Mysterious new unindentifiable water supply pipe material?!

[Gloxxify]

Maybe just because I'm a newbie. But home improvement store guys didn't know what to do either. My water supply pipes under the kitchen sink are some type of plastic. I'm trying to figure out what so I can install shut off valves... What is this? Pic attached

 

[Reach4]

Wirsbo Aquapex (PEX A). Those are expansion rings and elbow. F1960 is the spec, and that maks a good search term.

You could use a Sharkbite stop valve.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gloxxify]

Wow you are good. I must have Googled it for 2 days and shown the picture to 4 home depot plumbers. So I just need the barbed shut off valve, a copper crimp, and crimping tool to fix this?

 

[Gloxxify]

Or do you mean something like this that I can just push on would work too? http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBit...rn-Straight-Stop-Valve-23037-0000LF/202270613

 

[Reach4]

Wow you are good. I must have Googled it for 2 days and shown the picture to 4 home depot plumbers. So I just need the barbed shut off valve, a copper crimp, and crimping tool to fix this?

You can use the ring or clamp systems. If you wanted to keep the same system, you would need to use the expansion rings and the expansion tool. The expansion tools are more expensive than those used with the clamp or crimp systems. The advantage is that they have larger ID for the fittings. Smaller ID would not be a problem when using 1/2 inch PEX to a lav.

http://www.pexuniverse.com/content/types-of-pex-fittings has compatibility info.

 

[Gary Swart]

You've discovered what most of us learned long ago. While there are exceptions, most of the help in the big box store plumbing departments are not trained plumbers. Sometimes you make find one that is a retired plumber that will know what is what, but often not.