PEX expansion fitting leak

[Nicholas Meyers]

Hello, I was hoping to get the input of some experienced installers on a PEX-A fitting leak.

I accidentally switched my hot and cold supply lines coming up from the basement and had to put the tee for the toilet in the cold water line after I had already run it through the floor joists.

I just have a manual tool and it was awkward using it between the joists because the arms are too long-I had to bend the tubing more than when I first installed all the other fittings (none of which leak) and was able to put slack in where I needed it to have room for the tool.

The tee to the toilet (in its proper location on the cold line) had a few drops per minute coming out when I tested it. I'm guessing the awkward angle maybe caused me to expand the tubing and ring more than usual???

I hit the tee with a heat gun for maybe 30-45 seconds, and that stopped the leak.

A day later and it is still holding under constant pressure.

I am just wondering if this is a common situation, where you get a drip that goes away.

I am tempted to just leave it be, if it continues to not leak for the next couple of days.

But peace of mind is important and I dread having to go into the ceiling months from now.

I would put in another tee without hesitating if I had the $400 manual tool which would fit in between the joists no problem. With my manual tool I fear repeating the same situation.

I can also re-run the entire cold line if that's what is necessary.

I realize it's a judgement call, but just curious what you experts think.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Reach4]

I have put them on a wet pipe, and had the ring slip. Then stretched a new ring to fit over the expanded PEX, and re-did. I had a small leak. I compressed the ring with a worm gear clamp for a month or so (would not have had to wait that long). No leak after.

Not the same as what you describe, but I would leave it. Even without being heated, it would shrink down to no-leak with time. With heat you got to no-leak more quickly.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

The heat gun must have done it then. Sometimes depending on the temperature, it can take a little while to seal.

 

[Breplum]

Tell us, did you depressurize before using the heat gun?

 

[Nicholas Meyers]

Thanks for taking the time to respond Reach4, Terry, and breplum.
Breplum, I depressurized right away when I noticed the leak, before heating.
It's still not leaking, and I've given it a couple of nudges to see if I could reproduce the drips, and still nothing. Still holding the pressure.
So it sounds like the consensus is that it's okay?