Domo
Well-known member
Get rid of the steel elbow - it's not stainless steel as one person thought. It will rust and fail.
Calling All Plumbers - HELP
- Thread starter Tiercel
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Tiercel
Well-known member
Well if you can tell me what to replace it with and where I might get it I will consider it. I have had a hell of a time finding any elbow that was 1/2" MNPT to 3/8" PEX.
Domo
Well-known member
3/8" PEX is 1/2" O.D. and MNPT is the same a MIP - so, here's something that should work and make assembly easy... sorry I didn't respond earlier - I just got to this forum a couple of minutes ago and saw your response... Let me know how you make out.
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Tiercel
Well-known member
Domo, thanks, can you post the actual link? I think the threaded end is 3/8” not 1/2 inch. I ordered one by error. The push to connect end was for 1/2 inside diameter and the thread was for 3/8”
Monte mola
Member
I'm a plumber of 40 yrs I might be able to help you
Edd505
Well-known member
Plumbing law: any plumbing project takes at least 3 trips to get all the correct fittings without outside help.
I have found by taking a picture of what I am trying to fix along with sizes or broken parts I can go to the local plumbing supply, find a plumber in the store and show him and ask for help. They will normally help you pick the parts you need and save the two extra trips. My last plumbing job was to connect the two gray tanks in my RV to a single out like most RV's. The plumber picked everything I needed to include reducers and a tip that ABS a PVC are the same size but require a special sea foam green glue. Who knew, single trip, everything worked, I'd hug him if I could find him again.
I have found by taking a picture of what I am trying to fix along with sizes or broken parts I can go to the local plumbing supply, find a plumber in the store and show him and ask for help. They will normally help you pick the parts you need and save the two extra trips. My last plumbing job was to connect the two gray tanks in my RV to a single out like most RV's. The plumber picked everything I needed to include reducers and a tip that ABS a PVC are the same size but require a special sea foam green glue. Who knew, single trip, everything worked, I'd hug him if I could find him again.
jeffrey.mcspadden00@gmail
New member
Use brass or stainless steel. Black steel pipe will rust, from the inside out, and it will take a year or two, but you WILL be replacing it soon. and a little trick, when using threaded pipe fittings, use Teflon Tape AND pipe dope. just be careful to not over tighten the fittings.
Honestly, if there is a plumbing fitting you need, SOMEONE has invented it. But if you don't don't know what it is, its going to be frustrating.
Just a heads up for EVERYONE, sharkbite fitting will NOT work on PVC, they will work on CPVC, but not schedule 40 PVC ( the standard white PVC )
Tiercel
Well-known member
I think I pretty much know what I need. The problem is that finding 3/8” fittings is difficult. If you want anything other than a few common fittings you have to go online searching. Even there it is difficult. I have to have a 1/2” MNPT elbow that has 3/8” PEX connector on the other end. I have one in the mail but it is stuck in a post office for 5 days without moving.
This is the fitting.
This is the fitting.
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jeffrey.mcspadden00@gmail
New member
next time you need fittings, try these guys, I can get pretty much anything from here
Domo
Well-known member
SharkBite 1/2 in. Push-to-Connect x MIP Brass 90-Degree Elbow Fitting-U280LFA - The Home Depot
We have all been through this - so don't be disheartened. Pipe and tubing are measured differently and we get to beat our heads against plumbing very often - join the crowd - but have faith and patience.
Let me try this again. PEX is measure from the inside - your 3/8" PEX is 1/2" outside diameter - that fits into a Puch-to-connect fitting that is !/2". You need a 1/2" Male standard pipe thread - some call it MNPT - which is EQUIVALENT to 1/2" MIP pipe thread.
So - with the part I've linked to - the male part will go into the heater and the PEX will go into the push-to-connect fitting.
Bent Valve
Well-known member
I'm not a plumber but the help I got suggested the Shark bite fittings to connect the PEX since I didn't have the clamping tool and didn't want to spend $80 for one. They worked great.
I hope you get this figured out, I hate plumbing too.
I hope you get this figured out, I hate plumbing too.
Tiercel
Well-known member
Well if my fitting gets here I hope I got it. I can't believe it is in one post office for 6 days. I borrowed a whole set of PEX tools from a friend but will likely buy a stainless steel crimp tool or some SharkBites for emergencies on the road. I cut them off with a Dremel tool.
The stainless steel crimp tool fits in much tighter spaces than the tool for the copper rings.
The stainless steel crimp tool fits in much tighter spaces than the tool for the copper rings.
Tiercel
Well-known member
Domo, THANKS! That is exactly what I need if this fitting does not get here or does not work out.
Tiercel
Well-known member
The plumbing gods apparently hate me. After 7 days the postal system says the package is lost or damaged and the shipment has stopped in the regional USPO 80 miles from me. I ordered another one.
jeffrey.mcspadden00@gmail
New member
try supply house, it will be here (there) a couple days
Carbonation
Well-known member
I've had good luck finding all RV specific fittings at PPL.
PPL Parts
PPL Parts
Tiercel
Well-known member
My new hot water tank is FINALLY hooked up and leak-free. This is what I learned:
1, There are a lot of great members here on the forum - THANKS for all the input.
2. I hate plumbing even more than I did before this job. 4 weeks ago, I estimated this to be a 4-hour job.
I ordered 3 fittings. One, I was the wrong fitting because of my mistake. One was the wrong fitting because it was mislabeled. One laid in the P.O for 8 days. That company sent another one free of charge, and I got the replacement and the original one the same day. It was a stroke of luck (the only luck I had on this job) because after hooking up the bottom elbow, I tested the system with compressed air and the top elbow also had a cracked flaIr connector just like the bottom one. I am suspecting I cracked those copper flairs by over-tightening So I replaced it with the second elbow. Thankfully I eliminated all the copper flairs.
There was BARELY room to get a stainless steel crimp tool in the space. There would have been no hope for a copper crimp tool.
I charged the system with air again, and it seemed good. I have to admit I was afraid to put water to the system and put it off for an hour. Finally, I charged it with water, and all was well.
I tested the Hott Rod and it started to heat the water. I reconnected the heat ducts, cabinet door, shutoff knobs and replaced the cabinet drawers. All of that was removed just to make a little room to work. Whew!
PS: I went in the bedroom where I am repairing a wall and saw an ultra-tiny pin leak in the hot water PEX right under the window. It was spraying an almost invisible mist. I must have somehow done that while ripping the wall out but I have no idea how. It should be a very quick fix since I just need to use a straight splice in a wide-open area.
1, There are a lot of great members here on the forum - THANKS for all the input.
2. I hate plumbing even more than I did before this job. 4 weeks ago, I estimated this to be a 4-hour job.
I ordered 3 fittings. One, I was the wrong fitting because of my mistake. One was the wrong fitting because it was mislabeled. One laid in the P.O for 8 days. That company sent another one free of charge, and I got the replacement and the original one the same day. It was a stroke of luck (the only luck I had on this job) because after hooking up the bottom elbow, I tested the system with compressed air and the top elbow also had a cracked flaIr connector just like the bottom one. I am suspecting I cracked those copper flairs by over-tightening So I replaced it with the second elbow. Thankfully I eliminated all the copper flairs.
There was BARELY room to get a stainless steel crimp tool in the space. There would have been no hope for a copper crimp tool.
I charged the system with air again, and it seemed good. I have to admit I was afraid to put water to the system and put it off for an hour. Finally, I charged it with water, and all was well.
I tested the Hott Rod and it started to heat the water. I reconnected the heat ducts, cabinet door, shutoff knobs and replaced the cabinet drawers. All of that was removed just to make a little room to work. Whew!
PS: I went in the bedroom where I am repairing a wall and saw an ultra-tiny pin leak in the hot water PEX right under the window. It was spraying an almost invisible mist. I must have somehow done that while ripping the wall out but I have no idea how. It should be a very quick fix since I just need to use a straight splice in a wide-open area.
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Tiercel
Well-known member
Just for clarification to other non-plumbers reading this topic, 3/8" PEX does have an outside diameter of 1/2 inc but "Sharkbite" "Push-to-Connect" fittings like most all plumbing fittings go by inside diameter as was pointed out in the discussion by "BoatBuilder".
3/8" "Push-to-Connect fittings perfectly accommodate 3/8" PEX as well as they accommodate other pipe materials (copper etc)
3/8" "Push-to-Connect fittings perfectly accommodate 3/8" PEX as well as they accommodate other pipe materials (copper etc)
