rshimizu12
Well-known member
Does anyone make a pex crimp tool for small spaces.? Perhaps there crimp tool that crimps from the side. Or has angled tip for crimping....?
Pex crimp tool for small spaces....?
- Thread starter rshimizu12
- Start date
OP
rshimizu12
Well-known member
I am thinking 1 to 4 inches of clearance
Good luck, that's insanely tight.
Roger M
Well-known member
If you have access to the older style Wirsbo fittings/rings/tool, you can expand the pex before fitting it in the confined space.
Just my own experience and opinion.
Just my own experience and opinion.
rlitman
Well-known member
The Knipex Oetiker tool will cinch an Oetiker clamp from the side. 1" of clearance is about all you technically need.
However, this is not a compound leverage tool, so you have limited crunching strength. I'm comfortable using these on 1/2" and smaller PEX, and I've used them with great difficulty on 3/4" PEX, but you can absolutely forget about using them on 1" PEX. And if you plan to do a lot of fittings, you're going to wear your hands out pretty quickly even on the 1/2".
If you're doing this a lot, as stated above, expansion fittings may be a better option.
However, this is not a compound leverage tool, so you have limited crunching strength. I'm comfortable using these on 1/2" and smaller PEX, and I've used them with great difficulty on 3/4" PEX, but you can absolutely forget about using them on 1" PEX. And if you plan to do a lot of fittings, you're going to wear your hands out pretty quickly even on the 1/2".
If you're doing this a lot, as stated above, expansion fittings may be a better option.
Leaflessshadetree
Well-known member
Oetiker clamps. Spend as little or as much as you want on the pliers. In tight spaces I like the ones that ratchet and "trap" the sides of the clamp.
tool looks like the red crimper here
DGersic
Well-known member
With some planning ahead, maybe crimp your connection first, then move it in to the confined space. I did that in a few places when replumbing my house last winter.
Show pictures of what you’re trying to do.
This is what I was suggesting in the 2nd post.tool looks like the red crimper here
Maybe I'm picture OP 1" clearance wrong?
depends how deep in the wall you need to crimp. Those crimpers open like pliers , so the deeper in to the wall cavity the wider the tool becomes . It takes up a lot less room than the ring crimpers do, tho.
Southernbuild
Well-known member
I've got an oddball pex tool that's basically a set of steel jaws that you use a pair of vice grips to slowly close, in turn crimping the copper ring. So, you can get weird angles / spaces.
But, I've never used it.
But, I've never used it.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
M12 FORCE LOGIC Press Tool Kit with Jaws | Milwaukee Tool
MILWAUKEE® M12™ FORCE LOGIC™ Press Tool Kit with Jaws is the lightest press tool with a one-handed, in-line design. The cordless press tool features a one-handed, in-line design
www.milwaukeetool.com
I'd do expansion before crimp, though. Unless the tubing is already in
acer66
Well-known member
I have that too and have that with my general tools in case of an emergency because its small but not that small like the op seems to need.
Its a bit cumbersome to use for me but it saved the day a few times.
It also helps that it does 1/2,3/4&1”.
acer66
Well-known member
That is very pricey and why the expansion over crimp?
M12 FORCE LOGIC Press Tool Kit with Jaws | Milwaukee Tool
MILWAUKEE® M12™ FORCE LOGIC™ Press Tool Kit with Jaws is the lightest press tool with a one-handed, in-line design. The cordless press tool features a one-handed, in-line design
I'd do expansion before crimp, though. Unless the tubing is already in
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yes, I know it's expensive. To be fair, a budget wasn't stated
Expansion fittings flow better and you can't forget to expand a fitting, while a crimp can be done wrong or missed
The m12 expansion tool is also a lot cheaper than a crimping press, plus fits anywhere.
My overall preference is propress, but thats even more expensive
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Southernbuild
Well-known member
Better flow rates since the pipe expands to fit over the fitting, instead of the fittings reducing the ID of the pipe.
Secondly, you can't assemble the fittings without fully completing the fitting process; with the rings, its easy to miss crimping a ring. That can be disastrous! Of course this is also sorta a disadvantage, since you can't assemble everything adjust the fitment, and then compress the rings once you are happy with it.
Thirdly, much larger fittings are available (up to 3") for commercial applications such as restaurants. Naturally, they do require a larger expansion tool.
Not a process I'd recommend for a homeowner for occasional use.
Note: they also make a manual expander.
acer66
Well-known member
Might look into a manual extender since I do that not for a living.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have heard they are terrible to use. Need tons of room and they are a lot of effort
rlitman
Well-known member
They also suffer from the same issue as first generation cordless expanders, in that they don't rotate. Not rotating the die with every expansion effort leads to unevenly expanded PEX, which is a large source of leaks.
Southernbuild
Well-known member
Yep, that's it! I thought it might be possible to use the vicegrips 90* offset from the crimping tool, thus being usable in spots where there isnt enough space for the normal long handled tool.I have that too and have that with my general tools in case of an emergency because its small but not that small like the op seems to need.
Its a bit cumbersome to use for me but it saved the day a few times.
It also helps that it does 1/2,3/4&1”.
Also, angled head crimpers are available.
Don't think the OP has added any pictures, so it's tough to say what exactly the constraints are.
Southernbuild
Well-known member
Note that not all Pex is designed / rated to be expanded and use the expansion style fittings. Make sure you have the proper pipe if you go the expansion route. It's rare to find it around here you're talking existing work. New construction is more split, but the compression style is still more common since the pipe and fittings are cheaper.
acer66
Well-known member
Yes pics would be nice and I like your idea of using offset vice grips which I did not thought about.
acer66
Well-known member
Might just go right back to soldering copper to get the maximum flow then.
Thanks for the info.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
What a roller coaster!
This here.
I just have the old, huge, bolt-cutter-style crimpers and I have never needed anything else. If I am under a vanity or in a shower valve access hole, I just crimp the ends on first, then feed the line down to the basement where it's wide open. I have been able to pre-plan all my runs/repairs to never need a close-quarters solution.
acer66
Well-known member
Yeah and sometimes my brain is switched off.
My high flow shower/spout required 3/4” copper between the fixtures but in my infinite wisdom I feed the whole thing with 3/4” pex.
So there goes the flow.
Brushed up on my soldering skills on my current job which also provided me with more than ample 3/4” copper pipes so its tempting.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Don't use pex from the diverter/temp control to the head. That should be copperYeah and sometimes my brain is switched off.
My high flow shower/spout required 3/4” copper between the fixtures but in my infinite wisdom I feed the whole thing with 3/4” pex.
So there goes the flow.
Brushed up on my soldering skills on my current job which also provided me with more than ample 3/4” copper pipes so its tempting.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
The expansion PEX is larger. I have the crimper that I bought to replace a couple of hose bibs that froze and it was fine. Then I used it to install two water filters and by the time I installed two ball valves and four 90's, even though it was 3/4, it wasn't much larger than 1/2 copper and the pressure in the house dropped off considerably. It's really not that noticeable now unless someone runs a sink or flushes the toilet while someone else is in the shower, but before we got used to it, it sucked. I replaced the water heater a couple months ago and a plumber buddy loaned me his expansion tool and some PEX and the fittings, that type of 3/4 PEX was about the same size as the copper and it was so much nicer to work with that I will buy my own if I have another plumbing fiasco come up.
steves_001
Well-known member
Why is that a concern? Not aware of that one and have fed the head with pex on a few. (Hope I didn’t screw something up!)
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Expansion and contraction between two fixed points that are likely behind something ridgid like tile. At least that's how I've understood it
rlitman
Well-known member
You didn't screw anything up. Though the PEX will flow a TINY bit less than copper, the difference isn't significant downstream of a shower valve. The only place this matters is on a bathtub install where the pipe going down from the valve to the spout must be copper. Otherwise the small restriction of PEX may allow the showerhead to drip while the tub is being filled.
Fair point, but there's plenty of room for the PEX to curve into a C, and in any case neither the valve nor the wall elbow are rigidly connected to the tile. Both should be screwed to the framing.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I bet basically no one puts a curve in.... Straight shot between a rigidly mounted valve and (hopefully) drop ear
steves_001
Well-known member
Slight curve yes. Most of my shower heads have been in non normal locations from the valve and certainly yes, always used a drop ear firmly screwed into framing. Glad it was nothing to worry about. I’ve done it on almost every Reno the last 15 years or so. Flow rates-never thought of that. Makes good sense!
rlitman
Well-known member
Well, I'm not one to suggest following in my footsteps (that hardly ends well for anyone, most of all myself), but in my last tub/shower I installed a niche between the diverter valve and the shower heads, so there was no straight path up anyway. The shower before that had the diverter facing each side, and I sweated in copper 90 degree stub-outs into that to turn them up and arc into my drop ears.
acer66
Well-known member
Yeah I did that once and it was “discovered” by the customer.
There was a lot cussing and such but I was fortunately able to change the pipes from pex to copper or maybe go 3/4” pex behind a tiled wall.
What happened was due to the lesser flow of the pex when turning on the bath tup faucet the water also started to come out the shower head.
Edit: that was on city water so on a well you might be fine but do not quote me on that.
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