PEX Plumbing - Selecting the Right Tool, Fittings, & Pipe For Your Job

Pex is a cross-linked polyethylene used in water supply system. It is much better than normal metallic pipes such as iron, copper or lead due to several reasons. In fact, it is better than any plastic pipe as well. With this guide, we will try to find out the best way to select the right tool, fitting and pipe for pex plumbing.

Selecting the Right Tool

When you are working with pex plumbing, you must use the standard crimping technique. To execute this technique, you must need 3 pex tools - (1) the primary crimping tool, (2) de-crimping tool and (3) pipe cutter.

Depending on your specific requirement, you can choose primary crimping tool in different configurations. While one type of configuration may have the capability of crimping 1/2 inch, some other type may have the capacity of 3/4 inch pex tubing. On the other hand, some types incorporate transposable crimp heads with any of these above-mentioned sizes of the pex tubing.

De-crimping tool is used to take out copper crimp ring from the fitting and from the tube. It helps in reusing the fittings easily.

Pipe cutter helps in making a decent square cure before you insert the tube through the fitting.

Fittings

Pex fittings are typically designed with brass materials, though some dealers prefer to use copper, bronze or artificially designed plastic fittings for pex plumbing. The internal ridges of the fitting make out one to other. The ridges, the crimped copper ring along with the pex tube itself - all work mutually to create a high-pressure seal.

Pipe

As told earlier, pex pipe is pretty durable and flexible by nature. It is mainly because of the material, which is cross-linked high density polyethylene polymer. While processing the pipe, it is continuously melted and extruded into the tube. The cross-linking method is established using 1 of 3 procedures.

Cross-linking is a chemical procedure that initiates in the polyethylene polymer chain. It helps in making the pipe more durable and resistant to temperature and stress. The 3 cross-linking procedures are - (1) Pex-a procedure or Engels Procedure, (2) Pex-b procedure or Silane Procedure and (3) Pex-3 procedure or Radiation Procedure.

It is estimated that the pex plumbing procedure was introduced to Europe during 1970s and to the U.S in 1980s. Since then, this method is getting popularized and the use of pex plumbing has been increasing ever since, substituting the usage of copper pipe in most of the cases.

How PEX Fittings Are Used in PEX Plumbing Systems

PEX fittings are used to connect the flexible polyethylene pipes used in PEX water plumbing systems. Flexible PEX tubes are a low cost, problem free alternative to metal or plastic systems. You can avoid the problems of corrosion and scaling when you use a PEX system. Altogether PEX water plumbing systems are a vast improvement over older systems that use copper or rigid plastic pipes.

The flexible pipes are not made brittle by low temperatures. Polyethylene tubes are cheaper than metal pipes and are easier to install because they do not use as many fittings as metal or rigid plastic systems. Since soldering is not used with PEX systems there are no nasty fumes or the risks associated with using a torch.

PEX tubing is wrapped in spools. Because spools weigh less than cut metal or plastic pipes, they are easier to store and cost less to ship. Tubing can be unrolled from the spools with no need for coupling fittings. Installation is much quicker and cheaper when it does not involve the running of pipe.

Connecting the tubes is done by inserting a fitting into or over the tube and then crimping a ring placed over the tube or fitting. There are a few different connection methods. Some use copper crimp rings and others use crimp rings made of plastic. One system uses a stainless steel clamp. Most fittings are brass although some are made of other metals or plastic. Because PEX tubing is flexible and can be turned to a 90 degree angle elbow joints are not needed.

Tubes are cut using a special PEX pipe cutter and come in different sizes to accommodate 1/2" or 3/4" tubes. A main crimping tool is used to pinch the rings over the pipe or fitting. There is a de-crimping tool that is used to remove crimped rings. There are some specialized tools used for the stainless steel clamps and proprietary connection methods.

The most common material used to make fittings is brass. However, you can find fittings made from other metals and even plastic. Fittings have ridges that when crimped make a high-pressure seal.

Using the system of PEX fittings along with PEX tubing has definite advantages over metal and plastic piping. It is less expensive than rigid plastic and copper piping. It can be installed right from the spools. It requires less fittings. It last longer because it is not subject to corrosion.