PEX plumbing

[Excalibur]

Just looking for opinions. My last two TTs had copper piping (yes, I am that old and so were the TTs). My new TT obviously has PEX. Just wondering if its worth it to carry a PEX repair kit. Does this stuff fail often enough to warrant having a kit? DW already thinks I am over prepared (l was a Boy Scout) and that model "Be Prepared" has stuck with me all my life.

 

[Tulecreeper]

What does a "PEX repair kit" consist of?

 

[Excalibur]

What does a "PEX repair kit" consist of?

Crimper, cutter, some clamps, a few feet of tubing, Fittings, etc

 

[CharlesinGA]

Waste of time. PEX rarely causes problems, in RV''s or in houses. Now Poly Butyl (which looks a lot like PEX) is a whole different story, but that hasn't been around in years.

The problem with PEX repair is that there are two different types of PEX, A and B and they use different fittings and joining processes.

For minor modifications, I suggest RV Flair-it fittings as they fit both types of PEX and Poly Butyl also. Easy to use, I installed a shut off valve for the toilet and simply cut the pipe, slid the collar down the pipe, heated it slightly with my heat shrink heat gun and pushed the fitting in and then slid the collar up and tightened it.

Charles

 

[garyb1st]

Just read in Bob Villa that the one things plumbers didn't consider when moving to PEX was mice. Apparently they like to chew on the pipes.

 

[Isaac-1]

My coach has PEX with Flair-it PEX fittings and was built in 2001, in the 8 years that I have owned it, I have needed to make a total of 2 PEX fitting repairs, in both cases it was caused by leaks starting at fitting joint after I had worked on plumbing (installed new kitchen and bathroom faucets). In case of on the road failures I carry a small PEX cutting tool, as well as a small variety of Sharkbite PEX fittings, total weight less than 1 pound, no need for crimp or expansion tool with the Sharkbite fittings.

 

[Excalibur]

My coach has PEX with Flair-it PEX fittings and was built in 2001, in the 8 years that I have owned it, I have needed to make a total of 2 PEX fitting repairs, in both cases it was caused by leaks starting at fitting joint after I had worked on plumbing (installed new kitchen and bathroom faucets). In case of on the road failures I carry a small PEX cutting tool, as well as a small variety of Sharkbite PEX fittings, total weight less than 1 pound, no need for crimp or expansion tool with the Sharkbite fittings.

I have used Sharkbites on copper many times. I wasn't aware they made them for PEX too. Guess I will just pick up a few fittings and a couple feet of tubing. Thanks everyone.

 

[Martian]

You might want to keep some elbows and tees as they are the weak linlk.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Right, I'm not worried about any crimped PEX fittings, it's what they're connected to that craps out. I have a handful of unions, nipples, elbows, caps and plugs of various sizes. A couple years ago the toilet valve split and having that stuff on hand I was able to cap off the supply line to it and no diversion from the trip necessary.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, Nm

 

[Ex-Calif]

Repair kits are something I accumulate after the first repair. I am usually close enough to a big town to get the stuff same day.

After my old PVC leaked around the water tank I replaced with PEX stuff and accumulated the crimper and spare hose etc.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I wouldn't bother to carry that stuff. It's not an exclusive RV thing, so if needed, you can buy it most anywhere. Murphy's Law says you won't have the part you really need anyway, so you still end up making a store run when something goes wrong.
Put together a basic hand tool kit so you can do the work while on the road, but only carry with you the hard-to-find stuff, and then only the ones that have a relatively high failure rate. Pex plumbing doesn't fit either category, except perhaps when the RV builder did shoddy work in the first place.

 

[Gizmo]

While failure is minimal if at all, things can an do happen, as such I carry a kit. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

 

[Excalibur]

I wouldn't bother to carry that stuff. It's not an exclusive RV thing, so if needed, you can buy it most anywhere. Murphy's Law says you won't have the part you really need anyway, so you still end up making a store run when something goes wrong.
Put together a basic hand tool kit so you can do the work while on the road, but only carry with you the hard-to-find stuff, and then only the ones that have a relatively high failure rate. Pex plumbing doesn't fit either category, except perhaps when the RV builder did shoddy work in the first place.

No worry about basic tool kit. I was in commercial building maintenance for 30 years, so I basically carry an entire machine shop in my van.

 

[Deano2002]

I work for a piping manufacturing company that sells miles of insulated pex up to 5 1/2", yes 5 1/2" down to 3/4", rarely 1/2" and sell thousands of fittings from expand and pressfit, compression and now more and more Sharkbite style fittings. We rarely if ever here of a leak failure with this stuff other than poor installation. I have done a few different test on pex like stretching, kink bending and have found it's pretty indestructible however it can burst but, not easily. I personally don't carry any pex pipe, tools or fittings but, each to his own

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

While failure is minimal if at all, things can an do happen, as such I carry a kit. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Sure, but there are literally a 1000+ parts in an RV that could fail and you can't carry a spare kit for everything. To me, it makes the most sense to focus on the things that fail most often or things that I may have difficulty sourcing locally.

 

[Isaac-1]

Deano2002, I suspect that very few of those fittings are subject to the sort of vibrations and flexing seen in RV service.

 

[John From Detroit]

PEX failures I think are rare but Fittings occasionally go POP or crack (Double down if frozen) Pex will take it but the hard plastic fittings do not.

Compression fittings or Sharkbite can be easily found when repairs are needed.

 

[Deano2002]

Deano2002, I suspect that very few of those fittings are subject to the sort of vibrations and flexing seen in RV service.

not lots of vibration but with steam condensate and hot water there's plenty of expansion and contraction

 

[LMHS]

My emergency repair kit includes a couple Sharkbite straight splices, a couple elbows and a couple of T's. I also have about 2 pieces of PEX that is about 10" long. I also have a few pieces of PEX that is only a few inches long.

I ran a lot of new pipe in my daughter's truck camper. I also have replaced a fresh water tank (it froze and cracked) and rerouted some fresh lines. So I probably have a little too much PEX gear.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I've had two plumbing failures on trips and both times my spares kit saved the day to cap off the line. Without that stuff the water would have to say turned off which makes for a cranky DW. Capping off the line saved a detour at least, truncated trip at worst. A 1 quart ziplock bag of fittings isn't something I would consider prohibitive cost or space wise and it has saved the day for me.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM