How do I know what size PEX pipe to use?
PEX has several advantages over copper pipes:
- PEX is cheaper than copper. Half-inch PEX tubing costs about one-third the price of copper. ...
- PEX fittings are faster to install than copper. If you use a manifold and ‘home-run’ system, it’s like running a garden hose to each fixture — super fast and easy. ...
- A PEX supply won’t corrode like copper. ...
How to size PEX pipe for home plumbing?
PEX Usage Tips
- For the best results, use only the recommended tools for making PEX connections. ...
- Store PEX indoors and away from a sunny window since the pipe degrades in UV light.
- Use a PEX cutter to make clean end cuts that will be easier to work with.
What is the largest size PEX pipe?
What is the largest size pex pipe? The larger sizes of 2 1/2 in. PEX pipe are being offered today. 3 in. allows greater use and flow in commercial plumbing and hydronic piping applications.
Why is PEX plumbing bad?
Why is PEX plumbing bad? Potential chemical leaching is another downside of PEX piping. Due to its chemical composition, the PEX pipe material may leach toxic chemicals including bisphenol (BPA), MTBE, tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA), and others.
What diameter PEX should I use?
PEX is available in 3/8- to 1-inch diameters. It's a good idea to install 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch PEX for your main lines for adequate water flow. When replacing old water supply lines with PEX the standard is to use the same size plumbing, although you can transition from 3/4-inch to 1/2-inch plumbing with an adapter.
How do I choose PEX pipe?
Types of PEXPEX-A, which has the most flexible tubing and best freeze- and kink resistance, is ideal for use with kitchen and bath fixtures.PEX-B is slightly less flexible and less freeze-resistant.
How do I know what size my PEX tubing is?
Notes: PEX tubing sizes are denoted by CTS (copper tubing size), not OD (Outside Diameter) or ID (Inside Diameter). OD of PEX, copper and CPVC pipe with the same size (CTS) is the same. This is why push fittings can be used with all of these pipes.
What size water line do I need?
In the case of a three family house an 1 1/2″ service line is typically required. Again the exception would be if the length of the run of pipe was only 35′ or less. In most cases a six family house or greater will require a 2″ water service line.
Is 1 2 PEX big enough?
PEX tubes range in diameter from 3/8-inch to 1-inch for residential applications. For adequate water flow, it's a good idea to install 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch PEX for your main lines. The standard when replacing old water supply lines with PEX is to use the same size.
What do the different colors of PEX pipe mean?
Red PEX pipe carries hot water. Blue PEX pipe carries cold water. White PEX pipe can be used for either hot or cold water. Gray PEX pipe, like white, can be used for either hot or cold water (although not all DIY centers carry gray).
How do you determine your fitting size?
You can always identify AN fittings based on the male thread size (outside diameter). These sizes are constant regardless of brand, hose type, or fitting configuration. If your fitting has a convex 37 degree flare at the end, the threads will tell you the AN size (and vice-versa).
What is the outside diameter of 1/2 inch PEX?
PEX Pipe Sizes and Dimensions –PEX Tubing size (CTS/Nominal)Outside Diameter (OD)Volume gal/100ft5/8″0.750″1.343/8″0.500″0.53/4″0.875″1.831/2″0.625″0.926 more rows•Dec 6, 2021
What is the inside diameter of 1/2 inch PEX pipe?
0.6253) 5/8 in. tubing is better than 1/2 in. tubing.PEX Tubing Size InformationNominal IDODAvg. ID3/8"0.5000.3501/2"0.6250.4755/8"0.7500.5745 more rows•Sep 24, 2021
Is 3/4 water line big enough?
3/4 supply is good for most houses. If you have low pressure with taps on 3/4 may be small. If you have big house with many lavatories and people 3/4 may be small.
What is the standard size water line in a house?
The most common pipe diameter for water mains is 6 to 16 inches, with 8, 10, and 12 inches also being used. Branch lines providing service to individual homes, offices, buildings, and businesses vary in size from as small as half an inch in diameter up to 6 inches.
Can I run 3 4 PEX to shower?
Most fixtures (sink, toilet, tub, shower) don't need 3/4 all the way, but it is not forbidden or bad to do so. When branching off, you can use a PEX Tee fitting that also reduces. You can branch off at 1/2 at each fixture, and continue with 3/4 until the next branch off.
How big should a Pex pipe be?
The outside diameter of a pex pipe should be about a quarter inch bigger than the inside diameter of the hole. So for a half inch pipe we are measuring five eighths inches instead of a half inch. The inside diameter of the pipe will be a half inch. Now to summarize, the incoming line or the main line should be three quarters of an inch.
What happens if you don't plumb a Pex?
If you don't plumb it just right with the right sizes, you're going to have almost no water pressure coming out of there.
How big should a manifold supply line be?
Now to summarize, the incoming line or the main line should be three quarters of an inch. The supply lines coming out of the manifold should be a half an inch. This is important to know, that way when you go to the hardware or home improvement store you know exactly the right size piece to buy.
How long is a PEX pipe?
PEX is available in a variety of lengths, from short 10-foot pieces (for small repairs) to rolls over 500 feet long, which are used to install a home’s entire water supply system. PEX pipe ranges from 3/8- to 1-inch in diameter and its color-coding makes it a snap to identify what a specific pipe is used for. Although there are three types of PEX (see Label Lingo, below), the different colors don’t connote the distinctions; they simply make it easy for the installer to identify which lines carry hot water and which carry cold.
What is PEX pipe?
Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), a type of flexible plastic, is currently replacing traditional copper and galvanized steel as water supply lines in both new construction and remodeling projects. You’ve probably seen rolls of blue and red PEX pipe in the plumbing aisle of your local home improvement store, but might not know that this colorful tubing now makes it possible for enthusiastic DIYers to replace their own leaky water lines instead of calling a pro. Read on to learn more about PEX—what it is, where it can be used, and all the pros and cons of this popular plumbing material.
What type of fittings are used for PEX?
Hundreds of types of fittings, usually brass, are available for connecting PEX to existing copper or steel pipes, and for making connections to fixtures. Fittings are also available for connecting pipes of different sizes. The following five methods are used for making the connections watertight. Photo: amazon.com.
What is PEX tubing?
Choose the tubing best suited to your needs: PEX-A is manufactured using peroxide. This type of PEX is the most flexible of the three types and is suitable for use in all home water-supply plumbing needs.
What color is PEX?
Water flows silently through PEX, eliminating the “water hammer” noise associated with metal piping. Color-coding (red and blue) make it simple to distinguish hot and cold supply lines. PEX can be connected to existing metal supply lines with the correct fittings.
What is the advantage of PEX pipe?
PEX has a distinct advantage over these materials because of its flexibility, which allows one end of PEX pipe to connect to a PEX manifold (the main water control system) and then wind through walls and floors—uninterrupted—all the way to an individual fixture.
What type of PEX pipe is used for hot water?
Blue PEX pipe carries cold water. White PEX pipe can be used for either hot or cold water. Gray PEX pipe, like white, can be used for either hot or cold water (although not all DIY centers carry gray).
How much does PEX pipe expand?
PEX pipe expands and contracts at a rate of 1.1 inches per 100 feet per 10 degrees F ∆T. Utilizing PEX-a Pipe Support in suspended-piping applications in conjunction with fixed anchor points can reduce this expansion and contraction rate to an acceptable level.
Why are engineers hesitant to specify PEX?
Yet, many engineers remain hesitant to specify PEX simply because metallic systems have been the norm for so long and are often the default option. Here’s a look at how to best design and size a PEX installation in order to overcome some of that hesitation.
What is the SDR of PEX pipe?
PEX pipe is manufactured with a CTS outside diameter and a standard dimension ratio (SDR) of nine. The SDR is a correlation between the pipe’s outside diameter and wall thickness. This allows PEX to use the same hangers and supports used with copper, as well as any CTS insulations. PEX-a pipe is burst tested at an elevated pressure, and all pipe sizes will burst in the 800 psi range, nearly double the minimum requirement of ASTM F876 Standard Specification for Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX) Tubing. Figure C shows the temperature and pressure ratings:
What are the benefits of PEX?
When compared with metallic piping, PEX pipe’s greater flexibility requires fewer fittings, and the coils themselves have a significantly lighter weight, allowing for easier transport.
What is PEX piping?
PEX piping (shorthand for cross-linked polyethylene) costs less than half the price of copper and installs much faster. And since it’s flexible, PEX makes remodeling jobs easier. PEX has a strong “memory;” it always wants to spring back to its original shape. So working with a coil of PEX is like wrestling with a giant Slinky.
What are the grades of PEX?
For water lines there are three PEX supply grades: PEX-A, PEX-B and PEX-C. They’re manufactured differently, PEX-A being slightly more flexible. If you’re ordering online, go ahead and spend a few cents extra for PEX-A. But don’t go running around town looking for it; the difference isn’t that big.
How to eliminate joint in PEX?
In areas that are concealed, like under a kitchen sink or vanity cabinet, you can eliminate a joint by running PEX supply directly to the shutoff valve. Use a drop-ear bend support to hold the tubing in a tight bend (right). There are several types of shutoff valves that connect directly to PEX.
Can you use a stab in tee on PEX fittings?
Some areas don’t allow stab-in fittings to be concealed. Another method is to solder in a tee and a PEX supply adapter. Then slip the PEX supply tubing over the adapter and attach it with your chosen connection method (right). You can also use a stab-in tee to connect PEX fittings supply to CPVC.
Is PEX better than CPVC?
First, a PEX doesn’t require glue, which means you don’t have to work in well-ventilated spaces or wear a respirator. PEX is less likely than CPVC to burst if it freezes.
Does PEX corrode copper?
A PEX supply won’t corrode like copper. If you live in an area with acidic water, copper can corrode over time. A PEX supply is unaffected by acidic water and is therefore a better choice in these areas.
Is PEX cheaper than copper?
PEX has several advantages over copper pipes: PEX is cheaper than copper. Half-inch PEX tubing costs about one-third the price of copper. Some of the savings will go towards purchasing a special tool to install the fittings. But if you’re doing a medium-to-large plumbing job, you’ll usually save on PEX over copper.
