What do I need to know about Pex? Water main

[Jeepster04]

Personally I think soldering copper is very easy. Ive only done it a hand full of times but Ive yet to have any issues. Getting the copper good and clean is pretty important. I always heat the fitting/pipe from one side and apply the solder on the other so that Im sure the entire setup was heated. Dont apply the solder right at the flame, thats just insanity.

Clean, good flux, heat, solder. Done.. Its enjoyable watching the solder get sucked in.

What was connected to that fitting when you dug it up?

 

[Xkylescorex]

The pipe is 3/4 copper pipe. Somewhere down the line its been cut and spliced to pvc. Im betting that the leak is probably at the splice.

 

[theundermount]

Personally I think soldering copper is very easy. Ive only done it a hand full of times but Ive yet to have any issues. Getting the copper good and clean is pretty important. I always heat the fitting/pipe from one side and apply the solder on the other so that Im sure the entire setup was heated. Dont apply the solder right at the flame, thats just insanity.

Clean, good flux, heat, solder. Done.. Its enjoyable watching the solder get sucked in.

What was connected to that fitting when you dug it up?

I'll almost guarantee that is K type copper and you will not be able to solder that only asking for a leak. Cut out the flared end back and use a compression fitting to convert to your plastic line shark bites do hold well but a proper Ford coupling would be recommended.

To those using plastic irrigation pipe I recommend against using that pipe as its not potable line for drinking

 

[theundermount]

Something similar to this you most likely won't find it at the big box stores you'll have to go to a building supply store

 

[Sharpest]

For what its worth, when I built houses in San Antonio, TX, we ran 3/4 PEX from the meter to the house. When I built down on the gulf coast in Corpus Christi, we used CPVC. I worked for multiple companies in each city, seems to be a lot of regional variation in preference and regulation. I prefer CPVC on my personal stuff but if I were going to run PEX, I'd go with heat shrink connections. The crimping tool wears out and I've dealt with a few catastrophic leaks under warranty on brand new houses from bad crimps. Never had a single failure with the heat shrinks.

 

[Xkylescorex]

Who would have thought there would be so many choices! Lol! Im gonna sharkbite it and see what happens. Worst case scenario is it leaks and I cut it and do it again I guesd

 

[redmondjp]

Who would have thought there would be so many choices! Lol! Im gonna sharkbite it and see what happens. Worst case scenario is it leaks and I cut it and do it again I guesd

Try to leave a radius in the end section of pipe then so you have some extra length to work with if you need it later.