# another pex fitting split



## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Fortunately it was a female adapter on a trap primer...not much damage...
Ive had an inordinate percentage of problems with drop ears and now female adapters.
Im having him bring it in to try and guess what manufacturer it is. 
You know how it is after you crack a toilet..you have that slight insecure feeling next time you tighten...I feel that way with brass fittings now.


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

Put the 36" wrench down!:jester:


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

I remember the days when you could tighten someting down and use a cheater bar and grit the teeth.........


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Too many people way overtighten things. Especially the ones who use teflon and pipe dope. The fitting is stressed and cracks later.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

TheMaster said:


> Too many people way overtighten things. Especially the ones who use teflon and pipe dope. The fitting is stressed and cracks later.


 Im convinced...I just have to put the "feel" into some others now. I dont know if they peddled that Whitlam dope over by you but the teflon stuff(not the blue magic) helped split copper drop ears ..I should say for us.


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## Proud Plumber (Sep 15, 2008)

stillaround said:


> Fortunately it was a female adapter on a trap primer...not much damage...
> Ive had an inordinate percentage of problems with drop ears and now female adapters.
> Im having him bring it in to try and guess what manufacturer it is.
> You know how it is after you crack a toilet..you have that slight insecure feeling next time you tighten...I feel that way with brass fittings now.


I am curious to know if the fittings were import or domestic. Did the MFG country have 3 initials or 5 letters in its name?


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

This one had the circle and "V" which I think is Vanguard...The others (drop ears were different , I posted on an earlier thread amonth or so ago, and checking our bin ,I pulled out 4 different kinds--we havent watched what we buy..but a few liabilities are amazing training.

It was a Q with a V in it which is quest /Viega??? Nipple in no more than 1/2"


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Shouldn't matter.


I can take shower lug ells and crank anything into them and they won't crack, same with brass couplings.


At one time you could trust brass as much as the best products out there...not anymore.


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## Miguel (Aug 10, 2009)

Just the other day a colleague was saying how a split pex ftg caused a flood at his customers house. 3/4 x 1/2 TEE, the 1/2" branch came right off! He said that where the TEE came appart it looked almost rusted (of course it wasn't rusted, but clearly a defect in the casting).


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Used only white teflon


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

A random pick from the bin ...I guess it would help to use one brand..is there any made in USA?


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

P.P. fip tub faucet unions have been cracking for over 20 years. I replace a few a year. Its a definate problem...curious if anyone else has found this to be true also. And yes P.P. is junk i agree but they did make a nice heavy stem and seat for those verve valves.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

stillaround said:


> A random pick from the bin ...I guess it would help to use one brand..is there any made in USA?


The 3rd one from the left looks stout to me. measure the wall thickness and see which ones thicker.


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## Proud Plumber (Sep 15, 2008)

Miguel said:


> Just the other day a colleague was saying how a split pex ftg caused a flood at his customers house. 3/4 x 1/2 TEE, the 1/2" branch came right off! He said that where the TEE came appart it looked almost rusted (of course it wasn't rusted, but clearly a defect in the casting).


I have heard a couple stories my self about brass pex fittings failing. Although I have not seen any of them fail personally. That is why I raised the import or domestic question. 

Some of the brass I have seen as of late feels real light and does not look right. 









+


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## RossThePlumber (Aug 24, 2009)

I think people are cutting corners these days..Even the supply houses with stuff they are ordering. I was at Ferguson and asked where the Dishwasher 90's were ? They guy pulls one out of the bin where I was just looking and I didn't even recognize it because they have shaved off so much of the brass from the manufacturing process... I know that Ferguson will get some Chinese stuff when they can.... I know Lowes and Home Depot DEFINITILY DO NOT ABIDE BY ANY ANSI STANDARDS WHEN THEY ORDER STUFF.... They get it straight from the CHINESE...


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Thanks for the pictures folks, and the thread. Great data :thumbsup:


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I agree with the master on this issue of brass cracking. I've had quite a few brass fittings spit that weren't pex fittings. I don't like how pex is being blamed for this. It's a freaking brass FIP connection that split. What does that have to do with pex? I could see if it was a pex barb that split, but what gives with the FIP connection splitting and everyone calling it a pex failure. I mean how many times have you had a brass FIP connection split on a tub valve, CPVC adapter, single handle delta t/s valve? No one freaking out about that, why is that?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

That one that says "SGK" with the banded FIP connection ain't gonna split. Period.



stillaround said:


> A random pick from the bin ...I guess it would help to use one brand..is there any made in USA?


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Protech said:


> I agree with the master on this issue of brass cracking. I've had quite a few brass fittings spit that weren't pex fittings. I don't like how pex is being blamed for this. It's a freaking brass FIP connection that split. *What does that have to do with pex?* I could see if it was a pex barb that split, but what gives with the FIP connection splitting and everyone calling it a pex failure. I mean how many times have you had a brass FIP connection split on a tub valve, CPVC adapter, single handle delta t/s valve? No one freaking out about that, why is that?


 
Guilt by association. 


Products (PEX) where the brass fittings are proprietary to the product and you cannot mix other products with the pex piping, otherwise the PEX supplier has even another excuse to profit and not be held liable for the failures.


Zurn understands this problem all too well.


I've watched over the years like the winds of change where plumbers will follow one product till it starts failing, then instantly jump on another back that another product is better.


When this gets about 10 years old on internet forums, then the words spoken can be referenced back to a day and time, and I personally think there's going to be a lot of plumbers that are going to wish for an internet eraser to hide all the praise of some products that later fail. 


That's why you don't see many or any plumbers on here that used KITEC PEX on the internet.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I thought the problem with Kitec was the brass fittings de-zincafied in that water chemistry in nevada. Never had a problem here in Florida.



DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> Guilt by association.
> 
> 
> Products (PEX) where the brass fittings are proprietary to the product and you cannot mix other products with the pex piping, otherwise the PEX supplier has even another excuse to profit and not be held liable for the failures.
> ...


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Correct.


But there was data that was derived from the leaching of chemicals from the pex piping that when in contact with that brass, it contributed to the problem of the brass closing up.


Somewhere in about 1200 saved bookmarks of mine I have that reference data from a laboratory test that was done on the failed system.





Protech said:


> I thought the problem with Kitec was the brass fittings de-zincafied in that water chemistry in nevada. Never had a problem here in Florida.


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## dandy h (Oct 31, 2010)

anybody have soulutionto trap primer not get water flow incoming pressure is 62 and have 16 psi pressure drop when fixture is flushed still no water flow,.hate trap primers this a ppp-500 .help:furious:


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## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

dandy h said:


> anybody have soulutionto trap primer not get water flow incoming pressure is 62 and have 16 psi pressure drop when fixture is flushed still no water flow,.hate trap primers this a ppp-500 .help:furious:


you need to post an intro before you start posting into other threads


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