I am installing an outdoor shower against one room of a house. I used plastic pipe. I am having problems tightening the the plastic pipe to the shower unit. The first time I tightened too much cracking the joint. The next time I tightened nice and snug and it leaked. The last time worked but I had to snug it up almost as tight as the first try. Of course, the first leak went unnoticed in the wall for a week, ruining some of the new hardwood floor. Is there some other system that I should be using for shower units?
Dang!
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and the reason for plastic pipe instead of copper is...?
Perhaps, at this time... I could only suggest the old saying " if it ain't broke then don't fix it"calypso said:
I have never used pvc/cpvc for potable water installs. But, regardless of the material it would be very difficult for me to instruct you on a thread (no pun intended) what is the proper torque. Unless, a certain torque is requested by a manufacturer it basically comes down to "getting a feel for it".
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Back to Mike's question. ???
I wouldn't put any plastic in my walls.
I wouldn't put any plastic in my walls.
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PEX is cheap and easy, that alone scares me. I'll wait 50 yrs. and see how well it is doing then.
I'll be 104 and the only thing that will matter is if somebody plumbed my final home with it.
I'll be 104 and the only thing that will matter is if somebody plumbed my final home with it.
It has been widespread in europe for 30 years. But plastic and water(potable) don't mix especially chlorinated. I stand to be corrected but I don't think they chlorinate their water in europe. 
And it also takes the skill of soldering away from the trade, which I think is a shame! But, pvc drains did the same to cast iron and the old days of keeping the pot of lead hot for the master!!!
And it also takes the skill of soldering away from the trade, which I think is a shame! But, pvc drains did the same to cast iron and the old days of keeping the pot of lead hot for the master!!!
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I've done my share of pouring and pounding lead too. Is that still legal?
Oh Yeah!! I still use lead and oakum for installing cast iron toilet flanges and some repairs to leaking joints. However, lead wool which is expensive works great and cuts out a couple of steps. On commercial work the first three joints on a urinal must be done in lead and oakum then you can use resilient gaskets or clamps. I guess that tells you the strength of urine.
OK...now I remember. The house I am working at is up in Trindad Northern California with redwoods all around. The water comes from a stream that has alot of tannic acid and silt in it. I was told it eats away at the copper over the years. Is this true???
Plastic and brass do not mix well, as each expand and contrat at defferant tempertures which can cause many leaks.
Use plenty of teflon tape and try not to over crank.
Funny thing here I did one of these as a favor for some one, turns out up here in Mass we have to have a drain pan that is connected to the buildings sewer system.
BJD
Use plenty of teflon tape and try not to over crank.
Funny thing here I did one of these as a favor for some one, turns out up here in Mass we have to have a drain pan that is connected to the buildings sewer system.
BJD
Blasphemy, but......
I know how those up north feel about pex versus copper, and agree with the argument about "dumbing down" the industry so that even an ape could do it.
However, with the price of labor going through the roof, pex is rapidly becoming the first choice in many parts of the country. I have used it for seven years without exception. To this date, I have never had a leak due to any kind of product failure. We had an ice storm about six years ago while I was still working for another plumber. There were about 400 homes under warranty and I was the only service tech for the company. Literally half of the homes under warranty had frozen piping in several areas of the house due to power outage for several days. Of the 200 homes that froze, there was only one leak! It was a close piece of pex piping that was serving a sillcock that froze and split. The freeze tolerances of the pex make it a worth-while investment for those with temperatures colder than ours. We use Rehau pipe and brass fittings with copper crimp rings. If you are crimping a buried connection, you may want to use the stainless steel rings. Copper rings tend to corrode in some soils. Oh, and you can crimp a tee in a line without draining it completely. Stay away from the plastic fittings and aluminum rings! That is what messed up polybutylene.
Copper will always be my first choice for custom shower installations (car wash showers) and cases where high temps are a concern. There isn't any type M on the truck, just L. After the polybutylene disaster, I can't blame anyone for being reluctant to use pex.
Have a great day!
-Dave
Before you read the following let me go on record and say that copper is a very reliable and time tested product. I personally like the stuffplumguy said:
I know how those up north feel about pex versus copper, and agree with the argument about "dumbing down" the industry so that even an ape could do it.
However, with the price of labor going through the roof, pex is rapidly becoming the first choice in many parts of the country. I have used it for seven years without exception. To this date, I have never had a leak due to any kind of product failure. We had an ice storm about six years ago while I was still working for another plumber. There were about 400 homes under warranty and I was the only service tech for the company. Literally half of the homes under warranty had frozen piping in several areas of the house due to power outage for several days. Of the 200 homes that froze, there was only one leak! It was a close piece of pex piping that was serving a sillcock that froze and split. The freeze tolerances of the pex make it a worth-while investment for those with temperatures colder than ours. We use Rehau pipe and brass fittings with copper crimp rings. If you are crimping a buried connection, you may want to use the stainless steel rings. Copper rings tend to corrode in some soils. Oh, and you can crimp a tee in a line without draining it completely. Stay away from the plastic fittings and aluminum rings! That is what messed up polybutylene.
Copper will always be my first choice for custom shower installations (car wash showers) and cases where high temps are a concern. There isn't any type M on the truck, just L. After the polybutylene disaster, I can't blame anyone for being reluctant to use pex.
Have a great day!
-Dave
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