PEX to copper, PEX to galvanized

[Cwhyu2]

I would like to know more as I have to pull Pex or type L soft copper to a 2nd fl kitchen sink,one hundred year old house,without opening walls.
Have to cut out old galvlnzed in basement, and want to transtion from copper to pex. As I have never used pex, what would be the best transition
fitting from copper to pex.
Thank you.

 

[Jadnashua]

There are numerous soldered on fittings with the pex barb on it. That is probably your best, least expensive option. Keep in mind that the ID of pex is smaller than the equivalent copper, so you may want to run 3/4" from the transition until you can then branch off to individual fixtures, where 1/2" is normally fine.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Houptee]

Easiest is use a sharkbite fitting, or solder on a copper to pex adapter.
If you use a pex adapter you will need a crimp ring and crimp tool, or a stainless steel pinch clamp and pinch clamp tool.
The last option is the proprietary Uponor brand pex expander type system but the tool for that is pretty pricey.

 

[NHmaster3015]

Don't use a shark bite fitting.

 

[Houptee]

I was anti sharkbites for a while but now have used them several times without any problems and feel comfortable using them.
I just used sharkbites to replace a old b&g circulator pump on a boiler with a Taco 007 and spliced in with some 3/4 oxygen barrier pex.
The room was very tight to work in and it was late and very cold, had to get the heat back on so relocated the new Taco pump up higher on the wall so i didn't have to work down on the floor in a puddle of water mixed with the oil spill from the 40yr old b&g pump.
The sharkbites are rated for use with hydronic heating as well as potable water systems, 200 deg F max.
No leaks at any of my copper to pex or pex to male adapters on the new pump flanges.
Made that job much easier to complete.

 

[Jadnashua]

If you're going to be doing pex, you'll need either a crimp tool, or with Uphonor, the expander tool (I think makes a nicer fitting, but the others do work fine)...so, why not just solder on a proper transitional fitting? It's nice to have copper stubouts as well at the fixtures. They make them capped with a pex fitting on the end that are designed to be fastened to the wall space with brakets. The cap means you can pressure test things without having to add your own caps, then just cut them off at the required length when doing the finish plumbing. While you could do it all in Sharkbites, a pex fitting is often less than a buck, but a Sharkbite will cost many times that. I'd reserve them for special, or transitional situations.

 

[ShockHazard]

I've never felt good about sharks, but I've also never known one to fail and they are code, where I live at least.
If you're starting with half inch, change it to 3/4 pex. I use a copper 1/2" to 3/4" (female on both ends) and put a male 3/4" pex adapter on the end. I usually make half a dozen of these at a clip.

http://www.pexuniverse.com/pex-supplies has very reasonable deals on copper and pex fittings.

The hardest problem with pex is the size of the tool, which sometimes won't fit where you need it to. I often have to solder copper out a few inches until the tool fits.

 

[Houptee]

The stainless pinch clamps and pinch tool is the easiest method and the pinch tool at lowes is under $40
The pinch tool can fit where a compression ring tool cannot fully open its jaws like between joists.
I have both tools and now have pretty much switched to mainly use the pinch clamps and order them on that same website www.pexuniverse.com they have the pinch clamps in 100 packs way less money than the big box stores.

http://www.pexuniverse.com/store/product/pex-clamp-tool-cinch-tool-pxt3010

http://www.lowes.com/pd_197243-8708...tool&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=pex+tool&facetInfo=

http://www.lowes.com/pd_153553-6100...tool&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=pex+tool&facetInfo=

 

[Cwhyu2]

Thanks for your advice going with copper and will open wall,no solder joints on risers.
Will not use shark bite fittings,