# Anyone run into this in trailer parks??



## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

Don't do much work in trailer parks, customer called and says waterheaters leaking, what's the proper way of connecting a new supply line? Never run into this in residential repair really, thanks


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

The gray pipe is polybutylene. Adapters should be available from any supply house to convert it to pex. Then you can do whatever is code and accepted in your area for connecting pex to the water heater.


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

Awesome, thanks!!


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

They also make a sharkbite that makes the transition to pex, just dont tell anyone here you used one. :laughing:


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

Because the only PB ever used in California was RVs and mobile homes the adapters may be hard to come by. I've always had to go to mobile home or RV supply places to get PB parts. Sharkbites will probably work but I don't believe PB is included in the sharkbite listing.

Mark


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

I guess it beats shoving a 3/4 brass nipple in with a hose clamp and new flex line


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## MikeS (Oct 3, 2011)

Qest fittings, or Flare-its work good as well. I prefer the Flare-its as they take up less room.
http://mobilehomedepotmi.com/parts_pages/fittings_qest.htm
QEST part number QACA44M
its a brass 3/4 male adapter to 3/4 pb

http://mobilehomepartsstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=CF

Flare-It male adapter:
http://mobilehomepartsstore.com/Mer...een=PROD&Product_Code=160302&Category_Code=CF

Note: When using 3/4" fittings on Polybutylene Tubing you must use a #160900 Poly Insert Adapter.

My daughter just bought a fifth wheel, and its plumbed with Pex and all the fittings are flare-its.

I'd be pushing the owner for a repipe. That pb is nothing but trouble here in CA. Can't even buy it. Big lawsuits over it years ago.

Another note about water heaters in mobile homes. Your pic appears to be a standard water heater, not a mh one. MH tanks have cold inlet at bottom. However, they do allow standards in a space if that space is sheetrocked, and looks like yours is. However, standard water heaters say all over them and in the instructions "NOT FOR INSTALLATION IN MOBILE HOMES". Just an fyi. 
Also, at least here in Kern County, city and county do not do inspections, the State of CA does. And they charge big bucks. And when they are there, they tend to look at everything. We had 6 mobile home parks within a 10 mile radius of our old shop. I've done tons of mh repairs. All the park people hate the State inspectors.


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the heads up, gonna try my local rv shop and home depot for back up shark bites, a repipe will b my 1st suggestion, appreciate it !! - mike


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

ToUtahNow said:


> Because the only PB ever used in California was RVs and mobile homes the adapters may be hard to come by. I've always had to go to mobile home or RV supply places to get PB parts. Sharkbites will probably work but I don't believe PB is included in the sharkbite listing.
> 
> Mark


 
There's an entire senior community here that was plumbed with PB. Mostly duplexes and some single family units but they're all foundation homes.

I use Sharkbites to transition to Wirsbo. I considered the adapters but since I use Wirsbo and not a crimp style pex, the adapters are about double the cost and require another set of tools for the PB side. 







Paul


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

ToUtahNow said:


> Because the only PB ever used in California was RVs and mobile homes the adapters may be hard to come by. I've always had to go to mobile home or RV supply places to get PB parts. Sharkbites will probably work but I don't believe PB is included in the sharkbite listing.
> 
> Mark


Mark, the U4016A Sharkbite is a Polybutylene Conversion Fitting.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

I would use the pex to PB crimp adapters they are the best in this situation.


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## CentralPlumbing (Jan 22, 2009)

I like shark-bites for polybutylene. They do not put too much pressure on the pipe. 

Central Plumbing Albuquerque


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

MikeS said:


> Another note about water heaters in mobile homes. Your pic appears to be a standard water heater, not a mh one. MH tanks have cold inlet at bottom. However, they do allow standards in a space if that space is sheetrocked, and looks like yours is. However, standard water heaters say all over them and in the instructions "NOT FOR INSTALLATION IN MOBILE HOMES". Just an fyi.
> QUOTE]
> 
> 
> Just curious, do you know why that is? Typically the sheetrock in Mh's is thinner is my guess. 2 hr rating yada yada. Clearances maybe?


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Mississippiplum said:


> I would use the pex to PB crimp adapters they are the best in this situation.


I had considered that in the past but my thought (and others) was that since the PB has a tendency to become brittle, it would be best to have a light touch. A quick cut with nice and sharp cutters and the correct sharkbite is probably the best "low impact" approach. 

A re-pipe is preferred but often times that's out of the budget so making lemonade is usually what you have to do.





Paul


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

mpsllc said:


> MikeS said:
> 
> 
> > Another note about water heaters in mobile homes. Your pic appears to be a standard water heater, not a mh one. MH tanks have cold inlet at bottom. However, they do allow standards in a space if that space is sheetrocked, and looks like yours is. However, standard water heaters say all over them and in the instructions "NOT FOR INSTALLATION IN MOBILE HOMES". Just an fyi.
> ...


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## rob the plumber (Oct 21, 2011)

Be careful even breathing on poly butylene pipe. That stuff can easily start leaking if a fitting gets tweaked.


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## Flyin Brian (Aug 22, 2009)

do they make a sharkbite for P.E. pipe?


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

Flyin Brian said:


> do they make a sharkbite for P.E. pipe?


 
No,,, not yet anyway,,i dont think the demand is there.


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

rocksteady said:


> mpsllc said:
> 
> 
> > What I was told is that since mobile homes are technically mobile, they need to be convertable from n/g to l/p. Aside from the side cold water inlet and the convertable gas valve, I haven't noticed a difference in the m/h water heaters. Other than the cost of course.
> ...


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## beachplumber (Feb 7, 2010)

rocksteady said:


> I had considered that in the past but my thought (and others) was that since the PB has a tendency to become brittle, it would be best to have a light touch. A quick cut with nice and sharp cutters and the correct sharkbite is probably the best "low impact" approach.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

I guess the Qest repair fittings are no longer made...I still have some couplings. They had big compression rings/threaded nuts on them.


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## Joseph clegg (Nov 12, 2011)

Actually shark bite fittings work well on grey poly I use it all the time. The shark bite supply valves are awesome. But shark bites can be used on quest grey poly.


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## sikxsevn (Jun 23, 2009)

While sharkbites "work" with PB pipe, PB is not on it's compatible material list, and therefore not a code approved repair. Then again, it's an improvement from before. Bottom line, is I wouldn't put any kind of warranty on said repair, and only use sharkbites on PB when I have no other choice


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

I don't use sharkbites at all, if there's PB then it gets the PB to pex crimp adaptor.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

sikxsevn said:


> *While sharkbites "work" with PB pipe, PB is not on it's compatible material list, and therefore not a code approved repair.* Then again, it's an improvement from before. Bottom line, is I wouldn't put any kind of warranty on said repair, and only use sharkbites on PB when I have no other choice


Apparently you haven't heard...
Post #10 of this very thread.... <Go Ahead Click the Link and Read it...


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## Joseph clegg (Nov 12, 2011)

Well unfortunately there are no grey poly fittings available anymore since the product was recalled many years ago. Push and turn connectors were the only thing that were available but always ended up leaking over time. I've used shark bites on grey poly since it came out on the market and never had one leak on grey poly. It's not approved for grey poly only because grey poly is not an approved pipe anymore hence why it was removed from our code books. I never warranty any grey poly repairs but I trust a shark bite connection.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)




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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

They make a Pex x Poly coupling. I use them all the time.
We have thousands of miles of that damn poly here in Idaho.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/3-4-inch-barb-coupling-pexnbsp-x-polybutylene/954421


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