pipe cracked?

Last week it froze, but it got warmer and the water dethawed and everything seemed alright. Then a pipe burst. First I tried to fix it with some "emergency tape" than I tried some JB Water Weld (I even put some Gorilla glue on it) but none of it worked. So I then bought some tools to get crimped on connectors on and off and put in a  new piece of Pex in the area that was damaged.

I fixed it and it stayed fixed for about 4 hours, then the section above the place I had fixed burst. It was a completely different section of pipe.

This area is right next to the water heater, so there are all sorts of 2 and 3 inch section of pipe between elbow and T's in the system. (when I say section I mean a span of pipe. The section I fixed was about 6" long and went between two 90 degree elbows. The new section that broke is right next to it. It goes from the 90 degree to a T connection and is only about 2 inches long.

Does this mean that all the PVC pipe (this is a 1996 Rambler trailer) is weakened and it could all go.
Do I need to call a plumber and have it all fixed? If so, does that mean that all the pipe in the trailer needs to come out. Just the pipe in that area in the back or all of it.

(in the picture the damage you see is the section I have fixed. it is the pipe that connects to it that has just failed)

https://imgur.com/c5ha54I


THanks

That is about 14 year old PEX, so it very well may be time to replace it, especially if it was stressed by being frozen. Depending on the accessibility you may need to open up the wall a bit more for access. You can probably do the repair yourself if you have a PEX crimping tool and save the expense of a plumber or mobile RV tech.

SargeW said:

That is about 14 year old PEX, so it very well may be time to replace it, especially if it was stressed by being frozen. Depending on the accessibility you may need to open up the wall a bit more for access. You can probably do the repair yourself if you have a PEX crimping tool and save the expense of a plumber or mobile RV tech.

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Marty, it's actually 24 years cold. 
I was just talking to a person inspecting a park model trailer for a buyer and he said that that gray Pex (I don't know the real name) is not used anymore because of failures. That  may be what' happening to the OP.
If I was the OP, I would not replace all that Pex but I would make sure I shut the water off whenever I left the RV for even a short period of time.

I bought a 20 year old 5er four years ago and I have had to have the plumbing repaired many times. It is all old PEX. I will eventually hire a plumber to replace all the old PEX.

Thanks to everyone for responding. I fixed the problem for now by replacing the 2nd pipe but I have lost confidence in the system. I am not sure how to proceed. I don't want to redo the whole trailer. Honestly, i don't think it is worth the effort.

Anyway, you guys give great advice. So after I think about it a little bit I will come back, post my "plan" and see what my options are.

Thank you very much for helping out.

I appreciate it.

Continue to check on it and see if there are any more failure points.      You may have fixed all the issues or you may not have, only time and / or careful inspection will tell for sure.

The gray tubing is called polybutylene and it is well known for getting brittle as it ages.  Hot water lines and connection points are especially prone to failure.  It's been out-of-use for over 20 years now and a class action suit was settled long ago (too late to make a claim now).  [My house was plumbed with it, so I have first hand knowledge! I replaced one of the last remaining sections just a few weeks ago when a hot line split under the floor in our master bedroom closet.]

I would encourage you to replace every section you can get at without tearing the RV apart. You can never know when the next piece will fail.


Note: It's not "PVC" and it's not "old pex". Those are different materials. Further, Pex is almost impervious to freezing (it flexes enough so that it rarely breaks). PVC is rigid pipe and will break if frozen.

Gary RV_Wizard said:

The gray tubing is called polybutylene and it is well known for getting brittle as it ages.  Hot water lines and connection points are especially prone to failure.  It's been out-of-use for over 20 years now and a class action suit was settled long ago (too late to make a claim now).  [My house was plumbed with it, so I have first hand knowledge! I replaced one of the last remaining sections just a few weeks ago when a hot line split under the floor in our master bedroom closet.]

I would encourage you to replace every section you can get at without tearing the RV apart. You can never know when the next piece will fail.


Note: It's not "PVC" and it's not "old pex". Those are different materials. Further, Pex is almost impervious to freezing (it flexes enough so that it rarely breaks). PVC is rigid pipe and will break if frozen.

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Gary, my '89 coach had the PBE(gray)plumbing.  The '00 coach I had now was plumbed with CPVC until winter before last(when I got caught in the polar vortex).  It's now been changed to color coded PEX, which I expect to outlast me.

The only bad thing I've heard about Pex is it's not UV resistant. So if you have any exposed (Low point drains) it's subject to failure.

Pex is not to be used in places where direct sunlight may be present. Low point drains should be ok - they aren't really exposed.

Rene T said:

Marty, it's actually 24 years cold. 

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Yeah Rene, I probably shouldn't do math until after my second cup of coffee! Even if it is 24 years "cold" ;D

SargeW said:

Yeah Rene, I probably shouldn't do math until after my second cup of coffee! Even if it is 24 years "cold" ;D

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I wish I could use your excuse but I hate coffee.  ;D

My 25 year old gray PEX has been problem free. Makes one wonder if the gray PEX's bad rep is material or workmanship

The polybutylene (aka polybrittle-ene) gets brittle when exposed to chlorinated water. Age (time of exposure) is key but heat seems to be a factor as well.  Typically the tubing cracks longitudinally or develops a pinhole, but can also fail at a crimped fitting.  Tight curves and joint fittings make more vulnerable points. In other words, wherever there is additional stress.  Poor workmanship just makes a fracture there more likely.

It's not just a "bad rep" - polybutylene was dropped from the building codes back around 1997 and Shell Oil payed $1B in a class action lawsuit.

Most poly lasts for a couple decades, but some have been known to fail within a few years of installation. The amount of chlorine in the water is probably a major factor.

If chlorine was a major factor, the highly chlorinated water here in K.C. would have destroyed my MH plumbing years ago.

If chlorine was a major factor, the highly chlorinated water here in K.C. would have destroyed my MH plumbing years ago.

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I only report what the engineers stated in their investigation into the frequent failures and the subsequent lawsuits.  And those reports led to US, Canadian and European authorities banning the use of PBE in almost all types of new construction.  Your mileage may vary...