What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed about
a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on the
fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But I
notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some extent
distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard old
fittings.

On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 12:48:17 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed about
a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on the
fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But I
notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some extent
distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard old
fittings.


My instructions are vague about re-using a fitting. It simply says
...if you make a bad crimp - cut it out and replace it....

No mention of distortion in the fitting.
--
Oren

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 12:48:17 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about
a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on the
fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But I
notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some extent
distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard old
fittings.


My instructions are vague about re-using a fitting. It simply says
..if you make a bad crimp - cut it out and replace it....

No mention of distortion in the fitting.
--
Oren

Well by definition it is a compression fitting - some distortion is
required. Doesn't mean it's automatically bad of course.

On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 14:40:14 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:


"Oren" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 12:48:17 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about
a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on the
fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But I
notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some extent
distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard old
fittings.


My instructions are vague about re-using a fitting. It simply says
..if you make a bad crimp - cut it out and replace it....

No mention of distortion in the fitting.
--
Oren

Well by definition it is a compression fitting - some distortion is
required. Doesn't mean it's automatically bad of course.


I would not be scared to cut the crimp off the fitting with a Dremel
tool and use the fitting again. Using the GO-NO GO gauge, the crimp
can best determine the proper crimp.

I'm sure many fittings have been used a second time.



--
Oren

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

"Eigenvector" wrote in message
. ..
What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on the
fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But I
notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some extent
distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard old
fittings.

How much money are you talking about? How much is "peace of mind" worth to
you? I'd go with new

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. ..

"Eigenvector" wrote in message
. ..
What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on
the fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But
I notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some
extent distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard
old fittings.

How much money are you talking about? How much is "peace of mind" worth
to you? I'd go with new

Well my piece of mind is worth more than 2 bucks for an elbow fitting. I
have a big bag of them, PEX is usually sold in contractor packs, so I use
new anyway. But I was wondering about this as I tossed the old ones back
into the toolbox.

On Mar 2, 8:13 pm, "Eigenvector" wrote:
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message

. ..



"Eigenvector" wrote in message
...
What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on
the fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But
I notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some
extent distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard
old fittings.

How much money are you talking about? How much is "peace of mind" worth
to you? I'd go with new

Well my piece of mind is worth more than 2 bucks for an elbow fitting. I
have a big bag of them, PEX is usually sold in contractor packs, so I use
new anyway. But I was wondering about this as I tossed the old ones back
into the toolbox.

Are we talking about brass or plastic fittings?

cheers
Bob

"BobK207" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Mar 2, 8:13 pm, "Eigenvector" wrote:
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message

. ..



"Eigenvector" wrote in message
...
What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the
line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on
the fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely.
But
I notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some
extent distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard
old fittings.

How much money are you talking about? How much is "peace of mind"
worth
to you? I'd go with new

Well my piece of mind is worth more than 2 bucks for an elbow fitting. I
have a big bag of them, PEX is usually sold in contractor packs, so I use
new anyway. But I was wondering about this as I tossed the old ones back
into the toolbox.

Are we talking about brass or plastic fittings?

cheers
Bob

Brass

On Mar 3, 7:37 am, "Eigenvector" wrote:
"BobK207" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Mar 2, 8:13 pm, "Eigenvector" wrote:
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message

t...

"Eigenvector" wrote in message
...
What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the
line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on
the fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely.
But
I notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some
extent distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard
old fittings.

How much money are you talking about? How much is "peace of mind"
worth
to you? I'd go with new

Well my piece of mind is worth more than 2 bucks for an elbow fitting. I
have a big bag of them, PEX is usually sold in contractor packs, so I use
new anyway. But I was wondering about this as I tossed the old ones back
into the toolbox.

Are we talking about brass or plastic fittings?

cheers
Bob

Brass

EV-

Since they are brass & there are crimp cutters available l would get
that they are reusable

However, like Ed said "piece of mind"

Since you're doing th soldering experiment you could also do a re-use
experiment.

cheers
Bob

On Mar 3, 10:25 am, "BobK207" wrote:
Since they are brass & there are crimp cutters available l would get
that they are reusable

The crimp cutters work well. I doubt the fitting are distorted that
much during the crimp process.

It looks to me like the pipe is distorted when the crimp ring is
crimped. From the fittings I've un-ringged, I couldn't tell the new
fittings from the old, brass was in great shape.

For the procedure, I would recommend cutting through on side first,
rotating the fitting 180 degrees and start the cut on that side. The
ring will bend back on itself.

Of things I wouldn't try is the Dremel, you don't want to nick the
fitting accidently.

Good luck,

On 3 Mar 2007 11:08:53 -0800, "DAC" wrote:

On Mar 3, 10:25 am, "BobK207" wrote:
Since they are brass & there are crimp cutters available l would get
that they are reusable

The crimp cutters work well. I doubt the fitting are distorted that
much during the crimp process.

It looks to me like the pipe is distorted when the crimp ring is
crimped. From the fittings I've un-ringged, I couldn't tell the new
fittings from the old, brass was in great shape.

For the procedure, I would recommend cutting through on side first,
rotating the fitting 180 degrees and start the cut on that side. The
ring will bend back on itself.

Of things I wouldn't try is the Dremel, you don't want to nick the
fitting accidently.

I just learned about "crimp cutters" here.

I Dremel a diagonal across the side of the crimp and peel it away. At
most I nick/cut the PEX, not the brass. Using the tools I have at
hand. I will look into the crimp cutters.


--
Oren

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On 3 Mar 2007 11:08:53 -0800, "DAC" wrote:

On Mar 3, 10:25 am, "BobK207" wrote:
Since they are brass & there are crimp cutters available l would get
that they are reusable

The crimp cutters work well. I doubt the fitting are distorted that
much during the crimp process.

It looks to me like the pipe is distorted when the crimp ring is
crimped. From the fittings I've un-ringged, I couldn't tell the new
fittings from the old, brass was in great shape.

For the procedure, I would recommend cutting through on side first,
rotating the fitting 180 degrees and start the cut on that side. The
ring will bend back on itself.

Of things I wouldn't try is the Dremel, you don't want to nick the
fitting accidently.

I just learned about "crimp cutters" here.

I Dremel a diagonal across the side of the crimp and peel it away. At
most I nick/cut the PEX, not the brass. Using the tools I have at
hand. I will look into the crimp cutters.


--
Oren

The crimp cutters work about 75% of the time. I actually like the idea of
using my Dremel, but having the cutters in my back pocket is much much more
convienent. The location of the crimp on the fitting affects how well the
cutters work, too far away from the end and the cutters can't generate
enough force to break the copper.

But even if the cutters don't work the first time, you can usually chew
through the crimp ring using the cutters by attacking the ring from multiple
locations - it will oil can break eventually.

Actually the hardest part of recovering the fitting is getting that stupid
nub of PEX off the fitting that's left over from the cut.

"BobK207" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Mar 3, 7:37 am, "Eigenvector" wrote:
"BobK207" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Mar 2, 8:13 pm, "Eigenvector" wrote:
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message

t...

"Eigenvector" wrote in message
...
What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if
the
line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I
installed
about a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue
on
the fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most
likely.
But
I notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some
extent distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should
discard
old fittings.

How much money are you talking about? How much is "peace of mind"
worth
to you? I'd go with new

Well my piece of mind is worth more than 2 bucks for an elbow fitting.
I
have a big bag of them, PEX is usually sold in contractor packs, so I
use
new anyway. But I was wondering about this as I tossed the old ones
back
into the toolbox.

Are we talking about brass or plastic fittings?

cheers
Bob

Brass

EV-

Since they are brass & there are crimp cutters available l would get
that they are reusable

However, like Ed said "piece of mind"

Since you're doing th soldering experiment you could also do a re-use
experiment.

cheers
Bob

One of the reasons I brought it up was because of the whole flap with PB and
the problems that originated from the installation. It was my understanding
that improper installation at the fittings was the real cause of all the
failures PB had.

"Oren" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 14:40:14 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:


"Oren" wrote in message
. ..
On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 12:48:17 -0800, "Eigenvector"
wrote:

What's the consensus here - should the PEX fittings be reused if the
line
has to be cut and reworked? I cut some old PEX lines that I installed
about
a year ago and I noticed that there was some blackish residue on the
fitting - rust from the galvanized to PEX interface most likely. But I
notice the discoloration and the fact that the crimp ring to some extent
distorts the fitting and it makes me wonder if I should discard old
fittings.


My instructions are vague about re-using a fitting. It simply says
..if you make a bad crimp - cut it out and replace it....

No mention of distortion in the fitting.
--
Oren

Well by definition it is a compression fitting - some distortion is
required. Doesn't mean it's automatically bad of course.


I would not be scared to cut the crimp off the fitting with a Dremel
tool and use the fitting again. Using the GO-NO GO gauge, the crimp
can best determine the proper crimp.

I'm sure many fittings have been used a second time.

I think you mean using a dremel to cut off the ring and use the fitting
again. This also assumes that the fitting (nipple) has not been deformed.
Unless the fitting is deformed or corroded it is fine to reuse the fitting.

"Eigenvector" writes:

One of the reasons I brought it up was because of the whole flap with PB and
the problems that originated from the installation. It was my understanding
that improper installation at the fittings was the real cause of all the
failures PB had.

As I understand it, it was choice of fittings too. Some PB used metal
fittings and crimp rings, while some was installed with plastic
fittings. The plastic fittings broke down over time and developed
leaks, while the metal ones were apparently better. Of course, using
unskilled labour to install the pipe could have resulted in some bad
crimp connections too.

Our house has a PB main water feed, which used to be connected to the
copper in-house plumbing using a plastic compression fitting. Our house
inspector recommended replacing it. So we had a plumber do that while
he was here doing some other work. He removed the plastic coupling and
installed a PEX to MPT crimp coupling, a few inches of PEX, and then a
PEX to PB crimp adapter.

We also have a couple of runs of PB inside the house, feeding the two
outdoor taps. These are all copper crimp fittings, and seem to be OK so
far.

Dave

On Mar 3, 3:40 pm, "Eigenvector" wrote:
"Oren" wrote in message

...





On 3 Mar 2007 11:08:53 -0800, "DAC" wrote:

On Mar 3, 10:25 am, "BobK207" wrote:
Since they are brass & there are crimp cutters available l would get
that they are reusable

The crimp cutters work well. I doubt the fitting are distorted that
much during the crimp process.

It looks to me like the pipe is distorted when the crimp ring is
crimped. From the fittings I've un-ringged, I couldn't tell the new
fittings from the old, brass was in great shape.

For the procedure, I would recommend cutting through on side first,
rotating the fitting 180 degrees and start the cut on that side. The
ring will bend back on itself.

Of things I wouldn't try is the Dremel, you don't want to nick the
fitting accidently.

I just learned about "crimp cutters" here.

I Dremel a diagonal across the side of the crimp and peel it away. At
most I nick/cut the PEX, not the brass. Using the tools I have at
hand. I will look into the crimp cutters.

--
Oren

The crimp cutters work about 75% of the time. I actually like the idea of
using my Dremel, but having the cutters in my back pocket is much much more
convienent. The location of the crimp on the fitting affects how well the
cutters work, too far away from the end and the cutters can't generate
enough force to break the copper.

But even if the cutters don't work the first time, you can usually chew
through the crimp ring using the cutters by attacking the ring from multiple
locations - it will oil can break eventually.

Actually the hardest part of recovering the fitting is getting that stupid
nub of PEX off the fitting that's left over from the cut.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't recall the brand of crimp ring cutter I have at the moment,
but I've not had one fail yet. I'll see if I can get a brand a post
it in a day or so. Agree with the little nub'n left over...but it
beats throwing the fitting away.

DAC