PEX connection question

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I put together a air test rig to make sure that some runs of Upnor pex with the expanding fittings and rings are holding tight before closing up the walls. I don't know which type PEX Sharkbite is (i'm waiting for a reply from them) but I think it's B or maybe C. Anyway, I used a poly coupling to join a small length of 3/4" Upnor PEX to a length of 3/4" Sharkbite PEX, then a poly elbow followed by a brass fitting that's capped. All of those fitting are 3/4" Upnor with the rings. It's been holding 90 PSI for 20 hours and survived sharp smacks to the fittings. I was under the impression that the Upnor fittings and rings would fail with other then PEX-A but so far, it looks fine. Is that a valid torture test?
 
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Jadnashua

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All PEX has memory, it's just that the production method that produces type-A is the most flexible, and returns to the original shape maybe quicker. The higher the cross-linking, the stronger overall it is. Types B and C came about because they are faster and cheaper to produce, but at a cost of some of that flexibility (minimum bend radius, ability to restore a kink without cutting it out and using a fitting, etc.).

If the manufacturer allows the use of an expansion fitting, you should be okay...if they don't, you might be at risk.
 
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SHR

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Sharkbite brand PEX is PEX-B and WILL NOT WORK WITH UPONER EXPANSION FITTINGS. Rip out any Sharkbite-brand PEX you used with the Uponer fittings and replace with PEX-A tubing. Uponer makes the most popular PEX-A.
 
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Tom Sawyer

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PEX and PEX fittings have to match the manufacturers recommendations. Use of different fittings on different pipe voids the warranty. I have seen soldered copper fittings hold 100lbs. Of pressure for months before deciding to let go.
 
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Jadnashua

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Sharkbite PEX lists two acceptable connection methods: Sharkbite Push-fit fittings or their barb connections. In their "DO's and DON'T" section they specifically say to not use any other connection method. So, as I said, if they allow it, okay, but further investigation says they do not. Now, whether it will fail, hard to say, but if it did, you'd have no warranty, and technically, by not following the manufacturer's instructions, the installation has no code approval. IOW, they have not tested it with any other fittings, and cannot guarantee it will work, and if they have, their warning is more compelling. http://www.cleanwaterstore.com/technical/water-treatment-manuals/SB_PEX_Install_Instructions.pdf page 9 is the key to your answer.
 
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Thank you for digging out that information on the Sharkbite site.

I'm past the age where I'm looking to do plumbing for anyone else and wouldn't if I did, use Pex with any other then the recommended fittings. Any warranty or liability concerns for what I'm trying to find out is strictly on me. All plumbing I do is in my own home and I only answer to the wife. Possibly I should have pointed that out in in my OP. The short section of pex I set-up as a test with the "wrong" fittings and rings has held that 90 psi since Sat. afternoon. BTW, and just a point of information from a casual observer, both the Upnor PEX-a and the Sharkbite PEX by themselves with no ring, expanded with a Mikwaukee 12v expander and each retained the same shape and size. With the Upnor ring on a Upnor fitting they each grabbed tight in the same amount of time, under 10 seconds. I'm putting that test aside as I have real work to get done. Maybe I'll do a pull out test to see what shakes out. Not that it would make a difference to anyone else for warranty concerns which I do agree with but I am curious.

Thank you all and be well.
 
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NHmaster3015

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Here's the deal. You can indeed pretty much do whatever you want in your own home but, should one of those pipes come apart while you are away and several thousand dollars of water damage occur to the property, what do you suppose your homeowners insurance is going to do ? It's all about the liability these days. I know darn well that whole lots of things can be done and most probably will be fine but on the off chance something goes wrong, the sharks smell blood. Best of luck.
 

Terry

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I saw a dishwasher connection pop off under a kitchen cabinet on the second floor.
I think the insurance bill came to $100,000

All the drywall had come off on the lowest floor, and of course, the kitchen had to be redone.

I use Uponor a lot. But I use non-Uponor connections when I go between the different brands of pipe.
 
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I'm asking this to gain a point of information. With all of the clamping tools available from different manufactures and with the various types of clamps, in a code compliance setting, does a inspector know or care if the pex being looked at... is say Rifeng Pex for instance and is clamped with a Rifeng brand tool with Rifeng rings and Rifeng brand fittings? Does the brand name on the PEX determine all that and nothing else will do? Or is Refing brand pex, pex-b and any approved clamping method and fittings for pex-b allowed?
 
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NHmaster3015

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The inspector is the least of your problems. The lawyer for the insurance company is the guy you have to worry about.

No pex manufacturer approves the other guys attachment method. IOW the only legal way to transition is by use of male and female couplings or.......sigh..............sharkbite fittings, or john guest fittings and similar.
 
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You keep bringing up the insurance company. OK. I'm duly terrified though I've owned a home for 40 years with my share of losses of many types so I do sort of know how those shake out. Transitions? Didn't ask about those in my last post but I am curious to know for instance if any brand pex-b can be used with any brand of approved pex-b fittings and rings? Is pex-b from brand A not the same as pex-b from brand B?? Looking at the specs for the different types of pex, A, B and C, I don't see brands mentioned.

I can't force an answer to my specific question but I am asking because I don't know. For further instance. Sharkbit brand pex conforms to the pex-b standard as does Refing. Is Sharkbite brand fittings, rings and crimper never used with pex-b from say.. Refing? Realizing it's not in their interest for Sharkbite to approve of any other termination type but their own, isn't it all about the pex type and not who's name is on it?
 
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NHmaster3015

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Nope, its about name is on it. Pex A and B refer to the different methods used to manufacture the product. That said, if you have say Watts PEX, you have to use Watts fittings. If its Uponor, you use Uponor fittings regardless of the "type" of Pex it is.

I bring up insurance companies and their lawyers because I have been called as an expert witness many times for both sides of the argument and believe me, what you may think is common sense or not important often becomes the argument that wins or loses.
 
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Thank you Sir. A union member in good standing the entire time I worked I can appreciate why things might be that way. Maybe not. No matter, either way I'm done with this topic and TY again.
 

MikeQ

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That said, if you have say Watts PEX, you have to use Watts fittings. If its Uponor, you use Uponor fittings regardless of the "type" of Pex it is.

Therefore in order to transition from Brand A to Brand B PEX while remaining in compliance it is necessary to transition to copper in between A and B?
 

Tom Sawyer

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Therefore in order to transition from Brand A to Brand B PEX while remaining in compliance it is necessary to transition to copper in between A and B?

No you could use a male and female or another connection approved for use with any pex, like a shark bite
 
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I'd imagine they are from your last post but are those compression type Sharkbite fittings code compliant in open and concealed locations?
 
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In my own home doing plumbing I've used copper sweat for 30 plus years and now getting used to pex is a bit of a leap for me. I imagine the answer might be YMMV but are those Sharkbite compression fittings used much by the trade?
 
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