I have to say you make the best videos out there you’re complete very accurate and you explain all the small details you don’t skip anything as usual two thumbs up man keep the great work coming
What I also like about Got2Learn is that he goes straight to the point of the video, unlike others that have to tell you their whole fucking life story of plumbing before they tell you what you wanted to know.
Uponor "quickNeasy". Tbh It might be easier with the electric expander tools. But it's not supposed to dismount. You might actually get a leak on a re-expanded PEX-A pipe. And another thing I don't appreciate is the fact that the threaded pex-A couplings are made out of plastic. They might be cheaper than brass, but much easier to damage the thread.
Master plumber for 40 years, Started replacing copper tubing in my own home with PEX because of acid water from my well has slowly eaten the copper when I would forget to add calcite to the neutralizer. Love it, easy to install except for one fact. Squirrels and mice can see the water inside the pipe and chew through it in minutes. Woke up to a flooded house. If you live in the woods like me or have random critters joining your family in the winter..this may not be for you.
@@Got2Learn This one is a squirrel.. He is up above the drop ceiling. Going to have to remove the entire drop ceiling to get him out. lol If you have ever lived in the woods you would find it is not as easy as you think to get rid of these guys. They enjoy radiant heat and air conditioning too.
@@anthonyspadafora1384 Quarter inch wire mesh? I had mice in my 4x4 Bombardier 330 and used aluminum window screening in the air intake thing and that stopped the nesting! Also left lots of rat bait about in a garden shed the rats decided was nice and homey. Does the PEX A not come in Solid Colors? re: "they see the water?" What about running it inside a larger PVC 'conduit?' where it would/might be 'visible' to such critters? Or inside larger diameter EMT pipe?
Hi! Homeowner/amateur DIY'er here! Thanks for the great video! I would like to try and replace my current, leaking outdoor water spigots with Aquor Wall Hydrants and it's recommended that PEX be used for the retrofit. As mentioned, I am an amateur DIY-er and although I'm not afraid of trying to do things on my own, I have a budget and would rather not make costly mistakes. so when I find really detailed videos like this one that point out each step, the cost of materials needed to do the job, and the pros and cons, it makes my heart so happy! And for that reason, I have become one of your Newest Subbies! Thanks again!
Ive worked a lot with this and I have to say, in comparison to crimp I hate uponor so very much. The main reasons being when working in the cold the fittings take up to a minute or more to close up. Even in warmer temps you can just crimp and turn on the system, you need to wait 5-15 minutes. Also cost was mentioned, but the comparison between plastic wirsbo and brass/ copper was made. If you compare plastic 90's as an example the cost is almost 1/2 that of wirsbo. For these reasons the shops I've worked for have stated getting rid of their wirsbo stuff unless the customer specifically asks for it. That said I love your videos and can't wait for more, you've been an amazing help threw my apprenticeship and have so many high end time saving tips. I can't even begin to tell you how many I use daily.
Are crimp fittings as foolproof and long lasting as uponor? I have a uponor tool, but sometimes consider using crimps since home depot has all the fittings. Just not sure about reliability.
i did a complete DIY , when i built my house, purchased the Milwaukee power tools, PEX and all items including the manifolds.. no regrets, from the winters of Maine.. even re did several of my friends and family too. best system to use. especially in the cold climates.
@@eb6195 I have, but for garden use only, and in the it is in summah.. UPNUr has the pex to pvc adapters, and i used them..I can NOT speak on cold weather- my apologies. but, i do Know - PVC is NOT cold weather friendly - lots of camps up here bust pipes thinking "they got it" with PVC.
I bought a small cottage about 8 years ago with the intent of fixing it up. I had not intended to replace the existing copper piping until I discovered that someone had used Type M copper and that after 50 years the well water was eating through it. I was going to replace it with Type L but a plumber friend suggested ProPEX. I bought one of the Milwaukee M12 expanders and I think I plumbed the entire house (duplex) in about a day and a half. If I had used copper it would have taken 10 times as long. I'm always skeptical about using "new" things until they have had a chance to prove themselves but this one has been around for quite a while now and it does work. Just so much simpler and quicker to work with and it's never leaked.
I loved this system when I first saw it about 10 years ago. Bought the tool and some fittings from the USA, not available in Oz, just to see it. A few years ago Uponor finally came to Oz They promised the earth, I geared up for it, designed heating systems for their systems including their controls, with their designers. Then after about 18 months they pull up stumps and leave, hopeless. Now your on your own. no support, no warranty and to finish jobs import from Europe, great. Great vid Cheers from Oz
This is absolutely my favorite brand of PEX to work with. Radiant, plumbing, and ground source heat pumps. It is amazingly effective and I have run it to pressures up to 150 psi for home ro systems.
When I was searching for Type A on Amazon (11/11/2020), it appeared that there were many brands/suppliers and few of the product descriptions clearly stated TYPE A PEX. Are their Go To Brands / Manufacturers one might rely upon? Does Lowes or Home Depot, for instance) carry/sell the pipe and fittings?
4 years later in this video still relevant. I have polybutylene in my house that was built in 1988 and I'm trying to figure out a way to get both levels done effectively but cheaply. The crawl space is going to be easy but it's that one spot that goes upstairs pipes go in the wall to two bathrooms that I'm going to have to work at. Needless to say it looks like I'm going to get some experience at drywall and ceiling repair. Lol! Thanks for the video and the links.
Nice summary. For future, please cover when to use elbows or bends. I used PEX-A for my DIY remodel. Big selling point for all PEX are "home runs" from fixture to manifold, eliminating joints in the walls. My only joints are elbows for the 1" supply (from street to manifold) where I couldn't fit a bend, and a Tee in the kitchen for the sink & dishwasher to share one supply line. Also, maybe cover plastic vs copper joints and manifolds. I went all copper, because a friend told me a plastic manifold failing is catastrophic whereas copper could be mended.
I have been waiting years for some good info on Pex a. I switched to using expansion pex about 4 years ago. I heard about it from a plumber. I told him that I was thinking about trying pex out for my kitchen and bath remodels and he said pex a was the best. I bought the m12 tool and havent looked back. More and more companies are making pex a pipe and fittings. I am a huge fan of mr. pex and their products. Thanks for the video.
Great video. Basic and informative. FYI, DeWalt now makes a battery powered expander tool as well. The DeWalt expander works just as well as the Milwaukee and if your already have DeWalt battery powered tools, all you need to purchase is the expander tool only. It's a lot less expensive that way. Uponor also makes brass connectors that allow you to convert your system from copper pipe to PEX A. You just sweat the brass fitting onto the copper pipe and then connect the PEX A pipe to the other end.
Thank you for talking about the differences between Pex A, B, and C. Nice to know A expands, but B and C you'd want to use crimpers. Also the bore diameter.
The colored rings with no stops I would always give the ring a slight expansion before throwing it over so it wouldn't slide. When you're 1 or 2 connections from completing a manifold you really don't want that shit happening. Also on the subject of Milwaukee expanders if you don't actively do above 1" don't buy the M18. It expands slower and it's much heavier.
One thing people don’t mention a lot about pex is pressure balancing. I had to replumb a section of pipe that served 3 bathrooms and a laundry room. I put all the hot and cold lines on a manifold for pex a. Nice thing is even if three showers are used at same time no one notices a big drop in pressure.
There’s no substantial pressure drop if you use pex B on a manifold either. One sixteenth of an inch inside diameter reduction from pex B fittings actually increases pressure. Flow may be a little bit different but only until water gets to the shower head. Shower head nozzles greatly reduce the diameter of holes the water gets to flow through and will always reduce flow accordingly, no matter what flow there is upstream.
Love your videos. I just re-piped my whole house including out to the meter. This system really is so easy to use. Even as a DIY, I opted for the M12. I had no desire to manually expand the joints. My only regret with the system is I should have used a copper stub out for my tub spout instead of building a Pex one. Works absolutely fine, but isn’t as stiff as copper obviously. I also like Uponors multi port Ts, they saved me a good amount of additional fittings and joints to go to all my fixtures. Also worth noting that as a DIY project, you kind of need to know what you want ahead of time because big box stores have a limited selection for PEX A systems.
Thanks Vincent, yeah the stub out for the bathtub is better in copper for the reason you mentioned, and those multiport tees are great for bathrooms, love the system.
I work in the plumbing aisle at a Home Depot. You're right. We don't carry any PEX-A supplies. I wish we did. I'd love to show off all the advantages of it. I'm not sure if homedepot.com carries it. I'll have to check. It might be worth waiting a week to have it delivered to the store for free for you.
This is great, if you live where it's above freezing year round. Pex is forgiving with frost, but the rings are not. When water freezes and expands inside of pex the ring can slip and cause a slow leak. As we know, slow leaks can go undetected for days.
After watching dozens of other videos on Pex A yours was the only one to mention the reason for rotating the expander tool. I didn’t even know that was a thing. Glad I watched this video before doing my project. Thanks!
We started using the Rehau system in the mid 2000s....still the best system to date in my opinion. Brass fittings and sleeves...full size bore fittings...absolutely rock solid. Unfortunately the market made it too expensive to continue using it.
I live in Ontario, Canada, and here it is completely impossible to find PEX-A in any of the regular hardware stores. All that is available is PEX-B. To get PEX-A you have to go to a special contractors supply store and buy a 100-foot-long roll of the stuff to install just a foot or two of that pipe to make the connection you need. You can buy a 10-foot length of PEX-B in any Home Depot store, but they don't sell PEX-A in any length. Same thing for Lowes and Rona and Canadian Tire.
For those wondering about the DeWalt expansion tool that looks like the Milwaukee - it's just as good. Either one will be a fine and reliable choice. I know fanboys on both sides will say the other tool is junk, but fanboy advice is worthless. Both tools excellent. So buy whatever you get the better deal on or whatever battery system you might be using now. EDIT: do NOT use the manual expander for anything. Trust me on this..
Absolutely correct! I even contacted the Uponor rep regarding Uponor certified tool usage after my local plumbing supply told the Milwaukee was the only one certified. The rep stated that only Milwaukee had the expansion tool at the time the tests were being done. He said the Dewalt was every bit as good! And correct! Don't even bother with the manual tool unless you're a doityourselfer and only need to do a few fittings here and there.
Made in china, brands no longer matter. Same as car batteries, people swear Diehard is still the best car battery. Johnson controls make Diehard, Autozone and Wal mart and a few more, batteries. 55$ vs 185$
Scored my milwaukee 12v pex tool on black friday for 350 with a free pvc cutter. Sold the pvc cutter and the price of the pex tool came to about 260.00 tax included. Purchase of the year.
That's good to know about the manual expander. It works fine as long as you remember to rotate it while expanding. As a homeowner who'd only use it occasionally, the cost savings would make doing just a few projects more feasible.
i would highly recommend not using the manual tool. it is large and clunky and so slow as to be almost unusable, especially for a novice. Any repair will likely be in a cramped space where getting the tool in, and rotating it properly will be all but impossible. Even the M12 tool leaves little enough time to set the fitting before it starts to contract. If buying the tool is out of reach, most decent sized towns will have a plumbing supply house or tool rental place that would rent the tool for a few hours. Now that Home Depot is carrying Pex-A fittings and pipe, as well as selling the M12 Tool (which is sufficient for 98% of residential plumbing), its more accessible than ever.
I wish you had a walk through of a house from zero to completion. Def good info here. I'm going to plumb a schoolie bus. This is perfect for that project.
@@rickjames6948 first I think he saved more than 8 sec per fitting also and 8 sec is a a lot also if he had a callback it’s because he did it wrong just like how you can mess of a solder joint which is much easier to mess up
Built a 1200sf house for someone and decided to do the plumbing myself after watching some videos about pex A. Bought the M12... was amazed at how easy it was. Never would have tried it with copper!
The thing you forgot to mention was pro pex with copper fittings for shower lines and other connections . Please do a video on that as well if you can. Thanks brother
Been using Pex-AL-Pex in our data center installations for 15 years now. Upinor makes some great products. The extra cost is easily outweighed by the labor savings compared to copper, no hot work permits, and piece of mind in knowing it will never leak doesn't suck.
You had my undivided attention up until you mentioned that milwaukee is involved in this.Many places do not allow PEX and what's more there is always the chance of rodents chewing through those PEX lines and causing a major flood.It's a good option for those that care for it but I personally prefer to stick to copper pipe.God bless you and yours,thanks for the video.
Six years ago I used a hand crimper with a Pex b pipe and found there were problems getting a good crimp in tight spaces like between floor joists etc. which resulted in leaks. I finally scrapped all of it and bought PEX a (Uponor) pipe and a used Milwaukee M12 on eBay. Aside from a problem caused by my not lubricating the tool, it has worked perfectly. I am installing a new tankless WH and upsizing to 3/4" PEX a. It will be so easy - I would not use any other system.
Uponor bought this system from Velta, which had over time acquired the Wirsbo firm and it’s original expansion joint plastic pipe system. Wirsbo are the originators of this very system. The 90° fittings should be avoided whenever possible, if you want to keep your flow up snuff. For this system there are curve braces on the shelf. The advantage of PEX it’s molecular memory, which can also be a disadvantage when installations aren’t properly braced, or fitted for expansion and contraction.
Most old school pros still recommend copper for various reasons but PEX is slowly becoming more popular. In older buildings though, it's VERY likely mice and rats will be a problem. Mice/rats love to chew through PEX piping so I'm hoping manufacturers come up with a solution that will solve this problem long term.
Wirsbo, or upinor (the product in the video) is NOT pex. Pex is an entirely different, and far less superior product. Think of wirsbo as the big leagues, pex is about pewee or novice level at your local minor league sports association.
@@DanoFSmith-yc9tg sorry but you're wrong, UPONOR ProPEX is pex. UPONOR says it is pex, so it is pex. UPONOR is not the only company that makes pex A. A, B, & C just identify the manufacturing process of pex. pex A has less of a memory & has the highest flexibility, which are good qualities. pex B has a higher burst pressure than pex A, also a good quality to have. a mouse or rat will chew thru pex A just as fast as it will thru pex B or C. no matter what brand or letter you use, its best to use the specified parts, tools & procedures for the pex you are using. the manufacturer specific tools aren't cheap no matter who it is. personally i like Viega fostapex and that is what i'll be using to repipe my house.
@@DanoFSmith-yc9tg lol. PROPEX.... You couldn't be more wrong in your statement. It's definitely pex tubing, just like Viega, sharkbite, zurn... Different types of pex for different applications. I have installed miles and miles of pex, all types without issue. Issues come from plastic fittings getting cracked from stress or mishandling. Or from crimpers not adjusted properly. Pex can bend easily but one shouldn't make a hard bend that causes stress on a connection, common sense that I see some plumbers lazily resist.
I use copper exactly for this reason. I've had rats and mice chew everything with plastic on it. Wires, irrigation lines, coaxial, forced air ducts, etc. Rats and mice never chewed copper pipes or galvanized forced air ducts, only insulation on them. Almost all my repairs in copper are from improper installs. I would like to use this PEX style product though as it looks very productive and offers many advantages. Great video for sure.
I once nicked the barb on a 3” male adapter. I was cutting off the ring with a sawzall because pex is pretty tough stuff and the rings are about 1/2” or more thick. Anyway, that was a $200 fitting down the drain. I mean in the grand scheme of the job it didn’t hurt as much but still be very careful. Heat gun or torch with a razor knife is the best approach. You can still nick plastic fittings with a knife. But if you use heat it softens it so you have more control.
Your my favorite youtuber! Sorry for not following through with the appointment, I managed to install the auto water feeder for my steam boiler following ure soldering video instructions. Thank u again!!!
Personally I used a lot Uponor,from floor heating to pipe in pipe pex system,alupex as well. I really thought it was the best system,until I haven’t started to use Sanipex in late 2017. But still Uponor is my no.2 to go in plumbing.
Say what.? You used Uponor until sanipex which you "haven't" started to use, and is now your number one and Uponor is now number two..? I also find if I don't use stuff, it has a lot less tendency to fail. :)
Are used to write books about electronica security systems and first generation electronica troubleshooting and I know it’s very important to put things in the correct order you are absolutely master full of doing it whether it’s how you think or you really take time to figure that out but again props tremendous job I love your videos
Amazing the 3 inch pipe system, flow time pressure is somewhat equivalent to power involve in those pipes, a lot of power, doing something like that in plastic that auto cure wow!
Very well put together video. Uponor is expensive but it truly is the way to go if want to start your own business. For around my house soldering is first choice crimp PEX second. All depends on what kind of repair and location.
My son had his house "re-piped" with PEX a number of years ago (I think about 12 years now). I was surprised on how fast they were. It only took one day, start to finish. I have PEX in my travel trailer but use a crimp type connector. I have modified the plumbing in the trailer to add shut off valves in critical locations. I was surprised on how easy it was to work in cramped locations. I now carry some piping, fittings and crimping tool with me while on trips.
Wow, wow. you sure have great videos. If you never watched Chris Fix before, its worth watching. you guys are both amazing. have great content and videos are super clear and to the point. Its quite enjoyable to watch. one thing i don't understand, is how in the world do you have 179 dislikes on your videos when you have top quality stuff explaining everything so clear. But I'm sure those were done by mistake or some others that are actual plumbers and hate the content that shows others how to do stuff as it takes away from their business(aw i feel bad for them. LoL). You are definitely from the best videos I've seen on plumbing, and You Tube. Love your stuff. And of course i hit that subscribe button. Keep up the great content and always looking out for new videos from you.
I am a homeowner and bought the lever kit which comes with 4 heads and goes up to 1 inch for $80.... thats a good deal. The larger UPONOR fittings... over 1 inch are RIDICULOUSLY expensive. Good stuff. I have it for all plumbing and about 3500 feet of radiant. I like it a LOT better than PEXB with all those crimp rings.
@@Got2Learn my question... why dont other manufacturers compete in the PexA market? The fittings are WAY overpriced compared to other brass and some plastics. I buy from Supply House and I love them... Uponor is the best in my opinion... it needs generics which I have never seen
My guess is it's a patent issue, I know Sioux Chief makes PEX-a and I only heard good stuff, but I honestly don't know why cheaper parts aren't being made.
Got2Learn, I work in the plumbing aisle of a Home Depot. I've learned a lot from your channel and recommend your videos all the time. I have a special folder in RUclips for plumbing and 95% of the videos in there are yours. The most common problem customers have when talking to me are the drain lines from sinks (kitchen and bath). The sinks nowadays mostly have 1-1/4" down stubs. The customers have to get from that to either 1-1/2" or 2" main drain line into the wall - along with incorporating a p-trap in there. About the only thing we have for them is the compression joint with a compression ring sized for 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" (separate rings, one for each size). This seems kinda cheap and unreliable. Any suggestions for a better way to do this?
Thanks. They seem a little "chincy" or cheap to me. But if that's the proper way to do the job, so be it. I'm just making sure I recommend the right thing to customers.
You also have the various pvc "trap adapters" to make a straight transition from the trap fittings to the drainpipe, which have a one-piece compression joint and require glue on the other end (I work at Lowes). These seem more solid than the thinner plastic repair pipes with just a compression ring. Yes, some plumbers hate those cheap repair fittings, but they make life easier for the many homeowners who are not plumbers, and don't want to pay for one.
Yes Kevin, I thought of those over with the abs fittings. I don't like to take customers down that road of using abs. Most customers would be overwhelmed with all the glueing and cutting involved. Most just want to install that sink they bought as quickly and easily as possible. Good thought tho.
Love these videos! Thank you As a pro, we need to remember that time is money too. These upfront costs save us time, which then get us to the next job quicker without sacrificing the quality of the job. Win win Thanks again!!!!
I’ve got the M12 kit almost brand new for 250$ last week hahaha pretty good buy and the Force logic is heavier than my Dewalt flexvolt sds plus.. it’s a beast
Milwaukee power tools are the best! It was a huge upgrade coming from Ryobi. Even as a hobbyist I notice the difference a lot. My Shitobi drill struggled to go through wood, my M18 Brushless Milwaukee goes through steel. I don't have the ProPEX, just the manual Apollo one.
The smaller tool can be had on sale for $325 with a case and two batteries + charger. Great tool. Love the system. Fittings and pipe are starting to show up here in a handful of Home Depots (Apollo brand, not Uponor).
Never heard of Apollo. Is it Pex A like Uponor? I really like Uponor but the only place I've been able to find Pex A is at plumbing supply houses. Would be great to be able to get it at HD or Lowes
@@richmac918 Some of the HDs in WA state (Federal Way store) are now carrying a decent selection of Apollo brand expansion PEX . Same specs as Uponor and can use Uponor/Apollo fittings/pipe interchangeably. Search for "pex-a" They even have expansion PEX ready shut off valves, copper stub outs, shower drop ears and metal water heater risers which makes supply plumbing a breeze.
@@madcowusa4277 Thanks for the info. I stopped looking at HD and Lowes a long time ago because i knew they only carried Pex B. Next time I'm there I had to see if my local stores are now carrying Apollo. Thanks for the heads up - most appreciated
Super informative, thanks a bunch! I'm still struggling to see a large improvement over PEX, but I definitely understand the advantage over copper. Question: What about hot water? The video discusses applying heat to expand and remove fittings, what is the usability and reliability on hot water supply lines?
I built my own home with 2 baths I ended up buying the m12 tool and did my whole house with it. Upnoar is way better than that crap pex they sell at home depot. In the end it was still cheaper than hiring a professional
I bought M12 Propex tool on Amazon for $300. I don't know if that was on sale or price mistake, but it was a great deal. Re-piped my house with propex and used it on few jobs, and I love it. :D Tubing is cheap, but fittings are expensive. But you don't need as many fittings a copper since the tubing is flexible. One downside I found is that it doesn't work very well in a tight spaces because there is a minimum length between fittings.
I really appreciate your videos! They are informative, unbiased, intelligent and presented perfectly with no BS 🐂💩😄; straight to the point!😊 I have been a plumber for 32yrs now. I thought I was so smart that I'd be a master in about a month😄! What I learned long ago though was that if you meet a plumber that says he knows everything about plumbing; he actually may not know much at all 😄! There is SO much to know and I have learned significantly from you Sir! Especially about newer products like the pex vid I just watched. Us old guys tend to get set in our ways and be resistant to change😄. I remember awhile ago watching a vid with plumber magic type tricks and scoffing that I knew them all but I ended up learning a thing or two by the end 😊! Keep up the good work man💯😊!!!
zurn pex B is expandable and pex A can be crimped. occasionally youll get an uponor fitting with a small imperfection, litttle plastic tails that can cause failures/leaks (1 every 10000 or so), so just check your fittings Pex B zurn stuff has a rounded head and its alright, but i have a lot more experience with uponor. apollo makes pex A fittings, but i have yet to try them
thank you for the chart at 5:08. some people didnt believe me that theres a minimum length you need for it to still be insured by uponor. this'll shut them up ! :)
Unfortunately, you are partially incorrect. A smaller diameter increases pressure drop (and decreases flow) according to the Darcy-weisbach and Bernoulli equations and thereby results in a smaller pressure after the pipe/fitting. Please check any fluid mechanics textbook. I would recommend Crane technical paper 410 (the most used fluid flow book in industry). From a professional engineer with a master's degree in chemical engineering who routinely sizes pipes and pumps.
Nope I disagree because you have to use open flame inorder to do repairs. That can heat up the ring causing a leak. Also it can fool a plumber to what is in wall.thus other issues like uponor expansion that is not an issue. Alot of guys try installing shock arresters to stop this though there is no way and would cause a faulty charge and the noise will never go away
just bought all Pex A for a re-piping of my whole house. It was built with polybutylene and the joints are dripping. I live in a manufactured home so its going to be a fun job trenching through the crawl space ad through the underbelly insulation of the house.
VERY clear, concise and informative video detailing ‘pert near everything that I was trying to find out about Uponor ProPex! I started with Uponor’s WEB site and that was a waste of time! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
It works great. Never used a manual expander but I can’t see a good reason to use one. In tight crawl spaces I can only imaging the frustration of a manual tool.
In Germany we like to install Rehau. It is almost the same technology, except that the pipe is made of multi-layer composite pipe and is therefore easily plastically deformable.😉 By the way you make realy good videos, thanks you for that! I'm now in the second year of plumbing, so I could realy learn from your videos how to become a good plumber...(in Germany the studytime is about 3,5 years) 🙂👌
1 common mistake people do is they install the pipes in straight lines. The pipe should be as curved as possible to absorb the thermal expansion - no straight lines!
Great videos. How about a video sizing water supply system for a residence, using this PEX A? I assume you understand pressure/volume/velocity, and how each impacts sizing? Preventing/minimizing water hammer, etc. Thanks
Hey excellent video I like Uponor and it’s full width fittings. It’s worth getting the Milwaukee cordless even for a busy homeowner involved in plumbing.
Really great to use except in the winter with minimal heating. Had a lot of problems with it shrinking back to normal size. Had to use heat guns to cure the issue.
Love it! #Got2Learn can you do a video on up-sizing pipes from say 1" to 1.25 or 1.5" to reduce friction if lots of bends are in the system like in irrigation and up-sizing for valves for the same reason vs using "full port".
I bet you could go on and on about Uponor. You got those manifold fittings, the block(I think that's what it's called) full port brass ball valves, you can twist the fittings into the correct angle after it's shrunk. Thanks for the tip on how to make butt to butt connections.
UPONOR is a great system but is rarely going to be considered by the DIY homeowner that has a bathroom to renovate, due to the ridiculous cost of the expansion tools. The cheapest Milwaulkee expansion tool in Canada is $750.00 . The tool is no more complicated or costly to manufacture than other 18 V power tools that sell for less than $200.00 .
I was just about to say pretty obvious money grab that they designed an entire tool required to do the job, instead of some sort of a interchangeable period for even still sell the manual tool
Good to know about heating joint to remove a fitting. Have used both the razor in the pecs cutting tool to try to take the pieces off of the fitting and yes they do leak after they have been nicked. I will try this the next time I need to shorten a run, or make a pipe look more square.
I’m a plumber and I know this product very well. It will fail if your home has a recirculating hot water line. Mine has failed in multiple locations. The pipe will split at the connections. They get very small splits and start to leak. I’ve ask uponor about it and they said you can’t use a hot water recirculating line.
Be sure to rotate the expansion ring as the joint is widened. I was taught that rotation prevents leaks for various reasons. A young girl can use these Uponor tools too. That is when trying to lose her virginity. Less stress and pain. No chance of communicable diseases either.
Buy then resell makes sense for larger projects that might take a few days to complete. Renting makes great sense for smaller projects, but some areas don't have good availability.
This seems like a great new addition to plumbing for the DIY guy. However, I'm VERY curious about the life expectancy of the plastic. Especially the union pieces as they are obviously harder than the line. We all know plastic dries out and cracks over time. More flexibility generally means longer life, but.... how long before I have to open walls and ceilings to repair or replace ??? I have NEVER had to think about the copper once it's done.
There's an installation method with PEX where you minimize or completely eliminate fittings in the wall. Straight runs to each fixture from a manifold system or a run to each area where there is a sub manifold. You can feasibly plumb an entire home with no hidden fittings. As for the actual life expectancy, PEX has been in use globally for quite a long time. The US was just behind on adoption. There's plenty of long-term usage and lifespan information out there.
Plastic lasts forever that’s why recycling is so important, as far as installing it in your house it’s very durable and will last longer than most alternatives
@@mjs3188 I had electrolysis in my last house and could not find the source of electricity. Due to the age of the house, I would get at least 3 pin hole leaks a year in copper, I replaced all leaky pipes with Pex
You just taught me that I can pull those off too. I thought that shrink on was permanent. So these have it all over crimp on. What I am understanding from this video is that this ProPEX needs specific joiners, made just for ProPEX. Well though right off the bat, and when it gets to it's designation, they will have to go onto hard metal fittings. I see them fit onto metal fittings, so I will have to ask about all that. Still learning.
I have to say you make the best videos out there you’re complete very accurate and you explain all the small details you don’t skip anything as usual two thumbs up man keep the great work coming
Comment pinned :) Thanks so much IRON!!!!!!!!!
@@Got2Learn These are legit how to videos.
What I also like about Got2Learn is that he goes straight to the point of the video, unlike others that have to tell you their whole fucking life story of plumbing before they tell you what you wanted to know.
Saw someone using a bit on their Milwaukee drill.
Uponor "quickNeasy". Tbh It might be easier with the electric expander tools. But it's not supposed to dismount. You might actually get a leak on a re-expanded PEX-A pipe.
And another thing I don't appreciate is the fact that the threaded pex-A couplings are made out of plastic.
They might be cheaper than brass, but much easier to damage the thread.
Master plumber for 40 years, Started replacing copper tubing in my own home with PEX because of acid water from my well has slowly eaten the copper when I would forget to add calcite to the neutralizer. Love it, easy to install except for one fact. Squirrels and mice can see the water inside the pipe and chew through it in minutes. Woke up to a flooded house. If you live in the woods like me or have random critters joining your family in the winter..this may not be for you.
Yes, mice are a problem, but that's something that needs to get fixed.
@@Got2Learn This one is a squirrel.. He is up above the drop ceiling. Going to have to remove the entire drop ceiling to get him out. lol If you have ever lived in the woods you would find it is not as easy as you think to get rid of these guys. They enjoy radiant heat and air conditioning too.
Only thing to worry about now is leaching of chemicals from pex that mimic estrogen
@@anthonyspadafora1384 Quarter inch wire mesh? I had mice in my 4x4 Bombardier 330 and used aluminum window screening in the air intake thing and that stopped the nesting! Also left lots of rat bait about in a garden shed the rats decided was nice and homey. Does the PEX A not come in Solid Colors? re: "they see the water?" What about running it inside a larger PVC 'conduit?' where it would/might be 'visible' to such critters? Or inside larger diameter EMT pipe?
@@notcharles They don’t “see the water”, they do the same to electrical cable. They’ll chew on anything.
Hi! Homeowner/amateur DIY'er here!
Thanks for the great video! I would like to try and replace my current, leaking outdoor water spigots with Aquor Wall Hydrants and it's recommended that PEX be used for the retrofit. As mentioned, I am an amateur DIY-er and although I'm not afraid of trying to do things on my own, I have a budget and would rather not make costly mistakes. so when I find really detailed videos like this one that point out each step, the cost of materials needed to do the job, and the pros and cons, it makes my heart so happy! And for that reason, I have become one of your Newest Subbies! Thanks again!
Ive worked a lot with this and I have to say, in comparison to crimp I hate uponor so very much. The main reasons being when working in the cold the fittings take up to a minute or more to close up. Even in warmer temps you can just crimp and turn on the system, you need to wait 5-15 minutes. Also cost was mentioned, but the comparison between plastic wirsbo and brass/ copper was made. If you compare plastic 90's as an example the cost is almost 1/2 that of wirsbo. For these reasons the shops I've worked for have stated getting rid of their wirsbo stuff unless the customer specifically asks for it. That said I love your videos and can't wait for more, you've been an amazing help threw my apprenticeship and have so many high end time saving tips. I can't even begin to tell you how many I use daily.
Are crimp fittings as foolproof and long lasting as uponor? I have a uponor tool, but sometimes consider using crimps since home depot has all the fittings. Just not sure about reliability.
1 water leak may cost a million times more.
i did a complete DIY , when i built my house, purchased the Milwaukee power tools, PEX and all items including the manifolds.. no regrets, from the winters of Maine.. even re did several of my friends and family too. best system to use. especially in the cold climates.
Nice work! Good to know it worked out for you.
Have you done partial, where you connect to an existing pvc system? If so how did it work out?
@@eb6195 I have, but for garden use only, and in the it is in summah.. UPNUr has the pex to pvc adapters, and i used them..I can NOT speak on cold weather- my apologies. but, i do Know - PVC is NOT cold weather friendly - lots of camps up here bust pipes thinking "they got it" with PVC.
I bought a small cottage about 8 years ago with the intent of fixing it up. I had not intended to replace the existing copper piping until I discovered that someone had used Type M copper and that after 50 years the well water was eating through it. I was going to replace it with Type L but a plumber friend suggested ProPEX. I bought one of the Milwaukee M12 expanders and I think I plumbed the entire house (duplex) in about a day and a half. If I had used copper it would have taken 10 times as long. I'm always skeptical about using "new" things until they have had a chance to prove themselves but this one has been around for quite a while now and it does work. Just so much simpler and quicker to work with and it's never leaked.
What type of Pex a did you use? I'm confused if all Pex a any brand will work for cold expansion. Thanks
UPONOR's PEX Pipe warranty is 25 years unless you use non-UPONOR fittings , then it's only 10.
I loved this system when I first saw it about 10 years ago.
Bought the tool and some fittings from the USA, not available in Oz, just to see it.
A few years ago Uponor finally came to Oz
They promised the earth, I geared up for it, designed heating systems for their systems including their controls, with their designers.
Then after about 18 months they pull up stumps and leave, hopeless.
Now your on your own. no support, no warranty and to finish jobs import from Europe, great.
Great vid Cheers from Oz
Thanks !!!!!
Rehau has the market stitched up here
@@BrickTop900 where is "up here" -- Australia?
This is absolutely my favorite brand of PEX to work with.
Radiant, plumbing, and ground source heat pumps. It is amazingly effective and I have run it to pressures up to 150 psi for home ro systems.
😉😉😉
When I was searching for Type A on Amazon (11/11/2020), it appeared that there were many brands/suppliers and few of the product descriptions clearly stated TYPE A PEX. Are their Go To Brands / Manufacturers one might rely upon? Does Lowes or Home Depot, for instance) carry/sell the pipe and fittings?
I was told by an Uponor rep that they have never had a failure under 220 PSI.
What do you think about the class action lawsuit related to cracking of Uponor's red and blue tubing?
@@bmfitzgerald3 not to worried about it, I don't use colored PEX. Always thought that was gimmicky.
4 years later in this video still relevant. I have polybutylene in my house that was built in 1988 and I'm trying to figure out a way to get both levels done effectively but cheaply. The crawl space is going to be easy but it's that one spot that goes upstairs pipes go in the wall to two bathrooms that I'm going to have to work at. Needless to say it looks like I'm going to get some experience at drywall and ceiling repair. Lol! Thanks for the video and the links.
thanks, glad you enjoyed!
On DIY projects, plumbing is my arch nemesis - invariably have leaks that require re-do. This is a god-send.
😇😇😇
Nice summary. For future, please cover when to use elbows or bends. I used PEX-A for my DIY remodel. Big selling point for all PEX are "home runs" from fixture to manifold, eliminating joints in the walls. My only joints are elbows for the 1" supply (from street to manifold) where I couldn't fit a bend, and a Tee in the kitchen for the sink & dishwasher to share one supply line. Also, maybe cover plastic vs copper joints and manifolds. I went all copper, because a friend told me a plastic manifold failing is catastrophic whereas copper could be mended.
Been using this for 20 years. Love it.
Bes imho.
I have been waiting years for some good info on Pex a. I switched to using expansion pex about 4 years ago. I heard about it from a plumber. I told him that I was thinking about trying pex out for my kitchen and bath remodels and he said pex a was the best.
I bought the m12 tool and havent looked back. More and more companies are making pex a pipe and fittings. I am a huge fan of mr. pex and their products.
Thanks for the video.
😊😊😊
Great video. Basic and informative. FYI, DeWalt now makes a battery powered expander tool as well. The DeWalt expander works just as well as the Milwaukee and if your already have DeWalt battery powered tools, all you need to purchase is the expander tool only.
It's a lot less expensive that way. Uponor also makes brass connectors that allow you to convert your system from copper pipe to PEX A. You just sweat the brass fitting onto the copper pipe and then connect the PEX A pipe to the other end.
Thank you for that, I have multiple dewalt 20v and ryobi 18v batteries... definitely don't want to get into milwaukee this late into the game
Great infomative comment! Thanks!
Thank you for talking about the differences between Pex A, B, and C. Nice to know A expands, but B and C you'd want to use crimpers. Also the bore diameter.
The colored rings with no stops I would always give the ring a slight expansion before throwing it over so it wouldn't slide. When you're 1 or 2 connections from completing a manifold you really don't want that shit happening. Also on the subject of Milwaukee expanders if you don't actively do above 1" don't buy the M18. It expands slower and it's much heavier.
One thing people don’t mention a lot about pex is pressure balancing. I had to replumb a section of pipe that served 3 bathrooms and a laundry room. I put all the hot and cold lines on a manifold for pex a. Nice thing is even if three showers are used at same time no one notices a big drop in pressure.
There’s no substantial pressure drop if you use pex B on a manifold either. One sixteenth of an inch inside diameter reduction from pex B fittings actually increases pressure. Flow may be a little bit different but only until water gets to the shower head. Shower head nozzles greatly reduce the diameter of holes the water gets to flow through and will always reduce flow accordingly, no matter what flow there is upstream.
Love your videos.
I just re-piped my whole house including out to the meter. This system really is so easy to use. Even as a DIY, I opted for the M12. I had no desire to manually expand the joints.
My only regret with the system is I should have used a copper stub out for my tub spout instead of building a Pex one. Works absolutely fine, but isn’t as stiff as copper obviously.
I also like Uponors multi port Ts, they saved me a good amount of additional fittings and joints to go to all my fixtures.
Also worth noting that as a DIY project, you kind of need to know what you want ahead of time because big box stores have a limited selection for PEX A systems.
Thanks Vincent, yeah the stub out for the bathtub is better in copper for the reason you mentioned, and those multiport tees are great for bathrooms, love the system.
Got2Learn Rookie mistake on my part. I’m no plumber, but in hindsight it seems obvious.
Now you know :)
I work in the plumbing aisle at a Home Depot. You're right. We don't carry any PEX-A supplies. I wish we did. I'd love to show off all the advantages of it. I'm not sure if homedepot.com carries it. I'll have to check. It might be worth waiting a week to have it delivered to the store for free for you.
Yeah that's a code violation right there
This is great, if you live where it's above freezing year round. Pex is forgiving with frost, but the rings are not. When water freezes and expands inside of pex the ring can slip and cause a slow leak. As we know, slow leaks can go undetected for days.
After watching dozens of other videos on Pex A yours was the only one to mention the reason for rotating the expander tool. I didn’t even know that was a thing. Glad I watched this video before doing my project. Thanks!
You are most welcome 🙏
We started using the Rehau system in the mid 2000s....still the best system to date in my opinion. Brass fittings and sleeves...full size bore fittings...absolutely rock solid. Unfortunately the market made it too expensive to continue using it.
Rehau is the way to go
We've been installing uponor for about 15 years at my plumbing company !!!
niceeeeeeee!!!
Sweet you’ll be due to start replacing all of it soon then
@@samjames8690 If you was born 50 years earlier you would of been complaining about copper
Ruy Lopez - dude it was a joke, not a dick, don’t take it so hard
I live in Ontario, Canada, and here it is completely impossible to find PEX-A in any of the regular hardware stores. All that is available is PEX-B. To get PEX-A you have to go to a special contractors supply store and buy a 100-foot-long roll of the stuff to install just a foot or two of that pipe to make the connection you need. You can buy a 10-foot length of PEX-B in any Home Depot store, but they don't sell PEX-A in any length. Same thing for Lowes and Rona and Canadian Tire.
You can buy 20 ft sticks aswell at wholesalers. But most wholesalers will not do cash sales anyway right now.
I replumbed my 4 bedroom brick home by myself with Wirsbo pex. 5 years later not a single leak or busted pipe. This stuff is awesome!
It really is!
For those wondering about the DeWalt expansion tool that looks like the Milwaukee - it's just as good. Either one will be a fine and reliable choice. I know fanboys on both sides will say the other tool is junk, but fanboy advice is worthless. Both tools excellent. So buy whatever you get the better deal on or whatever battery system you might be using now. EDIT: do NOT use the manual expander for anything. Trust me on this..
Thanks for the info!
Absolutely correct! I even contacted the Uponor rep regarding Uponor certified tool usage after my local plumbing supply told the Milwaukee was the only one certified. The rep stated that only Milwaukee had the expansion tool at the time the tests were being done. He said the Dewalt was every bit as good! And correct! Don't even bother with the manual tool unless you're a doityourselfer and only need to do a few fittings here and there.
Made in china, brands no longer matter. Same as car batteries, people swear Diehard is still the best car battery. Johnson controls make Diehard, Autozone and Wal mart and a few more, batteries. 55$ vs 185$
Milwaukee tools are straight trash, DeWalt isn't much better though.
Milwaukee is trash lol?
Scored my milwaukee 12v pex tool on black friday for 350 with a free pvc cutter. Sold the pvc cutter and the price of the pex tool came to about 260.00 tax included. Purchase of the year.
That's good to know about the manual expander. It works fine as long as you remember to rotate it while expanding. As a homeowner who'd only use it occasionally, the cost savings would make doing just a few projects more feasible.
i would highly recommend not using the manual tool. it is large and clunky and so slow as to be almost unusable, especially for a novice. Any repair will likely be in a cramped space where getting the tool in, and rotating it properly will be all but impossible. Even the M12 tool leaves little enough time to set the fitting before it starts to contract.
If buying the tool is out of reach, most decent sized towns will have a plumbing supply house or tool rental place that would rent the tool for a few hours. Now that Home Depot is carrying Pex-A fittings and pipe, as well as selling the M12 Tool (which is sufficient for 98% of residential plumbing), its more accessible than ever.
@@poppybuilt3061 thanks for the tips
I wish you had a walk through of a house from zero to completion. Def good info here. I'm going to plumb a schoolie bus. This is perfect for that project.
You're my fav plumber bro. I bought the m12 version to do 3/4" and it's so much quicker then copper.
🤗🤗🤗
Really, exactly how much faster is it? What, you saved 8 seconds per fitting? LOL And how many call backs are you on now? LOL.
@@rickjames6948 first I think he saved more than 8 sec per fitting also and 8 sec is a a lot also if he had a callback it’s because he did it wrong just like how you can mess of a solder joint which is much easier to mess up
Built a 1200sf house for someone and decided to do the plumbing myself after watching some videos about pex A.
Bought the M12... was amazed at how easy it was.
Never would have tried it with copper!
🤘🤘🤘
The thing you forgot to mention was pro pex with copper fittings for shower lines and other connections . Please do a video on that as well if you can. Thanks brother
I honestly think pro press copper should be kept for boilers and tying off the ends of system but that’s a personal opinion.
Been using Pex-AL-Pex in our data center installations for 15 years now. Upinor makes some great products. The extra cost is easily outweighed by the labor savings compared to copper, no hot work permits, and piece of mind in knowing it will never leak doesn't suck.
uh buddy you know that plastic degrades over time right? It's not a question of if it will leak but when.
You had my undivided attention up until you mentioned that milwaukee is involved in this.Many places do not allow PEX and what's more there is always the chance of rodents chewing through those PEX lines and causing a major flood.It's a good option for those that care for it but I personally prefer to stick to copper pipe.God bless you and yours,thanks for the video.
;)
Yes i had some rabbit chew through one of my connections.
Six years ago I used a hand crimper with a Pex b pipe and found there were problems getting a good crimp in tight spaces like between floor joists etc. which resulted in leaks. I finally scrapped all of it and bought PEX a (Uponor) pipe and a used Milwaukee M12 on eBay. Aside from a problem caused by my not lubricating the tool, it has worked perfectly. I am installing a new tankless WH and upsizing to 3/4" PEX a. It will be so easy - I would not use any other system.
That 2 to 3-in expansion tool is awesome no more soldering, yay!
Yes indeed! I used it quite a bite and it's really satisfying!!
Uponor bought this system from Velta, which had over time acquired the Wirsbo firm and it’s original expansion joint plastic pipe system. Wirsbo are the originators of this very system. The 90° fittings should be avoided whenever possible, if you want to keep your flow up snuff. For this system there are curve braces on the shelf. The advantage of PEX it’s molecular memory, which can also be a disadvantage when installations aren’t properly braced, or fitted for expansion and contraction.
Most old school pros still recommend copper for various reasons but PEX is slowly becoming more popular. In older buildings though, it's VERY likely mice and rats will be a problem. Mice/rats love to chew through PEX piping so I'm hoping manufacturers come up with a solution that will solve this problem long term.
Good observation
Wirsbo, or upinor (the product in the video) is NOT pex. Pex is an entirely different, and far less superior product.
Think of wirsbo as the big leagues, pex is about pewee or novice level at your local minor league sports association.
@@DanoFSmith-yc9tg sorry but you're wrong, UPONOR ProPEX is pex. UPONOR says it is pex, so it is pex.
UPONOR is not the only company that makes pex A.
A, B, & C just identify the manufacturing process of pex.
pex A has less of a memory & has the highest flexibility, which are good qualities. pex B has a higher burst pressure than pex A, also a good quality to have.
a mouse or rat will chew thru pex A just as fast as it will thru pex B or C.
no matter what brand or letter you use, its best to use the specified parts, tools & procedures for the pex you are using.
the manufacturer specific tools aren't cheap no matter who it is.
personally i like Viega fostapex and that is what i'll be using to repipe my house.
@@DanoFSmith-yc9tg lol. PROPEX....
You couldn't be more wrong in your statement. It's definitely pex tubing, just like Viega, sharkbite, zurn...
Different types of pex for different applications. I have installed miles and miles of pex, all types without issue. Issues come from plastic fittings getting cracked from stress or mishandling. Or from crimpers not adjusted properly.
Pex can bend easily but one shouldn't make a hard bend that causes stress on a connection, common sense that I see some plumbers lazily resist.
I use copper exactly for this reason. I've had rats and mice chew everything with plastic on it. Wires, irrigation lines, coaxial, forced air ducts, etc. Rats and mice never chewed copper pipes or galvanized forced air ducts, only insulation on them. Almost all my repairs in copper are from improper installs. I would like to use this PEX style product though as it looks very productive and offers many advantages. Great video for sure.
I once nicked the barb on a 3” male adapter. I was cutting off the ring with a sawzall because pex is pretty tough stuff and the rings are about 1/2” or more thick. Anyway, that was a $200 fitting down the drain. I mean in the grand scheme of the job it didn’t hurt as much but still be very careful. Heat gun or torch with a razor knife is the best approach. You can still nick plastic fittings with a knife. But if you use heat it softens it so you have more control.
I'm retired but good to know about this stuff. I will probably be copper guy forever tho.
👍👍👍
Your my favorite youtuber! Sorry for not following through with the appointment, I managed to install the auto water feeder for my steam boiler following ure soldering video instructions. Thank u again!!!
Thank you so much and congrats on the install Anthony!!!
Personally I used a lot Uponor,from floor heating to pipe in pipe pex system,alupex as well.
I really thought it was the best system,until I haven’t started to use Sanipex in late 2017.
But still Uponor is my no.2 to go in plumbing.
Say what.? You used Uponor until sanipex which you "haven't" started to use, and is now your number one and Uponor is now number two..?
I also find if I don't use stuff, it has a lot less tendency to fail. :)
Are used to write books about electronica security systems and first generation electronica troubleshooting and I know it’s very important to put things in the correct order you are absolutely master full of doing it whether it’s how you think or you really take time to figure that out but again props tremendous job I love your videos
Thanks a million brother, really appreciate it!!! 🙂🙂🙂
Amazing the 3 inch pipe system, flow time pressure is somewhat equivalent to power involve in those pipes, a lot of power, doing something like that in plastic that auto cure wow!
Very well put together video.
Uponor is expensive but it truly is the way to go if want to start your own business.
For around my house soldering is first choice crimp PEX second. All depends on what kind of repair and location.
Well said!
My son had his house "re-piped" with PEX a number of years ago (I think about 12 years now). I was surprised on how fast they were. It only took one day, start to finish.
I have PEX in my travel trailer but use a crimp type connector. I have modified the plumbing in the trailer to add shut off valves in critical locations. I was surprised on how easy it was to work in cramped locations. I now carry some piping, fittings and crimping tool with me while on trips.
👌👌👌
Buongiorno sono anni che uso questo tubo in Italia e per me è il migliore al mondo .super soddisfatto
Wow, wow. you sure have great videos. If you never watched Chris Fix before, its worth watching. you guys are both amazing. have great content and videos are super clear and to the point. Its quite enjoyable to watch. one thing i don't understand, is how in the world do you have 179 dislikes on your videos when you have top quality stuff explaining everything so clear. But I'm sure those were done by mistake or some others that are actual plumbers and hate the content that shows others how to do stuff as it takes away from their business(aw i feel bad for them. LoL). You are definitely from the best videos I've seen on plumbing, and You Tube. Love your stuff. And of course i hit that subscribe button.
Keep up the great content and always looking out for new videos from you.
You are most welcome, please share if you can, it help s the channel tremendously ✌✌
I am a homeowner and bought the lever kit which comes with 4 heads and goes up to 1 inch for $80.... thats a good deal. The larger UPONOR fittings... over 1 inch are RIDICULOUSLY expensive. Good stuff. I have it for all plumbing and about 3500 feet of radiant. I like it a LOT better than PEXB with all those crimp rings.
Yeah if you aren't gonna be making money doing this, it's better to have the manual kit or it is too expensive for sure ;)
@@Got2Learn my question... why dont other manufacturers compete in the PexA market? The fittings are WAY overpriced compared to other brass and some plastics. I buy from Supply House and I love them... Uponor is the best in my opinion... it needs generics which I have never seen
My guess is it's a patent issue, I know Sioux Chief makes PEX-a and I only heard good stuff, but I honestly don't know why cheaper parts aren't being made.
@@Got2Learn I dont know how you could patent a plastic elbow or coupler.
@@rogerwhiting9310 they got patents on those for sure
Got2Learn, I work in the plumbing aisle of a Home Depot. I've learned a lot from your channel and recommend your videos all the time. I have a special folder in RUclips for plumbing and 95% of the videos in there are yours.
The most common problem customers have when talking to me are the drain lines from sinks (kitchen and bath). The sinks nowadays mostly have 1-1/4" down stubs. The customers have to get from that to either 1-1/2" or 2" main drain line into the wall - along with incorporating a p-trap in there. About the only thing we have for them is the compression joint with a compression ring sized for 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" (separate rings, one for each size). This seems kinda cheap and unreliable. Any suggestions for a better way to do this?
Actually those are the correct fittings to use, they are called "waste connect" fittings, they work very well :)
Thanks. They seem a little "chincy" or cheap to me. But if that's the proper way to do the job, so be it. I'm just making sure I recommend the right thing to customers.
You also have the various pvc "trap adapters" to make a straight transition from the trap fittings to the drainpipe, which have a one-piece compression joint and require glue on the other end (I work at Lowes). These seem more solid than the thinner plastic repair pipes with just a compression ring. Yes, some plumbers hate those cheap repair fittings, but they make life easier for the many homeowners who are not plumbers, and don't want to pay for one.
Yes Kevin, I thought of those over with the abs fittings. I don't like to take customers down that road of using abs. Most customers would be overwhelmed with all the glueing and cutting involved. Most just want to install that sink they bought as quickly and easily as possible. Good thought tho.
Love these videos!
Thank you
As a pro, we need to remember that time is money too.
These upfront costs save us time, which then get us to the next job quicker without sacrificing the quality of the job.
Win win
Thanks again!!!!
🙏🙏🙏💯
I’ve got the M12 kit almost brand new for 250$ last week hahaha pretty good buy and the Force logic is heavier than my Dewalt flexvolt sds plus.. it’s a beast
Yes, it's a beast ;)
Milwaukee power tools are the best! It was a huge upgrade coming from Ryobi. Even as a hobbyist I notice the difference a lot. My Shitobi drill struggled to go through wood, my M18 Brushless Milwaukee goes through steel. I don't have the ProPEX, just the manual Apollo one.
The smaller tool can be had on sale for $325 with a case and two batteries + charger. Great tool. Love the system. Fittings and pipe are starting to show up here in a handful of Home Depots (Apollo brand, not Uponor).
Never heard of Apollo. Is it Pex A like Uponor? I really like Uponor but the only place I've been able to find Pex A is at plumbing supply houses. Would be great to be able to get it at HD or Lowes
@@richmac918 Some of the HDs in WA state (Federal Way store) are now carrying a decent selection of Apollo brand expansion PEX . Same specs as Uponor and can use Uponor/Apollo fittings/pipe interchangeably. Search for "pex-a" They even have expansion PEX ready shut off valves, copper stub outs, shower drop ears and metal water heater risers which makes supply plumbing a breeze.
@@madcowusa4277 Thanks for the info. I stopped looking at HD and Lowes a long time ago because i knew they only carried Pex B. Next time I'm there I had to see if my local stores are now carrying Apollo. Thanks for the heads up - most appreciated
@@madcowusa4277 Thanks man. I live in Seattle and will check that store out. Nice to be able to get that stuff on weekends and after 4:00 pm
The uponor warranty drops 75% if you don't use uponor fittings though.
Did my whole house with pex a and m12...was a breeze and love it.
Super informative, thanks a bunch! I'm still struggling to see a large improvement over PEX, but I definitely understand the advantage over copper. Question: What about hot water? The video discusses applying heat to expand and remove fittings, what is the usability and reliability on hot water supply lines?
You can use and reuse for hot water, no issues on pex-a, thanksss!!!
@@Got2Learn Thanks so much for the super vite response! Just sent you an email.
You are the ChrisFix of plumbing! Awesome content and explanation.
Thank you so much Dennis, very much appreciated 😉
I built my own home with 2 baths I ended up buying the m12 tool and did my whole house with it. Upnoar is way better than that crap pex they sell at home depot. In the end it was still cheaper than hiring a professional
So tell us why it is so much better?
I bought M12 Propex tool on Amazon for $300. I don't know if that was on sale or price mistake, but it was a great deal. Re-piped my house with propex and used it on few jobs, and I love it. :D Tubing is cheap, but fittings are expensive. But you don't need as many fittings a copper since the tubing is flexible. One downside I found is that it doesn't work very well in a tight spaces because there is a minimum length between fittings.
You paid $300 and it's a good deal?? I saw Milwaukee Propex on letgo app for $150 yesterday!
@@adnan9520 Considering it was new tool. Came with 2 batteries, 3 heads (1/2" 3/4" 1"), charger and carrying case. Yeah. :)
Your videos were referenced a lot in my plumbing school in Richmond va.
Love hearing that!!!
Thank you.
Hey man what school are you in? I’m working as a plumber in Richmond as well and I want to get into a class
@@ElswickJenelswick abc, but then Richmond tech, better education there. ABC is a joke
I really appreciate your videos! They are informative, unbiased, intelligent and presented perfectly with no BS 🐂💩😄; straight to the point!😊
I have been a plumber for 32yrs now. I thought I was so smart that I'd be a master in about a month😄! What I learned long ago though was that if you meet a plumber that says he knows everything about plumbing; he actually may not know much at all 😄! There is SO much to know and I have learned significantly from you Sir! Especially about newer products like the pex vid I just watched. Us old guys tend to get set in our ways and be resistant to change😄. I remember awhile ago watching a vid with plumber magic type tricks and scoffing that I knew them all but I ended up learning a thing or two by the end 😊!
Keep up the good work man💯😊!!!
Thanks you so much magzxi, there's always something to learn in plumbing, that's what I find fun about it, it never gets old hehe, cheers!
Side note: for cold environments and and touchy fittings that drip, hit it with a heat gun until it’s warm to the touch.
True that
Excellent video! I now want to re-plumb my entire house!
😁😁😁
zurn pex B is expandable and pex A can be crimped. occasionally youll get an uponor fitting with a small imperfection, litttle plastic tails that can cause failures/leaks (1 every 10000 or so), so just check your fittings Pex B zurn stuff has a rounded head and its alright, but i have a lot more experience with uponor. apollo makes pex A fittings, but i have yet to try them
Thanks James!
thank you for the chart at 5:08. some people didnt believe me that theres a minimum length you need for it to still be insured by uponor. this'll shut them up ! :)
🤣🤣🤣👍
Just a note: a smaller diameter tube or adapter does not lower pressure, just flow.
Curious, if you run 1" pipe to the shower will the greater flow feel like mo pressure?
Unfortunately, you are partially incorrect. A smaller diameter increases pressure drop (and decreases flow) according to the Darcy-weisbach and Bernoulli equations and thereby results in a smaller pressure after the pipe/fitting. Please check any fluid mechanics textbook. I would recommend Crane technical paper 410 (the most used fluid flow book in industry). From a professional engineer with a master's degree in chemical engineering who routinely sizes pipes and pumps.
Well Ozzy what do you have to say about those fluid dynamic responses from Ryan?
Super high quality instruction. Thanks for making it!!
🙏🙏🙏
ProPEX in walls with copper stubouts and exposed piping is ideal in my opinion
Yup!!@
Nope I disagree because you have to use open flame inorder to do repairs. That can heat up the ring causing a leak. Also it can fool a plumber to what is in wall.thus other issues like uponor expansion that is not an issue. Alot of guys try installing shock arresters to stop this though there is no way and would cause a faulty charge and the noise will never go away
i think its worth noting that you can use the crimp ring and crimp fittings on pex-a. sharkbites also fit. all of which can be useful on a service job
The futur ? it's the only type of Pex we been using for the last decade.
ed f
It’s been in service in the US for 20 years, it was in Europe for about 20 years before that.
3wrapframe - I was gonna say that. Uponor/Wisboro literally invented PEX.
Tommy TMT from what I recall yes.
Wirsbo is what my Grandpa plumbed his house with almost 20 years ago
just bought all Pex A for a re-piping of my whole house. It was built with polybutylene and the joints are dripping. I live in a manufactured home so its going to be a fun job trenching through the crawl space ad through the underbelly insulation of the house.
Work every day with wisbor and I have both the m12 and m18 tools makes work way easier and faster !
VERY clear, concise and informative video detailing ‘pert near everything that I was trying to find out about Uponor ProPex! I started with Uponor’s WEB site and that was a waste of time!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Going to give the Milwaukee expander a try soon
It works great. Never used a manual expander but I can’t see a good reason to use one. In tight crawl spaces I can only imaging the frustration of a manual tool.
I’ve used both it is worth the money for the battery powered one
i bought one in 2013 - no regrets love it ! best ever
dewalt makes one as well...
I like dewalt. Seems faster and so far it’s got 2 years on the Milwaukee. Odd thing. A tool made for plumbing, isn’t waterproof. So don’t drop it.
Wow. This is definitely a game changer! Thanks for sharing!
🖖
Nice video! I really liked that you mentioned the leed requirements it would be great to make a video for all leed plumbing specifications!
Great suggestion! Thanks Giannis!!
In Germany we like to install Rehau. It is almost the same technology, except that the pipe is made of multi-layer composite pipe and is therefore easily plastically deformable.😉
By the way you make realy good videos, thanks you for that! I'm now in the second year of plumbing, so I could realy learn from your videos how to become a good plumber...(in Germany the studytime is about 3,5 years) 🙂👌
Thanks for the info, and thank you for the compliment Paul!!
1 common mistake people do is they install the pipes in straight lines. The pipe should be as curved as possible to absorb the thermal expansion - no straight lines!
Very well done. Have an old Wirsbo Pex Expander set in the green case. Use it on many jobs. Your video taught me a few new things. Props!
Glad it helped, thank you so much Marc!!!
Great information for the DYI. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it Billy, please share if you can it helps a lot!
Lo uso da decenni da quando era la wirsbo.
Miglior prodotto che abbia mai usato in Italia
Great videos. How about a video sizing water supply system for a residence, using this PEX A? I assume you understand pressure/volume/velocity, and how each impacts sizing? Preventing/minimizing water hammer, etc. Thanks
No water hammer with this stuff... And size Pex A like you would copper. No mystery...
Hey excellent video I like Uponor and it’s full width fittings. It’s worth getting the Milwaukee cordless even for a busy homeowner involved in plumbing.
👍🤘
Really great to use except in the winter with minimal heating. Had a lot of problems with it shrinking back to normal size. Had to use heat guns to cure the issue.
Great tutorial and you're right you save on the end cost less time and waste.
Glad it was helpful!
Love it! #Got2Learn can you do a video on up-sizing pipes from say 1" to 1.25 or 1.5" to reduce friction if lots of bends are in the system like in irrigation and up-sizing for valves for the same reason vs using "full port".
I bet you could go on and on about Uponor. You got those manifold fittings, the block(I think that's what it's called) full port brass ball valves, you can twist the fittings into the correct angle after it's shrunk.
Thanks for the tip on how to make butt to butt connections.
You are welcome Richard, really appreciate it!
UPONOR is a great system but is rarely going to be considered by the DIY homeowner that has a bathroom to renovate, due to the ridiculous cost of the expansion tools. The cheapest Milwaulkee expansion tool in Canada is $750.00 . The tool is no more complicated or costly to manufacture than other 18 V power tools that sell for less than $200.00 .
I was just about to say pretty obvious money grab that they designed an entire tool required to do the job, instead of some sort of a interchangeable period for even still sell the manual tool
Sell the tool after you done with it
Good to know about heating joint to remove a fitting. Have used both the razor in the pecs cutting tool to try to take the pieces off of the fitting and yes they do leak after they have been nicked. I will try this the next time I need to shorten a run, or make a pipe look more square.
I’m a plumber and I know this product very well. It will fail if your home has a recirculating hot water line. Mine has failed in multiple locations. The pipe will split at the connections. They get very small splits and start to leak. I’ve ask uponor about it and they said you can’t use a hot water recirculating line.
Thanks for sharing.
not on water temps over 160, it says in the manufacturers recommended operating temps.
@@jamesdutcher2485 And that's fucking hot! My house is at 130°F any hotter and you start to scold skin.
I worked for a plumber doing them and he said they only last 10 years
In the UK we use such plastic pipes with push fit demountable fittings. Seem more sturdy than what you show here.
To get over the flow rate concern of using Pex-B just upsize the pipe size you are using and/or plan out the layout to minimize joints.
Who say free can't have quality love this channel
😉😉
As usual, an outstanding presentation
😇😇😇
Uuuummmmm. Why only a 1.5% like ratio? This video took our guy a long time to make and it was good!
Liked.
:(
Ummm, like 0.02% dislikes. Math?
@@boots7859 4 months later, good mathing.
Just made my life easy
Damn right I’m subscribing
Thank you so much Mike, I have a ton of other videos that might help to ;)
Be sure to rotate the expansion ring as the joint is widened. I was taught that rotation prevents leaks for various reasons.
A young girl can use these Uponor tools too. That is when trying to lose her virginity. Less stress and pain. No chance of communicable diseases either.
I’m an old school plumber. They say” if you want it proper? Do it in copper” 👍😀
Wise words 👏
Buy the Mulwaukee m12 used then resale it when your done for the DiY.
Or rent it. My local United rental overnight it from out of town. Only cost $30 for a day rental
Buy then resell makes sense for larger projects that might take a few days to complete. Renting makes great sense for smaller projects, but some areas don't have good availability.
Very informative...as it Relates to its original form is that once the object loss dimension it will not return to its original form.
This seems like a great new addition to plumbing for the DIY guy. However, I'm VERY curious about the life expectancy of the plastic. Especially the union pieces as they are obviously harder than the line. We all know plastic dries out and cracks over time. More flexibility generally means longer life, but.... how long before I have to open walls and ceilings to repair or replace ??? I have NEVER had to think about the copper once it's done.
There's an installation method with PEX where you minimize or completely eliminate fittings in the wall. Straight runs to each fixture from a manifold system or a run to each area where there is a sub manifold. You can feasibly plumb an entire home with no hidden fittings.
As for the actual life expectancy, PEX has been in use globally for quite a long time. The US was just behind on adoption. There's plenty of long-term usage and lifespan information out there.
PEX is crosslinked polyethylene. Not plastic as you know it. It does not "dry" out,
Copper is subject to chemical interactions with water, pex is not.
Plastic lasts forever that’s why recycling is so important, as far as installing it in your house it’s very durable and will last longer than most alternatives
@@mjs3188 I had electrolysis in my last house and could not find the source of electricity. Due to the age of the house, I would get at least 3 pin hole leaks a year in copper, I replaced all leaky pipes with Pex
You just taught me that I can pull those off too. I thought that shrink on was permanent. So these have it all over crimp on. What I am understanding from this video is that this ProPEX needs specific joiners, made just for ProPEX. Well though right off the bat, and when it gets to it's designation, they will have to go onto hard metal fittings. I see them fit onto metal fittings, so I will have to ask about all that. Still learning.