How to fix leak at plastic elbow in clear PEX-A Tuffpex by Uponor?

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

My son broke our bathroom faucet in our mobile home. I purchased a regular style fixture ( and galvanized pipe fittings to make connections between the new fixture and the ½ inch clear PEX-A Tuffpex by Uponor. Seemed to go OK , but when I turned on water , water is now shooting out from somewhere around the plastic elbow. I think possibly some of the glue holing the fitting in the pipe must have broken loose or something?

I have never worked with PEX-A. Can anyone tell me how to stop this leak?

Additionally does anyone know how to install a shut off valve in PEX-A? There were none installed and now that it is leaking I have to shut the water off to the entire house!

Help would be most appreciated!

 

[Reach4]

Seemed to go OK , but when I turned on water , water is now shooting out from somewhere around the plastic elbow. I think possibly some of the glue holing the fitting in the pipe must have broken loose or something?

Pex should not have glue.

After looking at your photos, I first suspected that the elbow with the screw-on right-angle adapter failed.
Maybe it is missing a washer, or not turned tight. Can you turn the gray clockwise by hand?

Wait! I have another theory that that right angle fitting was never designed to be used with an F1960 expansion fitting. If that is the case, you may be able to work around this by putting a worm gear radiator clamp around the ring that says F1960.

Or get rid of that galvanized stuff, and get some body to fix it using more plastic.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

I see two brass unions with black pipe threaded in, then a galvanized 90 to a nipple to a PEX fitting that seals with a washer.

I would have gone directly to the brass unions with a threaded PEX adapter.
For shutoffs to the faucet, you can add shutoffs that have "push" or Sharkbite ends on the PEX.

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

water is shooting out of the right ( hot ) pipe where the black elbow fits into the plastic fitting other one drips some before both were fairly solidly in the tube now they can turn some. I was looking for info on PEX-A and it said something a bout needing an expensive expansion tool . Any way around this? I do have some experience with the other colored PEX pipe and have tools and rings, but I hear the two types of PEX are not compatible.

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

oh and grey plastic fittings are as tight as I could get . I usually figure the tighter the better, but often I find myself I over tighten things and ruin them

 

[Reach4]

You can use the same rings and tools on PEX-A that you can use on PEX B and PEX C. (copper rings and stainless clamps). Not the other way round. If you use rings or clamps, don't use the F1960 fittings.

I have a hand expansion tool, but they are still more expensive than the crimp and clamp tools. But your hookup looks pretty hokey anyway, IMO. Maybe get that area redone with fewer pieces and pieces that don't leak, and no galvanized.

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

Thank You all for your assistance. Anyone else have any advice you feel could be of help it would be most appreciated.

I know the set up was not ideal. I was trying to use stuff I had on hand and spare myself the hour and 15 minute drive ( one way ) to the hardware store.

But now I think I will take everyone's advice, take it all apart, and make the trip to the store as soon as they open, spend more time and more money , but try and get the job done right. ( fingers crossed)

I'll check in the morning before I leave to see if anyone has any additional tips / advise.

Love this site Terry! It consistently proves to be one of the most useful on the topic of anything else I have found online!

 

[wwhitney]

I haven't fully parsed your photos (looks like 3 different PEX lines, presumably only 2 are for the faucet?), but where you have a 1/2" PEX line that only supplies one side of the faucet, and has no stop valve, then one option is this:

Get a PEX cutter, cut off the end of the PEX nice and square, get a push-to-connect stop valve (e.g. Sharkbite), and get a new supply line that will go directly from the stop valve to your new faucet.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Breplum]

Get rid of the black pipe, get rid of the galvanized nipples. Properly mount the shower valve. You really need a professional to fix everything that is all SO WRONG!

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

Other (3rd) line is line to shower head. All the bends were because I don't have tools to work with PEX-A so I could not shorten the pipe.
One can see some water damage and mold to drywall found when access panel was created...so some fitting must have been leaking to some degree since original installation, but I definitely made it worse.
Thanks for everyone's assistance!
Off to the store for proper tools and equipment! I'll post results!

 

[Jack-of-All-Trades]

The push on Sharkbite..or actually in this case Watts AquaLock Push-to-Connect, worked fabulously.
Stopped the leak & got water to house back on! When I turned it on and checked ,water is dripping from original top shower connection, but I am sure I can kick that out no problem now thanks to all the great advice I receive here!

Thanks All!