Bad pressure/flow on 1 hose bib.

[Howard M Emerson]

I did check the existing threads, and I'm pretty sure mine is different. I'm actually just looking for some confirmation to my conclusions, but I'm also here to be learned

In our home 2 of the existing hose bibs are both plumbed 1/2" PEX. They come off the 3/4" PEX at varying distances, but are within several feet. 1 has a no-frost and the other does not. They both scream water. I filled a 5 gallon bucket from the normal bib in less than 30 seconds. I haven't tried the other one, but last year it worked the sprinklers, hand sprayer, etc just fine.

The 3rd one is part of the apartment that flooded from a pin hole leak, so I replumbed it in 1/2" PEX.

This morning, using the same 10' hose section, it took 1 & 1/2 minutes to fill a 5 gallon pail. It has a 1/2" 1/4 turn shut off before it goes into a frost-free bib. Leading up to its exiting the house there are 9 PEX plastic connector elbows, etc including 1 Sharkbite push fitting going to the frost free. Lots of friction, eh?

I even attached a flex hose to the water from the kitchen faucet valve which is the typical 1/4 turn 3/8" compression. It filled the 5 gallons in less than a minute & a half. The problem hose bib Tees off of that pipe.

My plan is to go downstairs to the 3/4" supply where it's closest, (about 20-25 feet total) Tee off of it with 3/4" PEX pipe & brass PEX barbed fittings so I can Pinch clamp them with my Ryobi machine. I'll do bends where/if possible, and just before the foundation exit I'll install a 1/4 turn 3/4" PEX shutoff, with easy access for winter closings. I'll do a simple 3/4" sillcock with no frost free.

Am I on the right track? Before the leak there was never a problem with the 1/2" copper pipe & sillcock.

Thank you in advance for your wisdom & experience!

Best,
Howard Emerson

 

[John Gayewski]

What type of pex?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Howard M Emerson]

What type of pex?

I'm using B. That's what my plumber redid the majority of the house with. He left me enough blue and red to do my master bathroom renovation (I did that with Shark Bite press fits) and it's what I've redone the apartment area with (using cinch clamps and a Ryobi Cinch Clamp tool) since gutting it after the flood.

HE

 

[John Gayewski]

The one push fit sharkbite fitting. Is that pex on both sides?

 

[Howard M Emerson]

The one push fit sharkbite fitting. Is that pex on both sides?

No, its an elbow.

The one push fit sharkbite fitting. Is that pex on both sides?

Here's the frost free I bought. It's a 3/4 x 1/2" pex.

Here's the elbow I replaced the straight connector with:

I did make a point of popping the pex out of it, and filling the 5 gallon pail. It was faster than it was going through the frost free, but not nearly as fast as the 3/8" flex hose at the kitchen supplies, which was not as fast as the outside hose bib that is a normal valve.

I don't mind doing a separate 3/4" line, and I won't close the walls until I'm satisfied with the flow situation.

HE

 

[John Gayewski]

Well it does sound like the combination of using b pex with a large amount of associated tiny fittings has restricted the flow there.