't give it a lot of thought.
At the water filter I had limited space and I needed to do a full 180 to get the water main going in the right direction, so I used the elbows. I've seen professional installs with way more elbows than mine. I don't have any problems with water pressure. It's just over a year now and I'm super happy with how everything came out.
Great video.
Thanks so much!!
Great work and really inspiring for the amateur homeowners! I'm inheriting a family home with old cast iron piping/copper combos and this will cure my nightmares!
Couple questions - 1. For the water heater - why did you choose to do [copper to sharkbite] fittings versus [copper soldered to pex barb] fittings? 2. Did you find any benefit between the brass vs original 'synthetic' PEX fittings?
I guess it didn't occur to me that the PEX could go right into the Sharkbite fittings for the water heater. So yes I could do that. I've never used plastic fittings, I like brass for strength.
Replacing iron & copper with PEX is a nice upgrade!
Thanks for the response! Will be referencing this video in the future!
Did the water pressure decreased? I've read about the 1/2 inch fittings having 3/8s holes?
No drop in pressure at all. 3/8 to kitchen & bath sinks, toilets, dishwasher & fridge, 1/2" to tub/showers, garage sink, hours, washer. One key is to avoid elbows, which I did. There's lots to read on this topic. Smaller lines to sinks that don't need larger means there's less cold water in the line to purge, for example.
Excellent video! I strongly suggest that you never buy a tankless water heater in a house with such terrible water quality for you will be needing to flush it every couple of weeks!! Tankless are great, but only if your water quality is excellent. Hard water is bad for tankless quickly gumming up the heat exchanger with sediments, but corrosive water.... I just can't think that will end well. Buy a stainless steel tank (expensive), not a glass-lined steel one next time so you are not changing the tank out every couple of years. Another option is a Rheem Marathon electric tank which has a plastic (polybutene) tank, which the manufacturer claims is "impervious to rust and corrosion". Good luck and thanks for the excellent video.
Thanks! After additional research I decided to stick with a traditional water heater. My current one is almost 6yo. I flush it every 6 mos and I replaced the anode rod when needed. If I can get 8 years out of them I am happy with that.
Did you avoid 90 degree crimps because of potential leak points at every crimp, or because of water flow restriction at every crimp point?
For both reasons you mentioned. I just wanted to be as simple & efficient as possible. Fewer points of failure.
Nice video. I am about to undertake similar project in my home. Not sure I would have cable tied the tunes together to allow each pipe to expand/contract on its own. Did you manukau crimp the clamps or use a power tool? I m looking at doing Pex-A Rehau and am buying the Milwaukee Pex expansion tool. Did you upsize the pipe at all or have you found flow and pressure to be fine? I started grabbing pics and video to put something together for RUclips as well. Unfortunately my home does not lend itself to home runs for everything, but I may split the home into 4 zones.
Hey bud, I manually crimped, I used rings. The Milwaukee tool is SWEET but I would never have used it again. I went with the recommendation to use 3/8" tubing for the little stuff (bath lavs, kitchen sink, toilets, dishwasher, fridge) and 1/2" for the bigger stuff. This worked out great! No regrets with anything I did so far. Coming up on 3 years in May '22. Sounds like you have a plan!
@@bluesriderDF year I was going to do pex-b and upsize pipes, but name brand pex b is hard to find here, so pex a it is. Looks like in your comments you used Viega pipe? That is good stuff, will probably out live you. My thought are if I never use the tool again I either eBay it or it is still worth it as plumbers were quoting me $6-7k more than what I will spend in tools and materials. Glad it worked out for you, pex sure does make diy easy.
@HDTVKeith I know what you mean, I've done many jobs where I bought the tools and still spent less than if I hired someone to do it. I've always hated soldering and having to completely dry the inside of a pipe before it would take.
"That could have been a really bad day" 🤣👍
I could've been a strip of bacon!
I want to do it like you keeping the old lines live while I'm still upgrading. How did you keep both systems running?
Do one fixture at a time and cap off any lines in your house that you cut that will have water running through it. You don’t even have to solder. Just grab a couple shark bite caps.
@@jadynhall5654 How did you supply the manabloc while supplying the old lines? Did you split the main line and the hot from water heater?
Yes, it's shown right in the video. I made splitter tees at the water supply and the HWH so I could feed both copper and PEX systems.
He showed that, 3 way intersections keep new and old system fed
Awesome video. What do you estimate was the final price tag for this conversion? THANKS
It cost me approx $1,000 including tools. It took me about 32 hours for install. Then drywall repairs on top of that. Plastic is cheaper than copper! 😁
@@bluesriderDF THANKS !
Plumbers use soft Copper because its easier to bend but a little harter to cut with cutting Tool. , its not really weak. I have a lot of it in my house. But I also want to install a manifold System with all the Modus I've been doing.
I am familiar with soft copper, used some of it on a previous house for small sections before I knew what I was doing. But they didn't use any soft copper here.
Copper M & L are both hard, M has 0.028" wall thickness, L is 0.04". Some builders cheap out and use M.
I’ve seen copper fail like this before in a few towns I work in. The cause is high pH in the water, doing plumbing work, I’ve been able to crush the copper just by grabbing it.
In my case there was some electrolysis going on, stray current making its way to the pipes. My water heaters were blowing out at 3-4 years as well. What a nightmare that all was!
@@bluesriderDF water is so crazy lol I work for culligan, you see some crazy stuff!
@@itzbishop5256 LOL, that sounds like it could be very interesting!!
Can I connect sharkbite fittings to the manifold instead of using crimps? I want to use the same manifold but I installed copper to my kitchen last year so I want to run the copper to the manifold.
Crimp PEX at the manifold, then use SharkBite to connect the PEX to copper. FYI, there is a piece in the SharkBite called the stiffener, which is removable when connecting to copper, but leave it there for PEX.
@@bluesriderDF Thanks. I thought about that also.
great job, I am in the process of re plumbing my house from CPVC to pex, half complete...however, if this is a crawl space why bother making holes in your floor joist and sill plates?
That's how the original pipes were run, I guess I just like to keep things neat and tidy. 😊 I'm kinda anal, LOL
@@bluesriderDF any change in water flow or tempature with your home run pex system? I am going to convert my old galvanized pipes to the Vega manaibloc.
@@tallyman15 No issues with water flow. 3/8" going to bath lavs, toilets, kitch sink, fridge, dishwasher. 1/2" to washer, hose bibs, tub/shower. Shower water pressure is nice and strong. The only thing I've noticed different is that hot water to the upstairs bathroom sinks is a little faster.
@@bluesriderDF I was going to run 1/2" to all. Did not think about 3/8" for sink, toilet, etc. My PEX clamp is only 1/2 and 3/4".
@@tallyman15 One advantage to 3/8" is you'll get hot water faster because there's less volume of cold water in the line that needs to purge out. No harm in going 1/2", but the little fixtures have small inlet tubes and won't benefit from it.
How much does it cost you to buy all the stuff and how many days took you finished
My cost was about $950 which included $150 in tools. It took me about 35 hours which included cutting away drywall, but doesn't include drywall repair time.
29:05 why not just use the PEX into the sharkbite? What's the point having copper tubing on it?
Good question. In my case, I had the SharkBite flex lines connected to my copper system, so I had previously discarded the plastic inserts which are supposed to be used when going from SB to PEX. The next time I swap water heaters I'll probably eliminate those little copper sections. Thanks for commenting.
How long will these ManaBloc's reliably last? I've heard some use compression, others with crimp use gaskets. I don't see this plastic thing lasting more than 5 years before it's leaking like a sieve. Thoughts?
5 years? They have a 10 year warranty, LOL. Do your research and you will learn a lot about these. They are made by Viega, a German company that's been around for 120 years. They make all kinds of plumbing products and they have a real solid reputation. I don't know exactly when the Manabloc came to market but they were used in Europe long before coming to the US. Earlier generation Manablocs used a different connection method which has been discontinued. I used crimp rings, which I'm very happy with. It's been 3 months since my install, everything is nice and dry. Individual valves on the Manabloc can be easily replaced as needed. A friend of mine is a plumber who installs these on new construction, and he guided me through the process. Lots of stuff is made of plastic these days, including the sides of most car radiators, which handle much worse conditions.
@@bluesriderDF Thanks!
If you don't like plastic, you can get a brass manifold. But you are going to pay a sweet sweet penny for one.
@@TheTurbinator If a Manabloc cracked for some reason, it's a plug & play swap, and not that expensive. Not the end of the world, don't need to call a plumber, etc
@@bluesriderDFGood info Bluesrider, if you don't mind I have two questions.
What would you recommend for fittings? Appears Viega only recommends, compression, clamp rings, and their press system. The stainless steel crimp ties look like a good DIY'er option, but I've seen specs saying the stainless can't be used with plastic fittings.
Do the Manablocs cause a drop in flow? And more generally does PEX in general cause a drop in flow due to smaller inside diameter, or do longer straight runs and less fittings make up for this?
So how is the plumbing holding up on 2023?
It's been 4-1/2 years. I turn all the valves off and on at the Manabloc and at the fixtures, usually once a year, to prevent buildup of deposits. Otherwise everything is untouched since the install. No regrets.
I have to do this too and i have no idea where to start lol
SupplyHouse.com was a good resource. So was RUclips. Make a list of all your fixtures. You need to decide what type of PEX you want to use. If PEX B, decide on clamps or crimp rings (you can mix these). Decide what size Manabloc you need. Just break it down into the little pieces and plan your project.
Is there some regulation that is forcing you to change these pipes?
I don't know why replacing copper pipes is such a hip thing to do now, the next buyer of that house will hate you when they're brittle in 25 years time, some of the copper in my place is 80 years old!
From the main to the water heater is it 1/2 or 3/4
3/4". That's the size of the top & bottom ports on the Manabloc.
Thank you for the feedback.
how much better is pex than copper in regards to freezing? Can pex also be used for hot water? What about the joints?
PEX expands some and can withstand freezing better than copper. Yes you can use PEX for hot, did you watch the vid?? What is your question about joints?
thanks! what are the best joints to use with pex? I know they are prone to leak/freezing also.
@@michaelupsala420 Well you have to decide what kind of PEX you are going to use, A or B. They have different connectors. If you are going with PEX B you have crimp or ring style.
I would not say it is prone to leaking, not anymore than copper is. I've certainly had plenty of copper leaks in my life.
How much is the inspection camera??
Harbor Freight - $75, less with coupon
How is it holding up?
It's been 2 yrs and 4 mos, perfect, I haven't touched a thing.
Did you take a PH reading on your water ? You might need an acid nuteralizer on your water system . This could have saved you a ton of money .
I had a water test done, nothing unusually bad was found. However there was a problem in an electric line and the result was about 28 volts of juice was running through the pipes. That was probably the main issue. By the time this was found I had zero confidence in the copper. When I removed it I saw areas that were probably weeks away from springing a leak. I was able to do the entire replace for around $1K so I am very happy in the end.
👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
14:31 what is that thing that all the lines are running into??
That's the Viega Manabloc, the manifold which is the heart of the system.
How is your water filter by your tank supported. Is the pex that stiff to support it?
@@Normanb15 I have some wood under the filter, it's a few inches from the ground. It wouldn't be smart to have it hanging in the air by PEX only.
Sir my house is 2,000 square feet - (2) full bathrooms, one story house and Its copper now. More or less, how much it would cost me to replace my pipes to PEX if i call a plumber to do it? Im not a plumber, Im in texas
I have no idea, sorry! But you can probably get some free quotes.
@@bluesriderDF Thank you baby lol
I don't know if I missed it, but was the copper type M or type L? this is what I've noticed is that people get cheated all the time for the price of type L(thicker) and when nobody is looking install type M (garbage)instead. They even make it a point to turn the labels (red stripe type M) in order to hide. Good for profit, bad for homeowners
I'm not sure what they used, I wondered this as well.
I can tell just by looking at the copper joints not being wiped with small globs of solder gooped all down is pretty indicative of some total amateur jackleg that installed that copper.
@@bluesriderDF well at least you will get some dollars back when you scrap all that copper. You will should get around $1,000 dollars
@@ccjohncc1 I got around a Benjamin for the copper. That was at mid 2019 prices. There really wasn't as much copper as you'd think. It's an 1800 sq ft house and all the fixtures are in pretty close proximity to one another.
While its a nice job. The bloc is made to install between studs. Place the block in a closet close to the fixtures. Run the home run to it. Much easier in all aspects.
Don, thanks for the comment. The Viega installation manual presents both between studs and surface mounting as acceptable options. When researching this, I saw many pro installations which are surface mounted like mine. In my 48" crawlspace things are pretty tight. It would have been a LOT more work to drill holes through the studs on each side for the PEX tubes. Thinking ahead, in the event of a leaking crimp, it would be more challenging to cut a crimp ring and pull the tubing in closer between the confines of the studs. To each their own...but I would surface mount every time.
FWIW, have you seen installations where people come out of the block about 6" and have a 90 degree elbow? IMO that's crazy, introducing about 24 crimps that are totally unnecessary. I think people bring the old copper mindset with them. All my PEX runs are all the way to the fixtures with no breaks or crimps. Thanks for watching!
@@bluesriderDF I didn't mean in your crawlspace. I installed in a closet with a door on it. Next to the bathrooms downstairs with one over head beside the kitchen. Pex from bloc to fixture zero connections. Drilling the studs next to the bloc keep side tension off the connections to the block. If guys want to crimp or press it all together. Just use cpvc. The best point of the bloc is no joints, installs in wall and less wasted water.
@@donhuffer4637 For my particular house design I have mine in the perfect spot. The house is small, very open design, no place to hide it really. All the upstairs runs are 28 feet or less. Hot water comes up fast, good pressure.
Curly = a like from me. Haha
Nyuk nyuk nyuk!
Looks like you have low ph and or hard water all your pex connections in time will leak too you need water treatment to prevent that
Why do you say all the PEX connections will leak? Do you mean where the PEX meets brass fixtures?
Honestly I did the entire work of switching from galvanize to copper 17 years ago I did the work it was my first time welding copper and in 17 years I never had a leak , I definitely don't know what kind of copper u used.
From what I can tell, the builder used the lesser grade copper in some places. Plus I think my water quality contributed to the corrosion somewhat. We never had copper problems in the previous home I was in (15 years).
How the heck is plastic any better?
"Long-term testing programs on PEX have shown that it has a potential lifespan of more than 100 years. So, while copper systems may have to be re-piped every few years or decades due to corrosion and pinhole leaks, a PEX system can last 10 times longer - or more."
www.phcppros.com/articles/158-pex-or-copper-which-is-more-sustainable
Whomever did that original did a terrible job. Your place is a perfect example of why plumbing with copper isn’t necessarily a do it yourself project. I sweat copper, but definitely use pex A for as much as possible now.
There were a lot of mistakes made when this house was built in 2000, much to my chagrin. Fortunately the plumbing nightmare is over, but there are other things I just have to live with.
@@bluesriderDF I recently worked on a house with a lot of poor original workmanship. The redeeming part was the basement and foundation were done by pros and that makes a big difference. I’m glad you have things under control now.
Honestly you did a good job but if you’re going to go that extent of removing the old copper. Why not change it all? Put a pex shower valve in and throw some pex in there.. also you know they make pex flex lines too for your water heater? Not trying to critique your work but I feel like a couple more hours of work and you would’ve done it completely right.
I appreciate the feedback. This was a VERY big, daunting job for me. I mean, I work in an office all week, I'm no plumber. The goal was to eliminate the copper piping prone to leaks, which I did. I knew there was more I could do to be 100% copper free. When the HWH is replaced, I'll get the PEX lines for that. As for the showers, I just didn't have the time or desire to do yet more research and parts ordering. The copper I left for the shower head is used about 10 min a day, so it's not under pressure and likely to fail. But I do have a simple access panel to it now, so I can switch it out one day if the mood strikes me. But there are so many other things to take care of on a home as I'm sure you can appreciate. There's only so much time I could spend on this project.
😂😂😂
Sounds to me like you had acid water and you still have acid water so it will still destroy your water heater and all your appliances
There was stray electrical current in the copper pipes, from a faulty or damaged piece of Romex. The electrical issue was found and corrected. My water heater is about 6-1/2 years old which is the longest I've ever gotten out of one at this house, even though it had the effects of the electric current for a few years. So I feel like the issue has been solved.
@@bluesriderDF aha I'm very happy for you brother I want to make another comment on here since other people seem to be reading this when you're switching from copper to plastic a lot of times your home is grounded to the copper pipe coming into your home and I've seen many times when people install a water softer they change to PVC pipe and they break the ground connection because their pipe is no longer metal coming into the house so when you're changing your copper pipes or galvanized pipes be aware that you may be grounded by your water pipes and you have to reestablish that ground The most interesting thing I've seen in respect to this was a customer complained about green stains in her bathtub well she did not have acid water so it was very troubling trying to figure out why she was getting green stains and it turned out that her water line was no longer grounded and this was causing the copper pipes to put green stains and trusting stuff Y'all have a blessed day and thanks for the conversation
@@wanesweb Wow, interesting. I'm in the rurals, I have a ground rod outside, near the breaker panel. I attached the ground that used to go to the copper to the tee coming out of the pressure tank. Not sure if that was needed or not, but figured it can't hurt.