Plumbers advice needed

[Bercume3]

Im trying to add a mixing valve to my utility closet so I can do 78 degree water changes to my fresh water tank. Also going to add in a RODI system to do saltwater h2o changes. My questions are:

1. Can I just tee off of the red (hot) pex coming out of my water heater?
- My plan was to tee off the red pipe after it exited the water heater and tee off the blue pipe before it reached the water heater, then add a mixing valve to make water.

2. Would this significantly impact my water pressure?
-I was planning on putting a shut off valve close to the ends so I can turn it off when I'm not refilling a tank or making RO.

3. Are the Shark bite fittings from Home Depot all I need?

4. Can anyone recommend a good mixing valve?

Id also love to see peoples DIY water change systems.

 

[TheEngineer]

All of your connections to both hot and cold are essentially what you're describing. There's just one outlet (usually) from your hot water heater and one from the water source and everything is just tee after tee pulling off water. It won't affect your pressure any more than any other faucet you turn on. What you're describing is basically a faucet or showerhead mixing valve. The shark bite fittings are great.

 

[Erica-Renee]

All of your connections to both hot and cold are essentially what you're describing. There's just one outlet (usually) from your hot water heater and one from the water source and everything is just tee after tee pulling off water. It won't affect your pressure any more than any other faucet you turn on. What you're describing is basically a faucet or showerhead mixing valve. The shark bite fittings are great.

I Agree 100 percent with this Other then Shark Bite Fittings. They are Great until they Fail.. They will FAIL.. I get quite a bit of water damage and Plumbing Rework Work over them.. If its in the basement where nothing can be damaged by when it fails and you are always home to turn off water then i say go for using them. Leaning to solder , use Pex Crimp tool and Buy Equipment cost not much more then a few Shark -Leak Fittings...
My Professional Advice , I do this stuff for a Living in Real homes

 

[Bercume3]

Thanks so much for the help. Ive decided to go with some barbed pex fittings and crimps. Im going to keep everything at 3/4 because thats what everything else is.

-Is there a specific crimping tool you would recommend?
- Are the shark bite barbed fittings good enough for this job?

 

[Erica-Renee]

Thanks so much for the help. Ive decided to go with some barbed pex fittings and crimps. Im going to keep everything at 3/4 because thats what everything else is.

-Is there a specific crimping tool you would recommend?
- Are the shark bite barbed fittings good enough for this job?

I use the Cinch type Fittings . Any brand is fine.. If you use the Plastic fittings Be Sure there is NO Pressure pulling on them ... My Crimp tool is Apollo But there are Cheaper ones. Mine is Ratchet type and i think cost about 80.00 . You can get them on amazon for 20-30 Cheaper brand .

 

[Actup85]

I've delt with shark bite in HVAC I would not use them on hot pipes and at some point they will end up leaking.my company wont let us use them anymore on hydronic applications

 

[Engloid]

Personally, I think sharkbite is very overpriced....and is essentially sold as a convenience for those that don't know how to use better methods. No offense to those that are in that situation is meant, however. Convenience sells, and always will, but it's often not the best method. I prefer copper pipe. Provided you wipe the acid off of it afterwards, the solder joints can last a lifetime. I don't think even 100 years of using Pex or sharkbite will prove it has the same reliability.

 

[Erica-Renee]

Personally, I think sharkbite is very overpriced....and is essentially sold as a convenience for those that don't know how to use better methods. No offense to those that are in that situation is meant, however. Convenience sells, and always will, but it's often not the best method. I prefer copper pipe. Provided you wipe the acid off of it afterwards, the solder joints can last a lifetime. I don't think even 100 years of using Pex or sharkbite will prove it has the same reliability.

I agree with part of this. A good Soldered Joint will last a life time. But what i am seeing more and more of houses is copper pipe becoming pitted and Leaking .I know this is often caused by a Bad Grounding wire , But i am seeing it in homes where grounding is proper. My Suspicion is something in water treatment as of the last decade maybe.I agree pex might not last as long but it has benefit of having less fittings,Very freeze resistant and Many chemicals that will eat copper up. With all that said I am NOT Nor do i claim to be a Professional Plumber but i do Lots of plumbing Last year 21% of my Gross revenue was from plumbing related rework and repairs as part of Kitchen and Bathroom remodel. Short version Until I am proven wrong PEX (I HATE SHARK BITE BRAND) I use Apollo or Pex brand pipe .shark-bit fittings never seem to crimp right they are not always the right size and you need to re adjust your crimp tool ..

Thanks for reading I know this is kinda off topic

 

[Engloid]

You shouldn't have any chemicals that are that harmful to copper or solder, in your potable water supply. It's usually acid leftover from the solder that causes leaks, not something from the inside of the pipe eating the pipe.

As for grounding.....If I'm not mistaken, codes here in the US don't allow grounding to the plumbing anymore.

Once we have as many houses out there with Pex, and for as many years as copper, we can then compare it's long term reliability. Until then, it's not an equal comparison. :) Plumbers love pex because they can put it in fast, repair it fast, and charge the same money (labor cost) as they would for putting in copper.

 

[Erica-Renee]

You shouldn't have any chemicals that are that harmful to copper or solder, in your potable water supply. It's usually acid leftover from the solder that causes leaks, not something from the inside of the pipe eating the pipe.

As for grounding.....If I'm not mistaken, codes here in the US don't allow grounding to the plumbing anymore.

:) Plumbers love pex because they can put it in fast, repair it fast, and charge the same money (labor cost) as they would for putting in copper.

I recently had to ground a whirlpool to copper pipe . Your electrical panel required a EARTH GROUND ROD. Two of them 4 feet apart on exterior of home for circuits 200 amp and above i believe . But copper pipe is still required to grounded (bonded) . Pex is not always easier to do repairs . You still have to cut the Copper sweat in a copper to pex couplings. I can do a copper repair in less them then a Copper to pex back to copper repair. For super tight places its easier to sweat the pipe because you cant get crimp tools in some places where i can get a torch tip...

So I think they both have there place . By the way pex and pex fittings have been around since the late 60s in the Auto and Aerospace industry . It just took off in homes over the last 10 years . becoming main steam the last few. In my area anyway.

things in Construction industry change slowly with the exception of Finish products . I hate that there are so many of them and NOT One place carries everything. Now when i bid a Job I Estimate cost of fixtures and Put a Max Dollar for items into contracts ..

 

[KyleC.]

I am intrigued at all the negative comments towards shark bite fittings... I have installed countless feet, and every connection type, of copper/pex/cpvc/etc... on many commercial projects. However, I had a hunting camp that would go threw hot water tanks, 1, sometimes 2 a year. The well water was not good, and we always used a "used" tank. We weren't the best at flushing the tank, or changing the anode rod either. I used shark-bite fittings, after the 3rd or 4th time, and replaced that HWT 10+ times, over 12 years or so, after that by removing the shark-bite and reconnecting. I never once had a leak in those fittings. I am still a believer in sweating copper, and do so in my own home, although never type M... Iv'e seen more problems with type M copper than shark-bite.

 

[Engloid]

There have been problems with pex before, relating to chlorine, which is used in many (possibly most) municipal water systems. It is also prone to allow bacterial growth if left stagnant for long periods. Although it was used for other purposes, PEX has not been used for all that long in residential potable water systems. Having been introduced to this market in 1993, we still have not seen how well it will perform when it gets as old as copper has been proven to be effective. In other words, it's only been used in homes for 25yrs. Copper piping is in about 85% of all homes in the United States. Copper piping was even used in palaces of the pharaohs. Until we see homes with pex piping surviving beyond the average lifespan of copper, 50-75yrs.....I'll stick with copper, whenever I have a choice. :) In fact, my house used to have galvanized piping. After a house fire a few years ago, which gave me a great opportunity to change plumbing, I replumbed the entire house with copper.

 

[KyleC.]

There have been problems with pex before, relating to chlorine, which is used in many (possibly most) municipal water systems. It is also prone to allow bacterial growth if left stagnant for long periods. Although it was used for other purposes, PEX has not been used for all that long in residential potable water systems. Having been introduced to this market in 1993, we still have not seen how well it will perform when it gets as old as copper has been proven to be effective. In other words, it's only been used in homes for 25yrs. Copper piping is in about 85% of all homes in the United States. Copper piping was even used in palaces of the pharaohs. Until we see homes with pex piping surviving beyond the average lifespan of copper, 50-75yrs.....I'll stick with copper, whenever I have a choice. :) In fact, my house used to have galvanized piping. After a house fire a few years ago, which gave me a great opportunity to change plumbing, I replumbed the entire house with copper.

Holy moly! Galvanized!? Lol. That is quite possibly worse than M copper... Glad you got it replaced! PEX has been around a lot longer than you think, in the UK. ‘70s I believe... Copper still has a place in my heart and home though....

 

[Engloid]

Yeah, the galvanized was pretty bad. Some faucets would run a bit of a dark color for a second when turned on. We had a toilet that had been plumbed inside an exterior wall. In the coldest winters, it would freeze up for a day or two. When I pulled it all out, it was nearly plugged with rust. I put it in the wall to the side of the toilet, where its no longer in an exterior wall. I do still have old iron pipe for the main drain, but since its not leaking, I kept it.