# Water lines in older Mibile Home



## srloren (Nov 19, 2014)

Are the water lines in older Mobile Homes with Avocado color Tub likely to be copper or PEX? Also are the walls not as thick as older homes i.e. 3 5/8" wide stud walls?


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

srloren said:


> Are the water lines in older Mobile Homes with Avocado color Tub likely to be copper or PEX? Also are the walls not as thick as older homes i.e. 3 5/8" wide stud walls?


I cant help you out too much. I dont do work in gypsy wagons.:laughing:
I would guess the walls are 3/4" studs. Either panneling or 1/4" drywall. The pex is probably grey and a very thin wall that a crimp might hold to. maybe its cpvc and very brittle. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

If not galvy I'd say gray QEST (quest) polybutylene. Walls are typically 2"x2"


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

An old tin house on wheels?

It could be anything, I've seen copper tube like in any other home, I've seen soft roll copper tube, polybutylene, galvanized, and even a bit of brass and pex if repairs have been made...

Be ready for anything goes plumbing when you open things up...:yes::laughing:

You might get an idea looking at the water heater...

And yea... That thinwall grey pex...
It isn't pex...
It's polybutylene!

This might just be your friend...


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

^^^^thats right i forgot about the slew of mobile homes I've seen repiped with 3/8" soft copper for the whole thing!


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Shoot'N'Plumber said:


> ^^^^thats right i forgot about the slew of mobile homes I've seen repiped with 3/8" soft copper for the whole thing!


And when you say the whole thing you mean, the whole thing...

They always want to know why it takes so long to fill the tub or the clothes washer...:laughing:

But it might keep their 20 gallon electric water heater from running out while they fill the tub...:laughing:


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

Redwood said:


> And when you say the whole thing you mean, the whole thing...
> 
> They always want to know why it takes so long to fill the tub or the clothes washer...:laughing:
> 
> But it might keep their 20 gallon electric water heater from running out while they fill the tub...:laughing:


that reminds me of an airstream repipe for a buddy a couple years ago. electric water heater. pull the copper flex lines out of the cabinets and replace with pex. that still counts as a gypsy wagon. i should have said i usually dont work on them.:laughing:


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to get a new mobile home instead of a repipe?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Nah...
By the time you spend $500 on another good used one and pay to have it towed, and hooked up a repipe is cheaper....

Seriously most of the time I just attach pex to the existing pipe/tubing and pull it, only having to deal with connections. The bottom of the tin house is usually fairly easy to open up too. Here tin houses don't usually land on the nicest lots so there is usually plenty of room to get under on at least one side...

Although there are quite a few upscale "manufactured housing parks" where they aren't much different than a regular home. The tin house parks are disappearing fast....


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## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

Seen a lot of black polybutulene under them, & sometimes it's only 1/2"od.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

smoldrn said:


> Seen a lot of black polybutulene under them, & sometimes it's only 1/2"od.



Did you mean polyethylene?


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## Flyout95 (Apr 13, 2012)

I'm glad I haven't had that nightmare yet.


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## rwh (Dec 17, 2014)

Flyout95 said:


> I'm glad I haven't had that nightmare yet.




130 covers Kankakee now, right?


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## Flyout95 (Apr 13, 2012)

rwh said:


> 130 covers Kankakee now, right?


Commercial, industrial and extremely high end residential!


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## rwh (Dec 17, 2014)

Flyout95 said:


> rwh said:
> 
> 
> > 130 covers Kankakee now, right?
> ...



I hear you. South of 80


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## Bendite (Jan 5, 2016)

*in Oregon*

out here most are done in grey Quest tube. I have repaired many systems where the fittings completely dislodge from the pipe and bust the piping. this stuff is very brittle and does not like hot water. in fact I believe there have been many lawsuits from Quest tube and the product has been discontinued years ago. RTI style pex fittings makes an adapter coupling for quest. do not use regular pex fittings. Shark bite is not rated for quest but I have had to use it once. the customer would not let me tear into the wall and floor and he signed a waiver. I will not warranty any work on a MF home and always document that. for I re-pipe I would use copper, insulated and heat taped under the belly band. piping in the belly band and insulation is not fun or very productive.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Bendite said:


> Shark bite is not rated for quest but I have had to use it once.



This newer style with the grey plastic end actually is specially made for polybutylene. PEX is SDR-9, while Polybutylene is SDR-11, so the outside diameter of both is CTS, the ID is larger on the Polybutylene, requiring a different insert, which is in the grey end of that SharkBite PEX/Polybutylene conversion fitting.


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## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

Redwood said:


> Did you mean polyethylene?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nope, this is black pb. I just use the transition couplings and splice in pex until they want to come off the hip for a repipe.


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## Bendite (Jan 5, 2016)

*Thanks for the correction on shark bite*

Redwood... Didn't know SB made that fitting it was years ago when I delt with my last MF home. Supply house didn't know so I called the rep and he said no. But like I said that was awhile ago. This forum is great for this kind of conversation. There is always something to learn in this trade and materials, specs, and technology changes all of the time. In my mind the day a tradesman no matter his tenure and experience feels he can not learn from others, even his apprentice, is the day he needs to step away from the trade. My dad thought me that and he has over 40 years in the industry. I still call him all the time for advice or just to bounce my methods off of him.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Bendite said:


> Redwood... Didn't know SB made that fitting it was years ago when I delt with my last MF home. Supply house didn't know so I called the rep and he said no. But like I said that was awhile ago. This forum is great for this kind of conversation. There is always something to learn in this trade and materials, specs, and technology changes all of the time. In my mind the day a tradesman no matter his tenure and experience feels he can not learn from others, even his apprentice, is the day he needs to step away from the trade. My dad thought me that and he has over 40 years in the industry. I still call him all the time for advice or just to bounce my methods off of him.


Yep... They are fairly new...

I just figured I'd tell you about them in case you ever needed one again...

You are right... These forums are really good for learning stuff...:thumbup:

We live in our own little world at work and hope the counter guys show us new stuff... But the forum is a gold mine...:yes:

We aren't the only trade it happens in either...

Just the other day I went to the dentist and was having some work done when the dental assistant starts telling the dentist how the last dentist he worked for did something...

He liked the idea and did it on me...:laughing:


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

I will attest that the SB's will work on Qest... I still have some old crimp fittings/rings for it, as well as some old conversion unions that were made by Qest.


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## srloren (Nov 19, 2014)

Redwood said:


> Yep... They are fairly new...
> 
> I just figured I'd tell you about them in case you ever needed one again...
> 
> ...


Also guys and gals there is no substitute for the Trade Shows to stay up to date and learn about new stuff. If you are serious about your trade never miss an opportunity to attend.


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## borntoplumb (Jan 12, 2016)

Not too familiar with mobile home application, I'm thinking PEX, but I could be wrong on that


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