Low Pressure after switching to PEX

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Plumber69

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If a whole house is ran in copper and you do a bathroom reno and switch to PEX ( Just in that location) will you lose pressure to a tub or shower? Do different rough in's restrict pressure? I did a drop in tub and the faucet had 3/8's supplys... so would running an extra 2 feet of PEX affect flow? I also ran pex and feed a rough in called Mainline and the customer said they had better pressure before?
 
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Terry

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If a whole house is ran in copper and you do a bathroom reno and switch to PEX ( Just in that location) will you lose pressure to a tub or shower? Do different rough in's restrict pressure? I did a drop in tub and the faucet had 3/8's supplys... so would running an extra 2 feet of pex affect flow? I also ran PEX and feed a rough in called Mainline and the customer said they had better pressure before?

Do you mean like 3/8" lav supplies?
I like to run 1/2" PEX to a tub faucet at the least.
However, I have seen some tub faucets that come with the flex connectors, and to me, it takes a while to fill. And...........they were owners supplied.
Can't do much if they spec and supply fixtures that don't "put out"!

tub_auclair_02.jpg


Delta Lahara Roman Tub Faucet.
This worked well in my oppinon. :)

tub_auclair_01.jpg


Delta. At least twice the volume of the tub faucet below.

neptune_tub_4.jpg


I thought this arrangement was a slower filling tub.

neptune_tub_3.jpg
 
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340_duster

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What type of line is the white line in this photo?

I have the exact same tub filler and I am looking for a flexible line to connect it to my copper feed.
 

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Jadnashua

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The white tubing is PEX. You'd need to put the proper fitting on the end of the pipe to be able to then connect PEX to it. Some installations (well, most) would require you also buy special tools to make the connection. A Sharkbite connector does not need special tools to make the connection, but their tubing chamfer tool is a good investment so you don't mess up the o-ring seal.
 
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Jadnashua

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As to the original question...it could...it depends on the original size of the copper piping, the size of the PEX used, and how you ran it. Don't confuse pressure with volume. But, if you exceed the capacity of the supply line, both the pressure and volume will decrease if multiple fixtures are open at once. Water pressure can go down if the pipe is undersized and the velocity goes up. There's more friction in smaller pipes, and the longer they are, the more friction, too. Static pressure will be identical, though. Note also that if the fixture was changed...they can have different flow rates, regardless of what feeds them.
 
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340_duster

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Thanks Jim I am going to look into PEX with shark bites.
 
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