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Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » PEX pipe installation, Sharkbite vs. Crimp fittings
PEX pipe installation, Sharkbite vs. Crimp fittings [message #141341] Sun, 28 August 2011 11:58 Go to previous message
idrob is currently offline  idrob   United States
Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho
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Senior Member
I am rebuilding a 75 Travel Trailer with copper plumbing which has been frozen and thus stretched so it is essentially not repairable. I know the early GMC's also used copper. My 76 was gray polly pipe.

At any rate for those of you who may be thinking of copper replacement, or even replacing the gray poly stuff, here are some things to think about.

I love the press on and reusable Sharkbite (home depot) fittings, but they are somewhat expensive and take up more room in some tight locations. I have another plumbing job to do on my Mobile in AZ this winter, so I could justify the purchase of a $95 crimp tool to use the less expensive crimp fittings.

The main two problems with the crimp tool and fittings are:

a) the space required to open the tool handles up to form the crimp. It will not fit in tight spaces at all. I was able to work around the problem mostly, but there is one area in the rear of the unit which is impossible to get the tool into. I will have to use the Sharkbite fittings there, so I can press them onto the PEX.

b) the crimp rings must be located 1/4 inch from the end of the pipe, in order to have them cover the two sealing rings on the fittings. The crimp tool is heavy, and hard to position properly on the ring without knocking it out of the 1/4 inch alignment spec. There is very little tolerance for error on the required crimp ring spacing. In essence you are working blind when you close the tool jaws. I had to cut off several rings with a Dremil tool when I found they were out of position.

For those of you close to a Home Depot, you can rent the crimp tool from them for a few dollars a day. That is not an option for me as it is a 200 mile round trip to a Home Depot.

Home Depot also sells a "pocket PEX crimper" about $25. Good tool, but requires you to close it with a set of Vice Grips, and each ring may take several "bites" of the Vice Grips to do. So, not very convenient either.

So, my opinion is that if you have the room for the larger press on Sharkbite type fittings use them. The cost is justified and if they are properly pressed onto the pipe (the only caution I have) they seal, work and are a great option for most all plumbing repairs and even some original work.

Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB

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