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Old 09-19-2018, 02:28 AM   #1
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Low Point Drain Pex Repair

While familiarizing ourselves with our newly purchased first RV, a ‘93 Coachmen Class B, we came across this broken valve under the removable floor of the kitchen sink cabinet.

Thanks to this and other forums I’ve identified it as a broken Low Point Drain Valve. My question is what is the best way to repair this given the tight space and my reluctance to buy a criming tool.

Several old posts suggest adding a ball valve either inside the RV or under it. Is there an advantage to one location or the other?

Either way I will need to replace the valve with an elbow. How do I remove the existing clamps? What’s the easiset way to do replace the fitting without buying a crimping tool? (I have worked with plenty of PVC but this is my first venture into PEX).
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Old 09-19-2018, 05:31 AM   #2
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Home depot has a Pex crimping tool for 30 bucks. I bought one and a couple lengths of half inch pex and fittings. So far I have used it for several projects including a bypass for the whole house filter for winterizing and a shut of valve in the water going to the toilet so I can see inside without water running in. It's reassuring to have the equipment to take care of a plumbing problem should one arise. JMHO.
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Old 09-19-2018, 10:03 AM   #3
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While I have a pex crimping tool, I think you can use a sharkbite fitting without any problems. They are surprisingly reliable and very easy to use.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...E&&FORM=VRDGAR
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Old 09-20-2018, 02:54 AM   #4
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Polybutylene

What you are working with here is not PEX. It is polybutylene, commonly referred to as “Qest”. While not designed or approved for use with polybutylene, SharkBite-type fittings will usually work, providing the outside of the pipe is void of any scratches. You can still buy the tools and crimp rings you need to crimp polybutylene pipe, but there are specific fittings made to transition from the polybutylene to other, better materials. The most readily-available solution for going from polybutylene to other materials are compression-type fittings approved for use with polybutylene.

With all of the above considered, even though SharkBite-type fittings are not designed or approved for use with polybutylene, I have never seen a failure where they were used together when a stiffener was inserted into the polybutylene pipe before the SharkBite-type fitting was used. Don’t use the included plastic stiffener — pull it out of the fitting and insert a short piece of 1/2” OD (since you are working with 1/2” polybutylene) copper tubing into the end of the pipe.

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Old 09-20-2018, 03:32 PM   #5
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Send a message via MSN to Tiggerdad
http://www.sharkbite.com/how-to/poly...rsion-coupling
Try this
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Old 09-20-2018, 03:56 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nomad297 View Post
What you are working with here is not PEX. It is polybutylene, commonly referred to as “Qest”. While not designed or approved for use with polybutylene, SharkBite-type fittings will usually work, providing the outside of the pipe is void of any scratches. You can still buy the tools and crimp rings you need to crimp polybutylene pipe, but there are specific fittings made to transition from the polybutylene to other, better materials. The most readily-available solution for going from polybutylene to other materials are compression-type fittings approved for use with polybutylene.

With all of the above considered, even though SharkBite-type fittings are not designed or approved for use with polybutylene, I have never seen a failure where they were used together when a stiffener was inserted into the polybutylene pipe before the SharkBite-type fitting was used. Don’t use the included plastic stiffener — pull it out of the fitting and insert a short piece of 1/2” OD (since you are working with 1/2” polybutylene) copper tubing into the end of the pipe.

Bruce
He is correct, that Polybutylene. It is distinguished by its grey color and the copper colored compression clamps used to secure it to the fittings.

Pex and Poly aer different inside diameters. They do make adapters/couplings with one poly side and one pex side but you need a compression tool to use them.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SharkBite-1...ing/1000182965

They also make a push on Shark Bite adapter. It has the inside support built into it:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SharkBite-1...ing/1000182553
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Old 09-20-2018, 08:09 PM   #7
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I recently redid the PEX connections in the bathroom of the trailer. I installed a shut off valve for both the toilet and the water heater. I also replaced the low point drain caps with 1/4 turn ball valves.


One word of caution about those push to fit connectors. There are videos on failures of these things. Plumber on one video cautioned to use these only on outside plumbing because they can leak eventually. I can also tell you that I live in a 4 unit condo and the unit above my garage used those push to fit connectors. They leaked twice.
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