Pex tool and fittings questions

[Augus7us]

Being locked up at home has motivated me to finish my shop. I'll be working on running some pex inside the bathroom and to a spigot soon and thought I would get you guys opinions on fittings and tools.

The three options I'm interested in are sharkbites, crimping and clamping tools.

I like the idea of not using sharkbites because they are pricey. I like the idea of the tools but had a couple of questions:

Are there any major differences between crimping and clamping? Clamping looks more secure, crimping looks easier?

Tool quality; the clamping/crimping tools on amazon are listed at a broad range of prices. I don't want to go with the cheapest model but do I need an 80$ crimper?

If I don't use sharkbites what type of fittings; brass 90s, T's, etc with barbs?

Sorry for the novice questions. Plumbing is one of the few things I'm doing to the shop where I have practically no experience, so thanks for the help!

 

[Hot shot]

I’m not a plumber either and I haven’t did the clamps
I have used the crimps several times
I bought the expensive crimper from Lowes
Very easy to use
The crimper from Lowes has a go-no go gauge so you can check your crimp
Real plumbers probably don’t even use it. Lol

 

[u2slow]

I use the $50 crimper with the solid copper rings.

I'm just a homeowner, but have re-plumbed roughly 70% of the house with Pex from the crawlspace.

 

[misterfixit]

I also use the crimper kit. Mine came with interchangeable jaws for 3/4 1/2 and 3/8, along with gauge to check crimp. I plumbed my entire house with it.

 

[tdkkart]

One thing to note about fittings, sharkbite vs brass, is that from what I've seen the sharkbites preserve more of the inside diameter of the tubing than the barbed fittings. 1/2" pex is approx. 3/8" ID, the sharkbites do not intrude into the diameter, all their sealing is on the outside of the tube. The brass barbed fittiing reduce the ID down to approx. 5/16, nearly a 20% restriction. So, if you have any flow/volume concerns, the Sharkbites may be the better choice.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I've always used the cinch clamps (oetiker clamps), with the Apollo clamp tool from Lowes. I think it was around $30 for the tool. Never had a leak.

As mentioned, if you are concerned with not restricting flow you'll want to look at the Sharkbites, expansion PEX, or upsizing your PEX.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Price the Masterforce crimper from Menards, thats the one I bought.

 

[Specracer]

BTW at my local lowes, the "Sharkbite" brand is now carried over to everything pex, including barbed fittings. Not just the press on fittings.

I use the Oetiker style clamps, vs the copper rings. I have used the tool in other projects, like CV joint boots, and lawn irrigation work, as well. Seemed to be a more useful tool.

 

[rlitman]

One thing to note about fittings, sharkbite vs brass, is that from what I've seen the sharkbites preserve more of the inside diameter of the tubing than the barbed fittings. 1/2" pex is approx. 3/8" ID, the sharkbites do not intrude into the diameter, all their sealing is on the outside of the tube. The brass barbed fittiing reduce the ID down to approx. 5/16, nearly a 20% restriction. So, if you have any flow/volume concerns, the Sharkbites may be the better choice.

That sharkbites seal on the outside of the tube. However, they DO intrude on the ID. I've seen two styles. One type has a built-in insert that slips inside the pipe to prevent collapse. The other type (which I prefer) comes with plastic inserts that you slip into PEX, but don't use on copper.

Either way, PEX in a sharkbite should be supported from the inside.

If you want a PEX fitting that does not intrude on the ID, the only option is to use a PEX-A system with expansion fittings.

 

[budget76]

As a homeowner doing only a couple misc updates to Pex when re-plumbing a sink or the water softener system, I was VERY happy with the cheap cinch clamp tool & clamps. this one or identical https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074K6R4D2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

i used quick connects/sharkbites to adapt from copper to Pex where needed, then used the pex fittings through the Pex run. Check out ebay for the quick connects - found some non-branded ones for about 1/3 the price of local. I may not use non-branded in closed walls for peace of mind, but in my basement I had 0 concern.

 

[dcg9381]

I have both. Prices on tools have come way down. I prefer the cinch clamps for anything that might possibly need "adjustment" in the future. For mains, I use the copper rings.

 

[jetnow1]

Yes the sharkbite style fittings are expensive, but the crimp style are not cheap either.
Price the difference and the cost of the tool and for a one time project may not save you any, though you then have the tool for the future. With the reduced flow of most modern fixtures I do not think you will notice a difference in flow unles you have very low pressure.

 

[woodzy]

I think you need both. There will be places you can't fit the crimp style in The clamp version you doesn't need as must room. I say you can't have enough tools. My sons borrow them all the time.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I bought a couple crimping tools (with a few different dies) and rings and gauges to do different sizes. Had enough minor issues that I didn't feel comfortable trusting any of them.
I use oetiker clamps. I also usually use an inexpensive ratcheting tool but have installed them with a few types of pliers.

 

[sberry]

The ID is or should be moot. If that's a concern the pipe is already a size too small. It might be a small advantage to steel, big fat fittings. Reducing elbows being the worst but,,, I have been down this road. Nothing I ever plumbed starved, I have become simpler and more efficient and made it work a little better and really try to get past it doesn't matter and in some case some line resistance is beneficial.
Its the reason there are supply tubes. The goal isn't to use as much as you can but to allow for using multiples if needed but not create a big system pressure drop. Also reducing size,,, another reason for the 3/8 on the pex tool is to small the hot feed.
Remember,,, branch and tree provide better flow for single use and a dedicated as good with multiple users. If there is plenty source air its even to even tell 2 to a circuit, all this is nonsense. Only time any matters is if demand is high, wide open throttle.
I try to splain this to a guy yesterday, he thinks a 300 dollar after market coil gonna give his 4 cyl Merc car a 10% boost. Its some ******** for racing. The points crowd. Even if it worked would have to drive this worn out car another 100K miles to break even.

 

[sberry]

It does make longer plastic water work good. I havnt read Pex and rolled plastic side by side but after hooking pipes and hoses a while the pvc is really fast, hook up multiple fixtures and not really notice much real insult to it. By fast I mean water come flying out. I think the id is bigger, its bigger and super slippery, on one sprinkler cant even tell a difference with 1/2 or 3/4 feed.
Same with air pipe. I cant tel if I am on a 1/2 or a 3/4 cuircuit as nothing I have or use has a demand higher and not well served by both of then,,, either of them, totally irrelevant. I have plenty of water in the shower and even more so with the advent of low flow. Most of the worlds stuff can have additional units on the same ole pipe and work as good or better.
The effects of drop with water may be multiplied on wells so we can do some to compensate to keep system pressure and simply live with it.

 

[sberry]

Got to keep the demand low enough and the pressure up far enough that adding some additional demand doesn't drop system pressure to cause a shortage. While it is absolutely most efficient for me to fill a tank with the well at 20# would rather restrict it to allow for 40# so an additional load may drop it to 35,,, laundry, shower, dishes etc. Hand wash. Don't want as much as you can get.
I get more than I need, I got to turn most tools down. Should turn some down, its an advantage over electric and can throttle them. When pressure and performance are continuous or matter can adjust the load. I got one hose that needed to be 5 ft longer. I found another 15 longer. I am going to chop 10 off. Its just enough additional resistance that it shuts the well down in tank fill. Only matters for a few minutes once a year and doesn't cost but a few well cycles when it does. To do 150 gallons only adds minute and a couple cycles.
I have a 3 hp well. Its great for tank fills but its really fast. I could work just as good most of the time with 1/2 the hp over a bit longer time. I have my air like that, 3 hp, 200 gallon tank cap. Got 1 whip with it turned down 20#.

 

[sberry]

The intrusion on the fitting will cost a guy less than a second loss filling a pail for a car wash, even a big bucket. An outdoor faucet like a silcock for residential is a low delivery tool, some resistance when running old sprinklers, open the hose and can hear it. City houses, modest or smaller wells, 3/4 water service will tank if a guy opened a 3/4 outlet every time in the yard, second story pressure would drop to the first.

 

[sberry]

I saw, maybe saved a pex chart and one nice simple thing they had was 1 for 60 ft and one for 100. People cant help look at the 100 on a lot of charts and assume every circuit is that long. The 60 can even be generous calculating loss a,d some charts really make it out to look worse than it is for some reason. We often see questions about v drop for the "long" circuits and should they upsize to 10 to compensate.

 

[nadogail]

I have been using SharkBytes (sp?) for 20 years and have never once regretted it.
They make water heater replacements easy.

 

[sberry]

The easier the better.

 

[greg13]

As far as crimp ring vs cinch style over the years in mobile homes industry it seems to be more of East/West thing. Eastern states seems to lean to Crimp and west to cinch.

As for push lock style I WILL NOT use them is an area not in plain sight. I have had them start leaking over time, so in my mind easier to install could make a harder cleanup. I have never had a crimp ring leak.