Connecting PEX-A to PEX-B
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 18 май 2024
- Quin Williams of Williams Plumbing shows how connect PEX-A to PEX-B pipe, covering three methods: PEX-B insert-style fittings, SharkBites, and threaded adapters.
0:00 Introduction
0:16 How to identify PEX pipe
1:08 Method 1 - PEX-B insert-style fitting
2:59 Method 2 - SharkBite fitting
3:20 Method 3 - threaded adapter
4:15 Summary
🔧 Subscribe to our channel: / williamsplumbingheating
🔨 Like us on Facebook: / williamscompanies
🔩 Follow us on Instagram: / willplumb
⚙️ Connect with Quin Williams on LinkedIn: / quin-williams
Williams is the Northwest’s largest plumbing and civil contractor. We offer a comprehensive line of quality plumbing, civil construction, HVAC, green energy, consulting, and service solutions to meet the needs of just about any building project.
Williams Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
2131 Industrial Dr.
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 587-0969
www.willplumb.com/ 
Хобби
Very helpful video. I'm just a DIY grandpa who hadn't worked with PEX. From this video I was able to identify that my garage had been plumbed with PEX-A (0:37), that some of the connectors I purchased were PEX-A (at 1:31) and that I had purchased a PEX-B crimping tool. So - back to the big-box-store to return PEX-A connectors with PEX-B ... easy job to complete with all the correct parts.
The big-box-store PEX pipe wasn't labeled ... but was SharkBite which I found elsewhere will always be PEX-B.
I have been using Sharkbite connectors for 10 years, PEX A and B, copper, cpvc …. No Failures!
i was going to ask also why does he not recommend shark bites they pass with the code inspector. I also use push to connect fittings. The only thought is he learned from a old plumber for no other reason than tradition to not use PTC fittings.
@@raymondrobbins9495, good old tradition! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@raymondrobbins9495 because it's not a matter of if but when a shark bites going to blow
Great information and very understanding examples.
Thanks for the info. My home depot only carries pex-a so hopefully that means clamping it works with manufacturer’s specs.
Nice explanation and example!
Great video, now I can repair my plumbing with crimps instead of buying an expansion tool! Not sure why the grief with SharkBite fittings, but I love them. I only prefer them to crimps in tight situations, like 2" wall protrusions. I'd rather be able to use SharkBite fittings knowing they will come off. A lot easier than replacing drywall just because you have to redo a connection a few times. Of course, you do very much need to make sharp, clean 90 degree cuts with SharkBites. If possible, I will use crimps first, but when pipes get short...
you speak well keep it going man
Awesome video
Just found your channel, Very well-done. I am a Mechanical Designer (35+ years) with a Mechanical Consulting / Engineering firm in Nova Scotia Canada specializing in HVAC, Plumbing and Fire Sprinkler. I am definitely going to recommend the Jr. Designers in our firm watch your channel. Very informative and explained in such a way Jr's can understand with out a lot of technical smoke from the Manufacturer. Looking forward to seeing more.
You're hired!
I am not a plumber, but an experienced DIYer. (I worked for a plumber for a couple of summers in HS). I renovated 2 houses with Wirsbo Aquapex. So I have the tool. I recently moved into a new construction house with PexB. Whenever I make a change or add I usually make a coupling by sweating a Uponor ProPex to copper sweat coupling to a PexB to copper sweat coupling. I end up with a stub with Uponor ProPex on one end and PexB on the other.
It is time intensive. But it actually saves me time because I don't generally keep the threaded connectors on hand.
I just thought I'd mention it as another way to do this coupling that would be manufacturer approved. And in some cases if you have the couplings on the truck, its faster to make this conversion coupling than it is to go to the supply house.
Lol
Sweat to sweat sounds better to me. Diameter of a PEX b fitting is smaller than PEX a. I'm sure in a pinch the first method would work but I trust the solder and proper fittings first.
Great video! Thank you! ! !
Quick question, I noticed in method 1 that you used a type b plastic coupler, my question is, can you use a brass coupler to connect pex a to pex b
Good information. Thanks for sharing.
Have you ever had a chance to use the Boshart Industries Pex-A or
Pex-B fittings? And if you have what do you think of them compared to the brass or plastic Pex-A and Pex-B fittings? And would you consider doing a video on them?
Thanks for your time.
Ron
Zurn Pex B is now available with expansion fittings.
Thanks!!
THANK YOU!!!!
YOU'RE WELCOME! Thanks for watching!
The manufacturers have PEX-A x PEX-B adaptors. You can use a threaded connection, however thread them together first, THEN fit the adaptive coupling into place. They also have Poly x PEX-A and more commonly, Poly x PEX-B.
I wasn't able to find a PEX-A x PEX-B adapter at local supply houses or hardware stores, so I left it out of the video. They were only carrying PEX-A x PB couplings. Do you have a link to the adapter at an online supply house? You're right about the threaded connection! I hope we were clear about that in the video. Thank you for your comments - your input is spot-on and appreciated!
@@willplumb Thank you for the video. It will most definitely Help people...
CAN A CLAM RING and a pinch stainless steel Ring be used in Underground...????
PEX-A x PEX-B adaptors do not exist, since other than an expansion fitting all other fittings are dual purpose a or b. Sharkbite and Zurn parts cat say it does not exist.
@@willplumbHome Depot, ACE hardware, and supply store carries them.
also a male sweat adapter into a female sweat adapter works well for this transition
In my opinion it depends. I have installed SharkBites correctly and they are still going strong 5 years later. Usually there are only two reasons why are SharkBite fitting will not work.
1. Human error when installing
2. Yes once in awhile you get a bad one (manufacturer defect) in the bunch.
So you can use crimp fittings on Pex A pipe?
uponor says that the pex b fitting into pex A tubing is accepted ...just not covered under the uponor warranty.
sharkbite are recognized by all codes for installation in wall and under floor.
What would you personally use at a customers house?
I like those fittings with the stand off shows you where to put the ring. I had a leak not long ago where I crimped it too close the the end of the tubing didn't get it right in the middle of the fitting. Another thing is I know someone rat got into his house chewed a pex pipe flooded entire house. Something to think about before you choose PEX. Good old copper has it's plus side I built a house where rats are common like rural you want to go with copper, or there is a rat protection sleeve goes over the pex like a mesh.
I just realized I used pex.b pipe with pexa expansion tool and cold fitting. Is that ok?
most pex-b from the last several years is F1960 rated for expansion fittings,
Definitely do the thread connection. The fittings cost more that way but to me not using pex-a how it was designed to be, doesn’t make sense. Then again I bit the bullet a while ago on the expansion tool so I look for any reason to use it LOL!
Where do i get that book
The fitting isn’t the best way to tell. Heatlink is pex a and has both expansion and crimp. Zurn makes pex b that has both expansion and clamp rings. That being said when I transition I use crimp fittings mainly because I’m not sure if all pex b can be expanded or if it’s just zurn brand.
They have a place as a diy repair where readily serviceable .
So HD has replaced all their fittings to PEX A but they are selling PEX B pipe. I bought the expansion tool and made my connections but then realized that PEX B isn't meant to be expanded. After turning the water back on, the connection seems to be sealed but now I'm worried that it may not last.
I got a house with pex B in it, but I use Uponor pex A... can I expand the Pex B and take off with my Uponor fittings? Basically can i use pex B with Uponor fitting and rings?
If your pipe has the number f1960 or f1807 you can do either or.
@@jwblount7802 this is good to know
Thank God I thought was in trouble and needed to buy an expansion tool
Thank you for your video! Now I know the Starlite fitting is not good for permanent fitting, only a temporary solution.
As a homeowner, I always have this concern on plumbing pipes - say you have an old pipe coming from the concrete slab that has had multiple repairs done to it over the years. During each repairs that piece of pipe had been cut and joined and now, it's almost to the concrete slab where no pipes left to cut. If the current join fails, how do you make that repair? Sorry it's not pex-a to pex-b related.
I went through this recently, with a leak in the original supply line coming from the slab. I now have a fitment extremely close to the basement floor in my PEX master water line.
If it becomes too extreme, it will be necessary to pull a new water line, from the street. For PEX, they will dig down into the earth, probably in your yard, to find where the water line connects to the City. Then they will jackhammer into your floor, to loosen the PEX pipe. This allows them to use the original pipe as a fish, to pull a new pipe through to the city connection.
If your original water line is copper, they will probably have to dig all the way from the city connection, up to your foundation to replace the line.
@@JM.TheComposer Agreed a new line, all pexb, no copper anywhere if you want worry free plumbing.
@@MichaelMantion There are downsides to both Copper and Pex, pretending Pex is worry free is ignorance. There is a reason why Sharkbite connections exist even though they are not a good solution, because they are quick and easy to insert.
Copper tends to last much longer, but there is more work to do if you don't know how to work with Copper and it can burst if not properly installed. Perhaps that is what you meant more DIY friendly?
@@Bound4Earth first off, plumbing is not DIY friendly as in most trades including electrical,
Shark bites work fine per manufacturers application list of which pipe to fitting manual they have,
Plus they are made of copper, plastic and steel, they're are expensive for a reason, but 100% of shark bite failures are DIY types who hate crawl spaces, bugs, ECT, crawl under a house and start cutting and operating on the home and know nothing about the proper cuts and cleaning as well as proper seating ANY connection requires...
Nope cut fast, slide it halfway on and failure all because the shark bite or the individual?
I don't hire people who know how to do it, I hire people who listen to how I want them to do it, I've learned there's not many who rather do it the correct way vs their way... Everyone is an expert, until they call me and I'm like 🤦 what did you do?
@@jeromegarcia5396 Preach. Every person dogging shark bites, or any other method for that matter, never actually “saw” The fitting itself fail. It’s always based on their feelings about o rings or someone screwed up installing it, not cleaning pipe, getting crap inside the fitting first, etc. I’ve got push to fit, glued, sweat, and crimped plumbing all through my house, depending on what fit best or was easier to get to or frankly what I had on hand when I needed it. Whole house was poly and pvc, built in ‘83, but one project at a time, it gets changed, remodeled or fixed due to failure.
I had a 2 inch viega fitting blow off because it was used on uponor pipe. I think the i.d. of the pipe is different but the od is the same, that's why shart bite works where the crimp may seem to work but not hold at high pressure. I would just stick with the right fitting for the type of pipe. Just be careful, and do some research.
Thats why you double up of your crimping ring.
As a homeowner with years of construction background (but no official training in plumbing) You mentioned that you did not recommend sharkbite as a permanent "transition solution". How do you feel about sharkbite fittings overall? I used 1" sharkbite fitting from the meter and was planning to use sharkbite within my installation as well. What are your thoughts?
most of them will leak within 5 years
He said, they work fine as a temporary solution. They are not a great permanent repair. I have a friend in Texas that has said the same thing about them. They won't last long enough to warrant even using for him.
@@Bound4Earth Ive used sharkbites in my house for the past 10year. never had an issue.
I would guess that it is unwise to use inside walls. Where you can inspect it, it should be reasonable. Also best if well clamped to prevent movement.
Open area is fine so you can address if there’s an issue.
No one knows the longevity of the o-ring inside Sharkbite fittings and that’s the knock on them. It WILL fail at some point but only time will tell for each fitting or the care / method used to install.
Here's the key to using SharkBites - Always use pipe dope on the pipe to be connected to a SharkBite fitting. No problems afterwards.
How do you transition from cpvc to pex type a?
One method using a specific adapter would give a secure connection. Here's a link when I did a quick search.
www.dkhardware.com/epxcpvc12-1-2-in-brass-pex-a-barb-x-1-2-in-cpvc-straight-adapter-product-3242660.html
I use a into Pex B copper sweat and a onto Pex A copper sweat and sweat them together.
Anybody know the fitting to join 3/4 in. Pex A to 1/2 in. Pex B?
3/4 in. to 1/2 in. shark bite.
And the pex b that I have has no text on it it is blue .
Pex A can also use PEX B fittings I thought?
Make sure you never fly cuz they use a form of shark bite on hydraulics!
So what your really saying here is that regular pex fittings work on both a & b.
I find that heating type a with a heat gun makes it a lot easier to use the crimp style rings.
I was thinking about putting ends in boiling water for a few seconds. Got to be a cheap easy way to join pex A without special expansion tool
Pex B is not more restrictive if you just go one size up on everything but then it probably works out more expensive and more wasteful. I've heard it's fine to expand good quality PEX B and fit it like PEX A. Could this be true? Personally i would work in the warm and would be afraid to fit in low temperatures especially if trying something like expanding pex b, a low temp expansion testing of pex b could be a good way to test it to it's limits on that theory but would it be reliable? I dunno.
I'd suggest people look at what ASTM F1960 certification means, and that a lot of pex-b manufactures pipe is ASTM F1960 certified now. Then you'll realize pex-a to pex-b is quite simple.
that's true, if in fact the pex-b pipe you are using is astm f1960 certified
Sharkbites for temporary use only? What does that mean? Ive used sharkbite fittings properly in the commercial field close to 20 years without a problem.
Another expert that doesn't like or recommend Sharkbite fittings without an explanation?
Couldn’t agree more, I’m kind of sick of these opinions. It’s clearly an opinion or a situation of “I had a friend who saw one fail once therefore it’s junk” I’ve seen sweat connections fail, copper burst out the side. They also fail to realize the pro press connections they use to speed up their jobs also use a similar rubber gasket in them to a sharkbite. Somehow that’s fine to use, but a more cost effective sharkbite is for reasons never explained somehow “temporary.” A sharkbite connection is a quick and perfectly fine way to connect copper, pex (a and b), and CPVC. It is far less complicated and home owner friendly too.
PEX B can also have expansion rings, so that's not a good way to identify A from B.
Only Zurn B
@@scottsatterthwaite4073 They’re a few Pex B with F1960 rating for expansion
I prefer clamps because they're lead free.
SharkBite not ‘permanent’ but crimp is? First, no plumbing connection is ‘permanent.’ Permanent means forever, right? I have used copper with solder, and bad water will trash them. I have used pex A and B, and only very few connection failures, usually involving working in very tight quarters. To my knowledge, no SharkBite connection on copper or pex I have installed has ever failed. Sadly, any sizable job would bust the budget with 100% SharkBite connectors. But SharkBite, IMHO, properly installed, is as permanent as any other connection properly installed.
you do not need to use expatiation joints for pex b.
A&B?
There is no evidence that sharkbite push to connect connections fail any faster than other connections when used correctly. The main reason not to use them is that it would be insanely expensive to repair them. It is conspiracy theory that has continuously crapped on them as connections. There are perfectly good reasons to use them over sweating copper, one example being in a tight location for a repair. I respect a plumbers opinion if and when they actually say why. But in this video it just says "don't use sharkbite" with no actual reason. Sharkbite push to connect are rated for use in plumbing code and can be hidden behind a wall, given that the plumbing standards are conservative when approving new technologies, I don't see how they are so negatively viewed. Yes some youtube videos will show them failing at 300 psi or more, but residential plumbing should never hit that pressure and you shouldn't expect any connection or pipe to support that pressure. I had a pipe freeze that had a sharkbite connection and the pipe burst out the side wall, the connection was rock solid.
I agree with you, but isn’t shark bike for some reason have only 5 years warranty?
@@agpawpaw5912 fair point, I have been told that most of the time a warranty is there to cover the period of time where a defect would be exposed in the production of a product. So 5 years seems reasonable to me in that sense. If it makes it 5 years without issue, I’m fairly sure the likelihood of it failing over the next 20 is much lower. This was part of a class I took on product management, not something I’m making up.
as a old school repair plumber , most of our repairs involved replacing failing rubber parts . Washers , diaphragms , o'rings , ballcock seals ect. Metal and plastic didn't fail as rapidly . Yes new formulations are lasting longer , but chlorines , ammonia and other chemicals still are harsh . Pick up the lid in your toilet tank , touch the rubber , what do you think ? A Sharkbite's seal is just that little oring , the contact area is hardly measurable with a tape measure . If the oring doesnt fail , any imperfection on the outside of the pipe could . The brass in the Sharkbite is thinner than conventional pipe and fittings also , I see freeze failures there . Your statement about the pipe bursting , it fails where the frozen slug just happens to be , copper tube is thicker and stronger than the SB fitting . I would trust the old Quest Polybutelyne more lol .
@@jonadabster8401 Aside from a complete lack of any resemblance of correct punctuation and grammar, you are correct, rubber gaskets do fail. I have seen many toilet rubber parts fail, but they are also not made to last. If a toilet flapper was made to withstand 40 years, it would cost significantly more and likely outlive the entire toilet. Anecdotal evidence is not in fact proof that the gasket on a sharkbite will fail. They are different rubber compounds and the sharkbite is clearly designed to last much longer. I also never said the sharkbite connection was superior to a sweat connection, I simply said there is no real evidence they fail at the rate plumbers suggest they do and therefore cannot be trusted. Once again when used properly, they are perfectly fine to use. Repeated connect/disconnect on the sharkbite will cause them to fail, I have seen that happen, but connect once or twice, they work perfectly fine and save time and work in spots that are hard to reach with a torch or propress. Your argument on a pipe bursting at the freeze point is simple lacking any reality in fluid dynamics. The pipe bursts due to pressure build up from water freezing in the line and it not having anywhere to go but through the path of least resistance. In many cases its a small pit in the side wall of the copper that can develop from hard water and impurities in the line. If you want to make the argument that water quality impacts the longevity of a sharkbite, take a look at copper pipes in areas with hard water, the sludge build up which is known to lead to corrosion on the line is real. Nothing in plumbing is permanent and some things are better than others, I agree a sweat connection is superior, but a sharkbite connection is also perfectly fine to use.
@@MarksDIY I am somewhat embarrassed that my phone texting accentuates my already poor Grammar . My High School years in the 70's were really more focused on hunting , Jeeping and chasing pu...er ..girls lol. For that I have absolutely no regrets . My regrets started when I found out how I was poisoning families using lead solder in my water distribution systems . 3 decades of code mandated solder and then one day prohibited and now a punishable offense . What joy when plastic pipe and fittings were code allowed . The piping of the future they said ! My plumbing company grabbed that ball and ran with it , installing it in countless houses in my . 15 years of plumbing in my circle of acquaintances and neighbors , heck , my customers became my friends . I can still remember my first call , was 3 am , a Acetyl fitting in a polybutylene hot water line feeding a tub blew above a kitchen . Steaming water cascading onto wood custom cabinets . Many fitting and aluminum crimp rings were failing all over the country .Codes were then changed and required copper or brass fitting only . Big woop , 5 years later after millions of class action lawsuits already , the piping itself started failing , at a frggen alarming rate , developing pinholes and splits . Mind you , I'm a 2 truck outfit , my reputation was my only advertisement . Hard to look these people in the eye at the grocery store knowing my piping was responsible for flooding their homes . The plumbing is only as strong as the weakest link , and it will not hinge on a 1mm barely squashed o ring by my hands . I just replaced a burst sharkbite last week in an attic . It was also failed oring that took out a Space Shuttle in the 80's . Tested and approved to me ,means wait and see . I'm so happy that a hidden sharkbite is fine for you , hope you have many in your future . But if your charging people money , I hope it's for correcting spelling and grammar , not for pushing on a timebomb .
he doesn't recommend sharkbites as a permanent solution. Anyone here have a properly installed sharkbite fail? Been using sharkbites for almost 20 years. Never had a failure. YES they might fail someday, when they do I might not use them for permanent installs. I will say I have seen a lot of copper fail. True properly installed copper should last 50 year. but installing copper properly is much harder, few plumbers do it well. i think pex-b style connections are the best followed by pex-a then sharkbite type fittings. if you understand the physics behind a sharkbite fitting you will understand why it is so good.
can we do Pex A to Pex A??
Manufacturer doesn't want you to do that, it is business my friend!! nothing happens, I do that, never listen to manufacturer, they loose money if you doesn't buy there products is like Firestone tires said don't use Goodyear tires in your car ok.🤣🤣
There's just one thing you didn't address which is the recommended way to transition from your theme music to Another One Bites The Dust.
Re-did all the plumbing for the house during a gut kitchen reno 6 years ago. Bathroom sits above the kitchen so it only made sense to change out all the galvanized stuff while everything was open. I built a manifold and used pex-b and ran pipe from every fixture to it. The term is home run I believe. Zero fittings in the walls. I used sharkbite connectors at both ends of all the runs. Have had ZERO issues in over 6 years. The statement that sharkbite connectors are only for temporary fixes is 100% incorrect. And arrogant.
You know there is transition a-b by wisboro. Don't show people hacks
Confused as ever !!!!!
It is not a manufacturer-recommended transition, but "it will work in the real world." On what do you base that? How many of these jerry-rigged PEX A connections have you done, and how many years have they been working? Then you say you don't recommend SharkBite fittings, stating that you wouldn't recommend them as a permanent transition, even though they at least state their product is designed for PEX connections. While I wouldn't like to trust SharkBite for PEX (though I don't know of any specific reason not to and I have dozens of SharkBite fittings installed on copper pipes in my home that have been there for over a dozen years with no problems), I certainly wouldn't trust your method. If I ever did find myself needing to transition from PEX A to PEX B, I would use brass fittings along with a piece of copper pipes. I think it is a very, very bad idea to rig up a connector/fitting designed for PEX B on a piece of PEX A.
I wish my house has been plumbed in PEX-A instead PEX-B. Bloody cheap contractors. 🤬
pex-a costs more than pex-b
@@rockygrewal7182 Quality and doing things right always costs more in the short term.
Haaaahaaaaaaa 😂👍
Them RiP-Off people.... Just want A quick and Easy Money...👎👎
why? if the contractor done it properly you should not have any flow issue. If he use zurn B then it is more expensive, it all depends on the brand. I personally prefer pex b because I dont mind it being stiffer and it has better uv resistance, less leeching, and and hold more pressure. But I always use zurn so not sure about other brands
@@kevinji7285 Unless you have a custom home, the construction contractors are going to do everything as cheap & fast as possible.
Lol your first solution is to go against manufacturers recommendation and then to get something in writing from them?... SharkBite works on both Pex A and B and warranties for 25 years... whats the warranty on your crimp connections?
Is a 25 year warranty really that good? I'd think 25 years is just long enough for people to do a flip or sale and essentially make it someone else's problem, but you do you I guess.
@@nova31337 Never met a flipper that kept a house much for more than a year. In this day and age most Florida houses will sell at least twice in 25 years. But who knows for sure
I'm working on a condo ( 4 units high) from the early70s. Upgrades include more than just the 2 bathrooms and kitchen (still original).
NOTE: The first phase of construction still used galvanized pipe for CWS and cast iron for drains and stacks, while the 2nd phase only a few years later used all copper, and pvc drains.
The unit, in phase one the hot water is original copper with minor corrosion. Some years back one homeowner had the old galvanized CWS capped off and replaced with CPVC which has become brittle at the joints... It cracked twice during demo, something I've never had a problem with in copper. I'm recommending both be replaced with pex and sharbites properly anchored between the drop ceiling and overhead concrete slab. (The owner does not want copper reinstaled) Crimps WILL be used at shut off valves to eliminate spinning. I'm also leaning on steel sleeves for vertical runs inside the wall to avoid cabinet, picture hanging punctures, and other potential cuts/punctures.
As the construction is from the early 70's I'm imagining that the Cast Iron will start to fail well before the shark bites and pex The replacing of the CI will be incredibly invasive, and if it doesn't result in the destruction of the building, the pex can be re-evaluated at the time. Thoughts?
@@danielolson437 ouch, galvanized and cast iron. I can feel your pain. My only hesitation with sharkbite connections is them being present where there isn't ready access to them in the event of a failure. I was completely against them for a long while, but can see the utility and (if installed correctly) should exceed the warranty period and beyond. So long as precautions are taken, such as doing long runs with no joints in the walls or if a sharkbite joint is present, including an access panel to be able to change it on failure without being super invasive helps.
I've started leaning towards replacing copper with PEX A as I'm in the far north where temps can easily go into the negatives. Some report smells and taste differences with PEX tubing, but any endpoint water filtration system such as in a refrigerator or under-the-sink filter system should eliminate that issue until the pipes have been properly broken in.
Good luck with the galvanized and cast iron pipes. They are a royal pain and can't be gone quick enough!
Zurn also boasts a 25 year on crimp or expansion . Realistically , it's just a bunch of bs from most all companies . ruclips.net/video/E9OUK7krNH8/видео.html
pex plumber just put in pex that says sharkbite pex . They moved my whole house water filter for my well , it does not say Aor B on it He used clamps is this right