# Pex expansion tool will a 1 1/4" head fit a unit that is for 1/2" up to 1"?



## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

I have a question. I took apart a pex water line that was 1 1/4" pex A expansion fittings. I own a dewalt expansion tool that is 1/2" up to 1" if I bought a 1 1/4" expansion head would it fit on my expansion tool. I know Milwaukee has an expansion tool that goes from 1" 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" for around $800 dollars. The customer does not have any water and I am not sure what to do? I tried to find repair couplings and compression unions I went to a few supply houses an irrigation store and a few home depots. The supply houses do not rent the larger expansion tool. Any suggestions?

Obvious solution would be to find a plumber that carries the larger expansion tool to finish the job, I guess I will see what happens?


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

I have the m12 that will do up to 1”, it will not expand anything larger than that when it is remotely cool outside.


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

rooterboy said:


> I have a question. I took apart a pex water line that was 1 1/4" pex A expansion fittings. I own a dewalt expansion tool that is 1/2" up to 1" if I bought a 1 1/4" expansion head would it fit on my expansion tool. I know Milwaukee has an expansion tool that goes from 1" 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" for around $800 dollars. The customer does not have any water and I am not sure what to do? I tried to find repair couplings and compression unions I went to a few supply houses an irrigation store and a few home depots. The supply houses do not rent the larger expansion tool. Any suggestions?
> 
> Obvious solution would be to find a plumber that carries the larger expansion tool to finish the job, I guess I will see what happens?


The alternative would be to get a set of crimpers and do it using a different fitting type


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

I thought the pipe was 1" when I cut the line that had a pin hole leak to repair it and discovered it was 1 1/4"


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

If the outside and inside diameter is the same I might be able to use 1 1/4" crimp fitting


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

rooterboy said:


> If the outside and inside diameter is the same I might be able to use 1 1/4" crimp fitting


Well pex is CTS so 1 1/4” is 1 1/4” CTS


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

The old pex A is really thick much thicker that the new pex A tubing I purchased?


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

I do have a nice pex crimp ring tool that is battery operated Ryobi tried it a few times on 3/4" and it worked great.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

This style is 1 1/4"


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

I would use a Libral amount hydraulic cement to hold the fittings together,no need to worry about c.t.s. I.p.s. When using hydraulic cement


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

rooterboy said:


> View attachment 132237
> 
> This style is 1 1/4"


I hate that style of crimp! I had a couple of reheau crimpers and expansion guns for the brass style fittings, but up to only 1”. Supply system went to sh*t five or six years ago when they switched to plastic.

In a pinch, just to get them up and running, slap in a sharkbite.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Can you get an 1 ¼ Ford fitting to get them by for now?


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

What is a ford fitting hewhodigsholes ?
Haven't located an 1 1/4" sharkbite yet Open Sights


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

I found a sharkbite and spoke to the customer, he did not want to use the shark bite so he will find another contractor.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

Thanks for the advice, I will check more closely the next plumbing job, especially if it is pex.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

[

Wont help this job but in the future I will be ready to install pex A expansion fittings up to 1 1/2"


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

Milwaukee Tool 2632-22Xc M18 Propex Expansion Tool Kit | eBay


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

I bought this unit new open box for $600 plus tax should have in about a week


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

rooterboy said:


> What is a ford fitting hewhodigsholes ?
> Haven't located an 1 1/4" sharkbite yet Open Sights


One of these


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

Nice thanks


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Sounds like a customer you don’t want. Give a temp repair to get them up and running while you customize your repair for their situation. F’k em.


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

OpenSights said:


> Sounds like a customer you don’t want. Give a temp repair to get them up and running while you customize your repair for their situation. F’k em.


F*ck em has become our unofficial company motto. When one of us say it the rest sound off lol.

customer sounds like a pain in the ass anyway. But you still win from the situation, verify pipe size and material availability or have a temp plan before you get into a situation where they have no water. A lesson that cannot be taught from a book.


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

like it was said before. pex is cts. compression will work the same. 1/4 pex icemaker line is the same size as copper. use a poly ferril instead of brass. when a 1 inch cts line is run into a house, you can crimp to it(new school) or use a $50 compression fitting with a stiffner.(old school)


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

rooterboy said:


> The old pex A is really thick much thicker that the new pex A tubing I purchased?


Did you get a picture of this pipe? I didn’t think about it till now but there is a possibility it may have not been pex but polybutylene instead.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> One of these
> View attachment 132239


He'd likely need a stiffener.

In his position I probably would have tried to make insert fittings work.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

hewhodigsholes said:


> One of these
> View attachment 132239


Those are real nice..... our water company insists on using them


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

skoronesa said:


> He'd likely need a stiffener.
> 
> In his position I probably would have tried to make insert fittings work.


True, but if it's the older "yard PEX" I think it might be, maybe not. The wall thickness is nearly double what modern PEX is. Never hurts to have a little insurance though. 

I would have crimped it as well. The Oetiker bands are rated for underground installs.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

The pipe did have a pex type A expansion band on the 1 1/4" side of the copper fitting. I did learn a lesson though. The customer is willing to pay me 1/2 off the material costs that is all. Better than a stick in the eye, I wasn't really expecting anything leaving him without water although the copper fitting that the pex was attached to did have a good nail size hole in it already. Not trying to justify my mistake just learned to be more cautious in the future and make a better identification of the materials and cost of materials before I start work or give a price in the future.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

I might buy some larger crimp clamps over 1" for insurance and emergency stock if the future with pex issues. I am set up pretty well with pex 1/2 3/4 1" with a few different types of connections, but nothing over 1" presently.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

Well Friday I go to meet with the homeowner at a donut shop and he has me sign a release form and he has a check for $100 for part of the materials. I sign it and casually ask if he has fixed his water service. He said no he has been without water since Monday and he was carrying buckets of water to his house from his daughters home a few houses away. He told me we was on the phone yesterday made 45 calls to plumbers, supply houses, rental yards and he could not locate the tool or anyone who could repair it. I informed him that I bought the larger pex tool for future jobs.( I started the job on Wednesday) I informed him that I could fix the system today with a Shark-bite coupling and if he wanted we could do the other pex repair in the future. He said how much I said $350 plus the check that he already gave me. I said I could also come back in the future and install a pex fitting and the expansion coupling for an additional charge. Well this was two in the afternoon on Friday So I needed to drive 30 miles downtown to buy the shark bite an return and install it hopefully missing afternoon traffic and finishing the work before it was dark.
Well I finished the job in about an hour the customer was super happy said there were 110 housed in the development and he was willing to walk around to each home and drop off flyers for me and tell the customers that I had the tools to fix the pex water services. Nice homes his house is a 4 bath 5 bedroom home. 
.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

rooterboy said:


> ................
> Well I finished the job in about an hour the customer was super happy said there were 110 housed in the development and he was willing to walk around to each home and drop off flyers for me and tell the customers that I had the tools to fix the pex water services. Nice homes his house is a 4 bath 5 bedroom home.
> .


That sounds like it couldn't have worked out better!


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

rooterboy said:


> Well Friday I go to meet with the homeowner at a donut shop and he has me sign a release form and he has a check for $100 for part of the materials. I sign it and casually ask if he has fixed his water service. He said no he has been without water since Monday and he was carrying buckets of water to his house from his daughters home a few houses away. He told me we was on the phone yesterday made 45 calls to plumbers, supply houses, rental yards and he could not locate the tool or anyone who could repair it. I informed him that I bought the larger pex tool for future jobs.( I started the job on Wednesday) I informed him that I could fix the system today with a Shark-bite coupling and if he wanted we could do the other pex repair in the future. He said how much I said $350 plus the check that he already gave me. I said I could also come back in the future and install a pex fitting and the expansion coupling for an additional charge. Well this was two in the afternoon on Friday So I needed to drive 30 miles downtown to buy the shark bite an return and install it hopefully missing afternoon traffic and finishing the work before it was dark.
> Well I finished the job in about an hour the customer was super happy said there were 110 housed in the development and he was willing to walk around to each home and drop off flyers for me and tell the customers that I had the tools to fix the pex water services. Nice homes his house is a 4 bath 5 bedroom home.
> .



You know----You should have just installed that shark bite fitting -- in the first place......
but I guess he did not want it , so he had to suffer carrying water for a few days to
make him see the light.......

I have never had an issue with any sharkbite fittings but
I have secured shark bite fitting couplings before with a couple of hose clamps on 
both sides of the connection and throwing some heavy duty copper wire across the
fitting and looping it through the clamps and tightening it down real secure like....
it might leak slightly dome day but I guarantee that its not gonna ever blow apart....


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

A sharkbite installed properly is a perfect temporary repair.
It sounds like the situation turned around and you both won from it. Good on you.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Blue2 said:


> A sharkbite installed properly is a perfect temporary repair.
> It sounds like the situation turned around and you both won from it. Good on you.


You know that "temporary " most times usually means "forever " cause no one wants to make the 
effort to replace something that is working perfectly fine...time passes and everyone forgets
about it.....
sharkbites last forever if the person installing them is aware that they must
go onto the pipe 100%.... The only one I have ever seen fail was from a hung over helper
that just pushed them onto the pipe and were so out of it that morning they were too weak and forgot to 
muscle them on all the way..
I use the 3/4 male adaptors all the time...for well over 15 years now...
..


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

Master Mark said:


> You know that "temporary " most times usually means "forever " cause no one wants to make the
> effort to replace something that is working perfectly fine...time passes and everyone forgets
> about it.....
> sharkbites last forever if the person installing them is aware that they must
> ...


True, I would say temporary for me would be until I can make a proper repair.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

The same customer offered to put out 100 door knob hangers for my company. Wow never had that happen before.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

skoronesa said:


> He'd likely need a stiffener.
> 
> In his position I probably would have tried to make insert fittings work.


He said he needed a stiffeeee


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

Went back today with my new Milwaukee pex expansion tool 1" 1 1/4' and 1 1/2". Removed the shark bite type fitting it got kind of caulked to one side but it did not slip off. Installed Expansion fitting it looked better hope customer is happy now. Defiantly a better install in my opinion.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

rooterboy said:


> Went back today with my new Milwaukee pex expansion tool 1" 1 1/4' and 1 1/2". Removed the shark bite type fitting it got kind of caulked to one side but it did not slip off. Installed Expansion fitting it looked better hope customer is happy now. Defiantly a better install in my opinion.


No pics?


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

No sorry I should have taken pictures.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

Leonard was kind of a dick today. I show up at this customer's house he is never satisfied and tries to micromanage me! I can understand some of his frustration. He wanted everything to look exactly the way it did before I started not too practical. I did have trouble finding parts to finish the job. Today he was kind of bossy I can tell he is frustrated. This is the same guy who loved me earlier. I have already gone back a few times to change things that Leonard did not like. Leonard sends me these long winded text messages that I did not bother to read with worthless ass instructions telling me how to do my job when he doesn't know how to do it himself. I am polite to him but I am fed up myself. So I reconnected the irrigation line that the customer himself cut and capped. For free to try and keep Leonard happy and hopefully he stops calling me and complaining!


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

rooterboy said:


> Leonard was kind of a dick today. I show up at this customer's house he is never satisfied and tries to micromanage me! I can understand some of his frustration. He wanted everything to look exactly the way it did before I started not too practical. I did have trouble finding parts to finish the job. Today he was kind of bossy I can tell he is frustrated. This is the same guy who loved me earlier. I have already gone back a few times to change things that Leonard did not like. Leonard sends me these long winded text messages that I did not bother to read with worthless ass instructions telling me how to do my job when he doesn't know how to do it himself. I am polite to him but I am fed up myself. So I reconnected the irrigation line that the customer himself cut and capped. For free to try and keep Leonard happy and hopefully he stops calling me and complaining!


Just a guess, but is Leonard some type of engineer. Even a chemical engineer will think he knows how to do your job better than you do.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

you know he probably was he is retired.


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

I replaced a service line for a lady that was a civil engineer. The old line went close to a tree and had repairs all over it. The new line, pex, we had snakes away from the tree so we didn’t have roots to dig through. She was nagging that the extra curve in the line was going to ruin her water pressure and gpms to her house. Not to mention how she wanted us to peel the sod back to make sure it wouldn’t die. PIA.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Gotta remember that engineers, much like us, have their own specialties and holes in their knowledge base. I couldn't tell you much about hospital plumbing, and a guy that builds high rises could easily be lost on a residential rough in.


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## Blue2 (12 mo ago)

hewhodigsholes said:


> Gotta remember that engineers, much like us, have their own specialties and holes in their knowledge base. I couldn't tell you much about hospital plumbing, and a guy that builds high rises could easily be lost on a residential rough in.


That is the truth.


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