So I’m going to ask you a quick question: Are you afraid to solder? Solder copper pipes
that is? If you are, then PEX could be a really, really great option for you. And in this quick
video, this really quick tips video, I’m going to share with you some real basic ideas
about how to use PEX and how to use SharkBite fittings instead of soldering. Now I will
say this: Before we begin, you need to make sure that PEX is allowed in your local town.
So you need to check on your plumbing codes before you use PEX, but I really do think
it’s a great option for you. So let’s dive into the tips right now.
So here are all the tools that you need for PEX. You have your crimp rings. You have your
PEX fittings. This is just a 90° elbow—they make a whole bunch of different fittings.
These are SharkBite fittings; you don’t necessarily need them for PEX. These are the
PEX pipes. So you’ve got red, white, and blue. Red typically signifies hot. White is
just kind of neutral; you can use it for hot or cold. And then you have blue, which is
for cold. You have the PEX crimper. This is by Shark Bite. You have the SharkBite fitting
depth tool. You have the Go/no go gauge for this, which I’ll get into in a second. You
have your PEX cutter; this is by Milwaukee. And then you have your crimp ring removal
tool. And then a simple Sharpie marker. Using PEX is extremely easy. The first step
is to slide your ring on, and you want this to be about ¼”-1/8” from the edge. Then
you slide on your fitting. The next step is you just apply the crimp ring tool to the
crimp ring, and make sure that this is at a 90° angle. When you hear that pop, that’s
when you know you’re done. And as a matter of fact, this is actually maybe a little bit
too far in from the edge. You know, it should be 1/8” to ¼”. So if you had to cut this
off, here’s what you would do. Oh, but before I do that, I wanted to show
you the Go/no go gauge by SharkBite. So this is going to be hard to see, but this is ½”
go. Basically, you slide this over the fitting. And if it goes over the fitting or the crimp
ring, you’re good to go. Now the no go—this is the no go—it should not slide over the
crimp ring, and it doesn’t. And that’s how you know that your crimper is working
correctly. But if you didn’t like how this looks, you
just take your PEX cutter, and you cut this pipe as close as you can to the fitting. Then
you take your removal tool and you slide it in like so, and you’re just going to cut
the crimp ring. Now be careful. You want to wear goggles for this. Then you spin it 180°
and you do the exact same thing on the other side. And it just kind of comes off like that.
So you want to ensure that your fitting is in good shape. You just kind of inspect it,
then you can reuse it. So like I said, you can actually use PEX with
SharkBite fittings. In order to do that, you slide the depth tool over it, and you place
a mark on the piece of PEX. Then you slide your SharkBite fitting onto it. Now I will
point out this: The SharkBite has a little plastic insert in it, and that’s to go inside
the piece of PEX. And it makes this connection nice and rigid. Now here’s the deal: The
SharkBite fitting will spin, and that’s perfectly normal. If you wanted to get the
SharkBite fitting off, you just slide the removal tool on, and you press in on it and
you pull it off. All right, so there you go. That is how you
use PEX. Now before you stop watching the video, I’ve got a question for you: Would
you be more willing to use PEX than copper pipe at this point? Tell me down in the comments.
And if you would be willing to use PEX, how would you go about doing that within your
home? And if you’ve used PEX before, give us some tips down in the comments as well
because the tips from you help our entire DIY community.
So thanks so much for sharing. Thanks for watching the video today. You can always subscribe
to the Home Repair Tutor channel. If you’re looking to do a bathroom remodel, one that
you’re going to plan, renovate, and well I guess do on your own, you may want to check
out BathroomRepairTutor.com. That’s where we have over a hundred video tutorials on
bathroom remodeling with step-by-step guidance from a professional bathroom remodeler. And
you can check that out at BathroomRepairTutor.com. All right, I’ll see you down in the comments.
Take care. Here comes my second daughter. Check her out.
What’s up? They’re so cute.