pre-pex and pex compatibility?

[method]

This is not really a garage related question but since quite a few of you are familiar with PEX I thought I would ask.

Does anyone know if 'pre-PEX' fittings are compatible with PEX? Our new townhouse was built in the 90s, unfortunately that means a lot of the water lines are pre-PEX tubing (I think it is PVC based?). It looks like it uses a compression fitting. Are PEX and pre-PEX fittings compatible if the tubing is the same size?

Eventually as we renovate the kitchens and bathrooms I am going to rip out all the pre-PEX and put in PEX. As pre-PEX is notorious for leaking (there was some class action law suit in Washington about it.)

Thanks for any info.

~E

 

[JSBriggs]

Im not familiar with pre-pex. Is it CPVC? Sharkbite fittings will allow you to tie in various types of piping.

-Jeff

 

[method]

It is the same color as pvc but I'm not sure...I will try and find more information.

 

[scooby074]

as jeff said, i think sharkbites should be compatible. you could use them as an adapter to go from old to new, then use PEX from there

 

[1984GMC]

pre PEX is polybutalene, it wasn't the pipe that was bad when it first came out it had aluminum rings and plastic fittings, they would either loosen up on the rings or the fittings would crack, later on they started using nice copper fitting a copper crimp rings and never had another problem, But the teething problems gave it a bad name.

 

[method]

pre PEX is polybutalene, it wasn't the pipe that was bad when it first came out it had aluminum rings and plastic fittings, they would either loosen up on the rings or the fittings would crack, later on they started using nice copper fitting a copper crimp rings and never had another problem, But the teething problems gave it a bad name.

Thanks for the input. I was having a hard time finding information on it.

I know the main distribution manifold in the basement was leaking. Previous owner is taking care of getting a plumber to fix that (part of agreement).

 

[neallv]

There are specific fittings designed to transition from PB to PEX. The rib count is different on each side. The ones I've used are by Waterline. They include a black ring for the PEX side and a copper-coloured ring for the PB side. Crimping is the same.

http://www.waterlineproducts.com/pdfs/Group-18.pdf

I purchased mine from Home Depot in Vancouver, BC.

 

[method]

There any other serious issues with pre-pex besides the leaking around fittings?

 

[lawfarm]

UV degradation is an issue for it, if exposed, as with many plastic tubing/pipe forms. Also, it doesn't stand up to kinking as well as PEX does.

I seem to recall something regarding concerns over long-term breakdown (long-term...as in 30-50 years), but can't find that again in my code enforcement references.

 

[neallv]

Early PB suffered from a variety of problems leading to a very big class action lawsuit that killed it in the market.

Most of the issues I've read about concern the non-brass fittings. Tubing that was left in the sun too long can suffer early failure due to UV damage (same for PEX). Some have claimed that chemicals in the water in certain areas can degrade the tubing. There is a huge amount of discussion of PB around on the web, but not a lot of hard data. Some say a PB installation is a ticking time bomb. Others say that it was fine once the kinks were sorted out.

My installation is from '97, with brass fittings and copper rings. No issues so far, and the PB I've removed looks as good as the day it was installed. Knock on wood...

 

[bgott]

Polybutylene pipe *****! It is said that the fittings are the problem, let me tell you, I owned ten mobile homes with that **** in them and it can spring a leak anywhere, anytime. I had more problems in the houses that had the underlayerment torn out. But, the piping being shielded by the underlayerment didn't mean that spurious leaks spraying out of the middle of a run wouldn't happen. I watched a segment on 20/20 or 60 minutes years ago that was talking about San Antonio, TX. having to re-do their PB potable water lines because of failures. I have hearde that chlorine in city water causes it to break down, maybe if you are in the country you'll have less of a problem.

 

[method]

No we're in the city...well as much of a city as NH gets hah!

 

[1984GMC]

Polybutylene pipe *****! It is said that the fittings are the problem, let me tell you, I owned ten mobile homes with that **** in them and it can spring a leak anywhere, anytime. I had more problems in the houses that had the underlayerment torn out. But, the piping being shielded by the underlayerment didn't mean that spurious leaks spraying out of the middle of a run wouldn't happen. I watched a segment on 20/20 or 60 minutes years ago that was talking about San Antonio, TX. having to re-do their PB potable water lines because of failures. I have hearde that chlorine in city water causes it to break down, maybe if you are in the country you'll have less of a problem.

Fist off its a trailer, and the pipe was prolly the Cheapest, crappiest Chinese made **** they could get to cut corners on, We used it for years back when i was plumbing and NEVER had a leak. did your trailer have the plastic fittings? Aluminum crimp rings...?

 

[Joe69]

I had pre-pex stuff in my last house, it was called quest. Never had a problem with it, but it didn't have the aluminum fittings.

Joe

 

[bgott]

Fist off its a trailer, and the pipe was prolly the Cheapest, crappiest Chinese made **** they could get to cut corners on, We used it for years back when i was plumbing and NEVER had a leak. did your trailer have the plastic fittings? Aluminum crimp rings...?

PB is PB, it was all ****. I guess it was great stuff new, nobody knows what all the "new and exciting" materials are going to do 15 years from now. What is going to happen to PEX after it gets a few years under it's belt? When I wasn't fixing leaks from PB I was replacing LP siding, another "wonder" material. If you re- read my post you'll see that I mentioned that I had many leaks that started in the middle of the run, the connectors weren't the problem.

 

[cowboyjosh]

I have a house plumbed with PEX, and I have built houses and wired other builders houses that were plumbed in PEX, I don't like PEX but using copper anymore is almost unheard of. Given the choice my house would have been plumbed with copper, but I digress.

In years to come it will be interesting to see how PEX holds up, another "WONDER" product that is bound to more troubles then it already has as even more of this gas pipe is installed, is CSST gas pipe, just GOOGLE, "CSST gas pipe fires" and read for yourselves.

 

[Mac]

I just ran all of the WATER and AIR in my new shop with PEX cuz I already had it. The "Gator-Bites" made connections to copper for the air drops easy but not cheap. It's been sitting with 120psi on it for a week and no leaks anywhere but a bad sweat fitting. This was a test BTW. Nobody around here had done it that I could find and I just had to know!

Now I gotta get rid of a house full of LP siding thats coming apart. I'm thinking a complete tear-off and cement board for replacement and a trouble-free (sure thing) future,

 

[method]

There a good online source for buying PEX and fittings? Should I buy locally instead?

 

[Shocker]

PEX has been used in Europe for over 20 years now, so I think it pretty well established.

Pexsupply.com seems to have a huge selection.

And remember, choose all the components from the same family of products.

I am going to be replumbing my house with PEX.