# PEX fittings



## Phat Cat

What's your opinion on the stainless steel PEX fittings vs. brass vs. plastic?

We have used brass exclusively and have not had any problems with reliability. Our one supplier was really pushing the plastic fittings, but too similar to the old poly set-up for us. 

Other than lead content, is there another compelling reason to use stainless steel fittings rather than brass?


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## Ron

I have not used them yet but had a supply rep stop by our work and give a demo on the plastic ones, there tough, you can take a hammer to them and they won't break or crack.


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## futz

Ron said:


> I have not used them yet but had a supply rep stop by our work and give a demo on the plastic ones, there tough, you can take a hammer to them and they won't break or crack.


Ya, well... They're going to have a tough sell. Lots of people have long memories and remember flooded houses from failing acetal fittings from the early days of poly-b. Now I'm pretty leery of plastic fittings.

I used some Philmac plastic water service fittings when they were still being sold - had no failures - but was always nervous about them. Now my supplier is stocking some black plastic corporation fittings (I forget the brand), the design of which makes me a LOT more nervous than Philmac. Screw that. I only use brass corporation fittings now. An "expensive" fitting is much preferable to a blowoff or other failure.

Brass fittings only for pex for me. I've never seen stainless ones. Brass has been 100% trouble-free since pex was brand new.


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## KCplumber

Rep told us plastic pipe, plastic fittings - been using them over a year

no problem so far- knock on wood. The new stainless veiga system looks like a hydralic fitting which is kool , but quite spendy

compared to plastic


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## Phat Cat

I was more interested in learning about the stainless steel fittings rather than the plastic.


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## Protech

The only downside to stainless steel is the insane cost. If cost was no obstacle, then I would only install stainless steel pipe and fittings.

The downside to the polysulphone (the black plastic) fittings is that the ID of the fittings is smaller than the metal ones. Metal pex fittings already have a reduced diameter over copper and cpvc and going to the PS fittings is an even greater reduction. I tried the plastic fittings and if you do an entire house in them your pressure drop is insane unless you up size your lines. The other thing is that even though PS fittings seam to hold up ok (SO FAR!) I like Futz am very leary of plastic fittings. You will have a tough time selling to anyone who has any past experience with the polybutylene pipe/acetal fitting fiasco. They will most likely slam the door in you face when they see those plastic fittings. They are also susceptible to chemical attack like cpvc (though not to as great of an extent from what I read).

Brass is tried and true (unless you like in Nevada) and so is SS. I use brass and have for more than a decade with no problems what so ever. The jury is still out on plastic.

P.S. If you do decide yo go with plastic fittings then you may want to use a cold expansion system instead of a crimp system so that the flow-pressure losses will be minimal. Maybe uponor.....


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## Protech

4 times the price of brass but will outlast all of us. That's all ya need ta know.



PlumbCrazy said:


> I was more interested in learning about the stainless steel fittings rather than the plastic.


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## Phat Cat

Protech said:


> Brass is tried and true (unless you like in Nevada) and so is SS. I use brass and have for more than a decade with no problems what so ever. The jury is still out on plastic.
> 
> P.S. If you do decide yo go with plastic fittings then you may want to use a cold expansion system instead of a crimp system so that the flow-pressure losses will be minimal. Maybe uponor.....


Thanx Protech! No desire to 'try' the plastic. Like you said, brass is tried and true. As for the s.s. fittings, four times the price explains it all.


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## TheMaster

I know a guy who can have all the stainless pex fittings you want and you can even send a product for them to copy and then change alittle for it to be legal in the U.S. The manufacturer is in Korea. You can have them made to any specs you want. To get the listed its expensive.


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## Protech

What sort of quantities would these fittings need to be turned out at?
I would think each type of fitting would need to be produced in lots of 10,000 to make it worth while. So we are talking about over 1 million fittings for a full inventory. That's allot of coin for one company to shoulder. I have a tough enough time up-selling people on pex from cpvc. Adding the cost of SS fittings would price me right out of the market for 90% of my clientele. Also, since brass fittings have been shown to last more than 50 years in my area I have a tough time justifying the added costs.


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## gear junkie

I switched over to Viega pureflow system which use SS sleeves and bronze fittings. If reduced diameter is a problem then you can use 3/4" pex X 1/2" copper adapters.


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## TheMaster

Protech said:


> What sort of quantities would these fittings need to be turned out at?
> I would think each type of fitting would need to be produced in lots of 10,000 to make it worth while. So we are talking about over 1 million fittings for a full inventory. That's allot of coin for one company to shoulder. I have a tough enough time up-selling people on pex from cpvc. Adding the cost of SS fittings would price me right out of the market for 90% of my clientele. Also, since brass fittings have been shown to last more than 50 years in my area I have a tough time justifying the added costs.


Thats the same conclusion we came to 4 years ago. The only market for them is locations with harsh water. I believe your quanities are correct also.....10,000 minimum run.
I looked into having 1/2-1" fittings made. I have forgotten the total figure but it was several hundred thousand dollars for all your common fittings in those sizes in lots of 10,000....your 1st order would be the most exspensive for all the tool set up fee's then its gets cheaper. Tee's where expensive


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## AKdaplumba

I would give them a try, plastic fittings today are much better then they use to be


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## OldSchool

We have been using wirsbo pex and plastic fitting for about 15 years and still no problem with fittings


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## Bonafide

Only used brass for viega. As for Wirsbo, if you dont spin with every expansion it'll leak with the plastic fittings but not with the brass.


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## Ron

Bonafide said:


> Only used brass for viega. As for Wirsbo, if you dont spin with every expansion it'll leak with the plastic fittings but not with the brass.


Warm the pipe up with your torch around the fitting if it does leak


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## Bonafide

Ron said:


> Warm the pipe up with your torch around the fitting if it does leak


Good point i shouldve mentioned that! First one i brought was used with no instructions so I went prolly a good 6 months not knowin that i had to spin after every expansion lol Everytime i did a wirsbo pex job i had a mapp tank strapped to my waist.


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## AKdaplumba

ive done it every 4 pumps with no problems


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## Bonafide

AKdaplumba said:


> ive done it every 4 pumps with no problems


With an air compressor?


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## OldSchool

Ron said:


> Warm the pipe up with your torch around the fitting if it does leak


Using a torch voids the warranty from manufacture...... Manufacture only recommends a heat gun. Just in case you try this never... and I mean never heat the pipe under pressure.... I learned this the hard way, the pipe will burst with a loud bang.


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