Plastic PEX fittings

[JohnCT]

I have a question to the professionals here regarding plastic PEX fittings. A guy commenting on a youtube video (supposedly a 25 year pro) said he has seen several plastic PEX fittings become brittle and crack and suggests brass only. I'm in a low pH well water area and have always thought that the polysulfone fittings (like Uponor sells) were extraordinarily durable and a better choice where low pH water is concerned.

Thoughts?

John

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

I trust the plastic pex fittings for wirsbo aquapex much more than the shitty brass fittings...
we have had very good luck with the black plastic ones for years and years..... the plastic
manifolds work great with no issues over time yet to speak of...

you really dont know what those cheap ass chinese bastards are throwing into
the "lead free brass" fittings they sell these days and I dont trust any of that junk at all..
I still remember the ZURN pex fittings filled with zinc that snapped after about 3 years and
that big awful nasty lawsuit......


I just had some leaking mis-haps with NIBCO 3/4 brass ball valves that the brass
would not solder properly together and I had leak
after leak with them...... mostly call backs after a few weeks ..... I soldered the hell
out of these stops with oaty #5 tinning flux and they still eventually leaked...

I finally realized that NIBCO had cheapened the brass content of their product with
some bi-metal and I returned about 15 brass ball valves to the
supply house to get credit for them... I have found better quality brass ball valves on Amazon
for half the price....

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Sylvan]

When we buy brass or copper tubing /fittings, or Cast Iron etc.

We always buy domestic. Reason being, in case of a failure, we know who the manufacturer is, not always possible with imported chit.

One of my friends used Chinese cast iron underground it totally deteriorated in less than 5 years. Same with Korean steel used in tube replacement for the BD of ED NYC, within 2 years it failed

Documented PEX failures involve issues from material degradation (chlorine attack, UV exposure, poor cross-linking leading to brittleness/cracking), installation errors (kinking, improper crimp/clamp/expansion tool use, incorrect fitting placement), and fitting problems (dezincification in brass, poor quality plastic parts). These failures manifest as pinhole leaks, burst pipes, and property damage, often linked to chemical reactions with hot chlorinated water, manufacturing defects, or tools not calibrated/used correctly.

 

[Sylvan]

Google PEX Failures and the causes and the active lawsuits, and those settled

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

When we buy brass or copper tubing /fittings, or Cast Iron etc.

We always buy domestic. Reason being, in case of a failure, we know who the manufacturer is, not always possible with imported chit.

One of my friends used Chinese cast iron underground it totally deteriorated in less than 5 years. Same with Korean steel used in tube replacement for the BD of ED NYC, within 2 years it failed

Documented PEX failures involve issues from material degradation (chlorine attack, UV exposure, poor cross-linking leading to brittleness/cracking), installation errors (kinking, improper crimp/clamp/expansion tool use, incorrect fitting placement), and fitting problems (dezincification in brass, poor quality plastic parts). These failures manifest as pinhole leaks, burst pipes, and property damage, often linked to chemical reactions with hot chlorinated water, manufacturing defects, or tools not calibrated/used correctly.

I generally use copper these days,, I will throw in the wirsbo aquapex on occasion but I pity the fools that have
had these issues with the deteriotion of cast iron and other materials..... I dont need the lawsuits

 

[Sylvan]

Google PEX Failures and the causes and the active lawsuits, and those settled

I generally use copper these days,, I will throw in the wirsbo aquapex on occasion but I pity the fools that have
had these issues with the deteriotion of cast iron and other materials..... I dont need the lawsuits

The Chinese chit was 1/4 the price of Charlotte.
I told him DO NOT use it, possibly for vent, but not underground.

They poured 4 feet of concrete and buried the 8" imported crap, and it just disintegrated.

He hired me to video the lines and take a video to find out why it had chronic stoppages. When I said the CI crumbling, I knew he was in trouble, as who are you gonna sue for product liability?

The same thing happened to me with "TRU SPUN CI" paper, thin and shattered like glass when cut with a snap cutter

From then on, only Charlotte, NH, and extra-heavy CI underground

Expensive yes, but peace of mind is something to think about

I installed over 10,000 CI roof drains with CI Domes, caulked joints, and went back to a job I did in 1982, the drain was still in amazing shape after all these decades exposed to snow, rain sun, bird droppings, acid rain etc.

The roof was replaced 3 times they kept the drains I installed

 

[Sylvan]

An imported 11/4 steam valve broke by the spud entering a CI radiator purchased from a big box store

The steam was spewing full force as it killed an 11-month-old boy

Besides the building owner, the installer will be sued