My daughter just dodged a bullet due to PEX plumbing. The garage at her house was converted by a previous owner to a studio Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) that she rents out long term. Whoever did the conversion plumbed the unit with PEX.
This past weekend we had an Arctic air mass sag down into Denver. The temperature dropped 45℉ in 18 hours overnight Friday, bottoming out at -13℉ Saturday morning at 6am. The subzero lows and single-digit highs lasted three more days. The cold water supply line to the washing machine and hot water heater in the ADU froze somewhere. On Monday I put some space heaters in strategic locations. Yesterday afternoon the freeze thawed and hot water started flowing again. And, here’s the best part: no sign of leakage. Since PEX can expand a bit, it’s less prone to cracking when frozen than copper. Otherwise it would have been a bigger mess and a bigger job. I’ve never used PEX because I don’t know how, and I don’t have the tools. Whereas I’ve sweat-soldered plenty of copper. But I’m starting to become a believer. My travel trailer has all PEX plumbing. Not that the above anecdote is all that relevant to plumbing in a boat - if things freeze in a boat, you’ve got potentially bigger problems, like cracked castings. But I thought I’d share anyway. Cheers, Randy SV Grenadine C&C 30 K I #79 Ken Caryl, CO > On Jan 16, 2024, at 9:39 AM, Della Barba, Joe via CnC-List > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > I have been going nuts with fresh water leaks lately. It seems like the ½” > hose has lost its flexibility over the decades, it is now rock hard. I can’t > get it off any barb, I have to cut it off and the hose is so stiff I can’t > get a leak-free connection anymore. I got out a spare role to replace it and > that stuff too is about as flexible as iron pipe, I guess I saving it for 30 > years was not cost-effective ☹ > I never though of ½’ water hose as an expense before, but the stuff is > expensive now too! I think it is over $3/ft at West Marine and $1/foot off > Amazon for Chinese chemical-smelling hose. Certainly no one plumbing a house > is putting up with this, so I asked and the hardware store clerk turned me on > to PEX tubing. It is cheap, like $0.50 a foot, and is strong enough to freeze > and not burst. I got the special crimp tool and stainless crimp bands off > Amazon for $25 or so and a 12-pack of PEX to NPT fittings. I think it is time > for all the old hose to go. > Joe > Coquina > > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help > me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > Thanks for your help. > Stu
Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
