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Topic ClosedWinterizing no pink in hot water lines
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Winterizing no pink in hot water lines
    Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 1:45pm
I may be exaggerating the breakeven point of the cost, but for small jobs, by people who aren't tool collectors like us (I have the tools too), Sharkbite-type fittings are a frigging blessing.  Even if they are more expensive they are so easy and fast, maybe you can't forget about the cost, but you can come pretty durn close.

I wonder how the math would work if you had to hire a plumber?  I have no idea what a plumber costs per hour, and I'm sure there are minimums involved, but, anyway, if you're paying for time, SharkBite fittings would probably come close to paying for themselves versus an hourly labor rate.

Again, for someone not at ease with plumbing jobs, they are so simple!!!  A kid who can stack blocks can plumb like a pro with SharkBite fittings.  And another thing: crimping tools can be a pain in the butt in tight places (like plumbing around an RV water heater).  No tools with SharkBite.

I don't have a vested interest in SharkBite.... but I may be talking myself into buying some of their stock. Smile

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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 1:18pm
We will just have to disagree on the Sharkbite stuff, although we do agree Pex is easy.

You are greatly exaggerating the breakeven point when buying the tool. The crimp tool is only about $20. You don’t need to install more than 2 or 3 fittings for that to pay for itself, you don’t need to work with pex all day everyday. Sharkbite fittings are way overpriced.

I’d much rather invest in a tool I can use for the rest of my life than a brand name fitting I only use once. I bought my crimp tool originally to do a small job but have since used it many times. Wound up replumbing a whole house because it was so easy, it’s paid for itself many times over.
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 12:49pm
Originally posted by offgrid

crimps vs clamps.


To fix this I recommend neither crimps or clamps.  SharkBite, or similar is the way to go!  No tools to buy.  Absurdly simple and secure.  The fittings are more expensive, so if you're going in the business of doing PEX fittings all day every day, buy the tools and the cheap fittings, but just for this, you'll come out way ahead with SharkBite and the ease with which they work is almost stupifying.

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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 11:05am
OFFGRID---thank you for the encouragement!  I will look at doing this in the spring and very much appreciate your specifics and list of parts/pieces. 

No worries, I have no idea how long it's been like this, but I am so grateful to everyone here that has given me some peace of mind.  I could NOT figure out what I was missing/doing wrong!

Now I see it!
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 11:00am
Originally posted by ampete

OFFGRID, I have no history to say if it came from FR like this or not.  I know I didn't change it haha.

I'm curious, could it be re-plumbed so that a new "bypass" blue to red with a valve in the center was added to the right of the other valves, leaving the current bypass (which is incorrectly to the left of the other valves) there but in a permanently closed position?    I will contact an RV dealer for a spring appointment to fix the issue, but I'm afraid it might be extensive and expensive to remedy.



I'm not suggesting anything at this point about when and why the bypass was improperly done, just found it curious about the crimps vs clamps.

Re difficulty and expense to remedy, not at all. You can do it yourself in a few minutes. Pex is easy to work with and the fittings almost never leak. Lots of how to videos.i would just leave  the existing bypass there and put a new one in around the corner on the other side of the two shutoff valves where you have room to work.  You need a pex tube cutter, two pex tees, and a shutoff valve, a 10 pack of crimps, a short piece of pex, and the crimp tool. Might be 50 $ at your big box, after which you'll be set up for future plumbing chores.
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 10:16am
CharlieM    Should I use pink antifreeze only in the p-traps, toilet, shower drain; skip the rest of any antifreeze processes?
I don't have an outside shower, but thanks for the other reminders.
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 10:12am
I will look for crimps vs clamps and post in a little bit.
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 10:08am
OFFGRID, I have no history to say if it came from FR like this or not.  I know I didn't change it haha.

I'm curious, could it be re-plumbed so that a new "bypass" blue to red with a valve in the center was added to the right of the other valves, leaving the current bypass (which is incorrectly to the left of the other valves) there but in a permanently closed position?    I will contact an RV dealer for a spring appointment to fix the issue, but I'm afraid it might be extensive and expensive to remedy.
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 10:04am
Many thanks Charlie.  I will add water back into the system and give it a go as you describe.  I appreciate your detailed advice.  I'm a greenhorn at this, having this forum is a lifesaver!

Thanks for your help!
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Oct 2020 at 9:54am
In looking at the pictures I was surprised to see that the bypass fittings are secured with PEX crimps, not PEX clamps. You can tell they are crimps because of the small protrusion on each metal fitting. Clamps, like what my rpod has, are smooth rings. 

Generally high volume work is done with clamps because they are cheaper, while homeowners like me tend to use crimps because the crimp tool works with several tube sizes. The clamp tools are only good for one size, but thats not an issue for FR since its all half inch.

Are the other fittings and connections in the trailer using crimps too? Anyone else have crimps?
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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