Uponor angle stop replacement

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Giovannip

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Hey everybody, My name is Giovanni, new here.

I'm hoping somebody can help me out with this PEX angle stop replacement, or confirm that I have to open the wall.

I have a customer that has 16 angle stops that he would like replaced.

His home was repiped 5 years ago.

Very hard water in Southern California with no water treatment in this home.

Some of his quarter turn angle stops are frozen and he would like to go back to multi turn

The stubs coming out of the wall are too short to access a fresh piece of pipe.

If I cut off the PEX ring and not damage the pipe I'm thinking I can either replace the PEX ring and install a new angle stop on the same piece of pipe.

Or I'm thinking I cut off the PEX ring and use a standard compression angle stop with the insert to support the ferrell.

Or I just open the wall and run a new piece of pipe out but this customer doesn't want his walls opened.

I'm looking for a consensus to explain to the customer that it is dangerous to try to reuse the pipe and fitting.

Here is a photo of what we're working with.

Thanks everyone for your help

pex-stop-gio.jpg
 

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Terry

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How do you cut off a PEX ring without damaging the pipe. How do you remove the inserted stop from the PEX once it has shrunken down on the ridges?
The last one I did like that I cut behind the ring and added the stop there. At least that time I had a little room to work with.
I'm guessing this will be more and more in our future. I have a few PEX insert stops but I haven't been using them, and for the reason mentioned above. How do you change them out in the future. It used to be that good plumbing was making all of that tight to the wall. Now I'm thinking leave some exposed pipe for the next guy when it needs to be replaced.
 

JohnCT

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How do you cut off a PEX ring without damaging the pipe. How do you remove the inserted stop from the PEX once it has shrunken down on the ridges?
.

I haven't done it, but it was my understanding that **if** the expansion ring could be cut off without damaging the pipe below, it might be possible to heat the PEX (A only) until clear and work the fitting or angle stop off. Once the PEX cools down, install new expansion ring and expand. Still, that installation OP has is very tight to the wall and the outer PVC will prevent expansion in any case.

Can that angle stop be disassembled in place and cleaned?

John
 

FullySprinklered

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Shut the water off to the house. Take the supply tube loose from the faucet up top. Open a valve someplace that will allow the water to suck back into the system. Then pour vinegar down the supply tube and work the handle a bit. If it loosens up, you may be on to something. Take the tube loose from the stop at some point and make sure the vinegar is getting where it's supposed to.
 

Reach4

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I wonder about using a pump to circulate vinegar in one valve and out another, maybe overnight.

I see no way to replace the valve in your photo without access to the pipe elsewhere. I am not a plumber.
 

Giovannip

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Thank you everyone for taking the time and your suggestions .
Some of the other stops have a bit more pipe extending through the wall.

For the few stops that don't have any leeway such as this photo, I will discuss with the customer the vinegar option, or simply open the wall. Of course as plumbers we do that all the time.

Ferguson manager had a suggestion to cut off the flange escutcheon, make a small hole in the drywall and use a
mip shark bite with a female angle stop.

I don't have a heat gun and don't really want to buy one for just this job, then again it may be good to have if this keeps coming up.

Will post after the job is completed tomorrow.

Thanks you all for your ideas.

Giovanni
 

Terry

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If those shutoffs quit working after five years, I would consider a male thread where new shutoffs can be replaced years later.
Once you sharkbite, the next plumber will have nothing to work with.

Below a standard replacement on copper pipe.

dahl-stop-01.jpg
 
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Giovannip

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If those shutoffs quit working after five years, I would consider a male thread where new shutoffs can be replaced years later.
Once you sharkbite, the next plumber will have nothing to work with.

Agreed at least make it easier for the next plumber.:)
 

PlumbaDrumma

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I just signed up on this professional forum. Hey everyone Plumbadrumma here. I have avoided using pex in my business because of distrust and my "old school" practices but lately I've been researching and even testing Uponor pex and purchased a Milwaukee M-12 expansion tool set, which is very cool. I also purchased a crimp set for future projects in my already purchased retirement home in Utah where crimp was used in that new home. I plan to finish the basement bathroom utilizing Pro pex after splicing into the 3/4 or 1" overhead pex (non Pro Pex) lines, hence the new crimping tool set. Is there such a thing as a pex to Uponor pex fittings???
Referring to the angle stops with the pvc collar barely stubbed out of the wall, I don't understand why on earth anyone would do this , especially when the walls were open either for repiping, remodeling or new construction. I will only use the pex to copper stub outs for my angle stops whenever possible so that this valve replacement is as logical and simple as replacing those on existing copper lines. I have been using Brasscraft multi turn stops ever I discovered they were still available due to the horrible failure rate of 1/4 turn stops here in Southern Ca due to our water's minerals. Even the more expensive DAHL 1/4 turn stops fail now and then when they have not been turned off and on recently.
Like our fellow Brutha Plumber, Giovanni, I pray whenever I encounter these cheap stops and I need to install new fixtures. The very first thing I do is put down flooring protection and carefully dribble in some WD-40 right behind the lever handle and let it sit while I get other things ready for the installation. I very carefully start turning the lever handle and if it starts moving the internal ball, I back off and ease it into an on and off motion until it functions smoothly. If it doesn't want to move I just go out to the bldg. manifold and kill the water and drain down the house so I don't have to deal with the pex stops. Very rarely do I see pex stub outs installed with the future replacement of angle stops intended.
I've been in my Business for over 37 1/2 years and would never install anyones plumbing with built in obsolesce.
I agree wholeheartedly with the above comments about keeping it real for any other plumber who will be dealing with the buildings plumbing after me.
 

Reach4

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Is there such a thing as a pex to Uponor pex fittings???
You can use the common clamps/rings and non-expansion fittings with Aquapex or other PEX A. Thus don't use the Milwaukee tool on the fitting where you are transitioning, but do on the other end.

I guess you were envisioning fittings where you could use compression rings on one side and F1960 on the other.
 

Jadnashua

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Some brands are better than others...IOW, not all stops are created equal.
 
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