PEX expander

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Long shot, but has anyone noticed a power pex expander tool, either the Milwaukee or preferably the Dewalt, at any of the box stores? I'm trying to find one over the weekend here, nothing in my little town, so it's an hour north or south, a solid lead would help.

[Jim Koepke]

Some of the big box stores and even Ace and True Value might have these. Your best bet might be to look at their web sites, then get on the phone and start calling to see if any have it in stock.

You might also look for plumbing supply dealers. Problem with those who cater to the commercial crowd is they are likely to be closed on weekends.

jtk

[Bill Dufour]

Never seen any fittings or tools for them. Unlikely to see them since the store sells one tool and never sells any clamps later to make more money.
Bill D

[Paul F Franklin]

In Ohio, menards carries the Sioux Chief line of expansion pex fitting, tubing and tools. I see there are a couple of menards in Nebraska, so you might try there if there is one within driving distance.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Thanks guys, I'm striking out I guess. I checked all the online inventories of the "local" big boxes and made some calls, Home Depot can order one, Menards wants you to by the manual expander. Menards does carry some of the fittings, which is the closest I've come. Tractor Supply was confused, Bomgaars can order, so can Runnings, Ace and Lowes. As an aside, what's the point of a brick and mortar store if they all carry the same darn things, and amazon can ship faster and cheaper than they can order. Guess I'll kill a day this week going to a plumbing supply company, which Jim predicted, is closed on the weekend, or wait on amazon.

[Bill Dufour]

Such a tool is only useful if you have the special fittings. Soundslike your local stores do not carry the fittings so why do you want the tool? Already have a bucket full of fittings? Do not use an expander with regular big box store fittings. They will work fine for a while until they pop off in the middle of the night.
Bil lD

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Such a tool is only useful if you have the special fittings. Soundslike your local stores do not carry the fittings so why do you want the tool? Already have a bucket full of fittings? Do not use an expander with regular big box store fittings. They will work fine for a while until they pop off in the middle of the night.
Bil lD


I do have the fittings, that'd be bad to expand a pex b line...

[Paul F Franklin]

FWIW, I use www.supplyhouse.com to buy most of my wirsbro expander PEX stuff. They seem to have local affiliates in many cities and often deliver next day. They used to be called PEX supply but expanded into many related products and changed their name.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Never heard of an expander. Been using pex around the farm for 15 years Still use the copper crimp rings, do not trust shark bites. Heard about too much property damage when they cut loose. Installed radiant heat in the old farm house, thinking about adding basement wall radiant down there.

[John K Jordan]

I agree with Jim, try the plumbing supply place if you can't find one elsewhere (but probably out of luck on the weekend). A plumber showed me a new cordless electric expander he had just bought that day, presumably from a local shop.

[Ronald Blue]

Sounds like you have a lot of plumbing to do if you want the power expander. I'm sure Menards only carries the manual because most diy'ers wouldn't want to shell out the money for a power unit. The concept and function of type a pex and fittings is far better than the crimp fittings etc. Here's a video of the process for those who aren't familiar.

youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=an4C5w0H-A0

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Sounds like you have a lot of plumbing to do if you want the power expander. I'm sure Menards only carries the manual because most diy'ers wouldn't want to shell out the money for a power unit. The concept and function of type a pex and fittings is far better than the crimp fittings etc. Here's a video of the process for those who aren't familiar.

youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=an4C5w0H-A0


I do, plumbers are scare out here in the sticks, and it's a whole house. Been putting off parking the crimpers but I can seriously cut the installation time and cost by switching, so I guess it's time.

[John K Jordan]

I do, plumbers are scare out here in the sticks, and it's a whole house. Been putting off parking the crimpers but I can seriously cut the installation time and cost by switching, so I guess it's time.

Have you tried Shark Bite? They are available "everywhere" and when I've used them they have been 100% reliable. More expensive though.

JKJ

[John Lanciani]

Have you tried Shark Bite? They are available "everywhere" and when I've used them they have been 100% reliable. More expensive though.

JKJ

That'd be crazy expensive for a whole house. Probably pay for a cordless expander a couple times over with the difference, sharkbites are about 10x the price of pex fittings.

[John K Jordan]

That'd be crazy expensive for a whole house. Probably pay for a cordless expander a couple times over with the difference, sharkbites are about 10x the price of pex fittings.

Yes, of course, but not unreasonable if it's for emergency weekend use or for a few connections until the tool was ordered and in hand.

[Bill Dufour]

Have you tried the stainless steel clamp type fittings. They are easier to use inside a wall. pay a little extra and get the ratcheting kind. Mine has an led that lights when the crimp is tight. They will not unlatch until the clamp is full tight.
Bill

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Have you tried Shark Bite? They are available "everywhere" and when I've used them they have been 100% reliable. More expensive though.

JKJ

I've used them a little, stupid expensive though. Back in a previous career, we used John Guest fittings, which were in essence the same thing but plastic and half price or so. I've wondered why they aren't used in plumbing.

Anyone ever had a shark bite fail? I destroyed one once in installation, never in use. Have to admit they worry me a little though.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Have you tried the stainless steel clamp type fittings. They are easier to use inside a wall. pay a little extra and get the ratcheting kind. Mine has an led that lights when the crimp is tight. They will not unlatch until the clamp is full tight.
Bill

I've used some stainless clamp rings on a different application, with mixed success. Ag irrigation systems use a lot of them, also underground sprinklers. Never used them for residential plumbing though. I have seen several failure with an Oetiker clamp, but it was in an extreme environment. Was looking at then at the plumbing store yesterday actually.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Well, I got the expander yesterday, hopefully today will be so productive that it makes up for the lost day fetching it....;)

[Clint Baxter]

I've used them a little, stupid expensive though. Back in a previous career, we used John Guest fittings, which were in essence the same thing but plastic and half price or so. I've wondered why they aren't used in plumbing.

Anyone ever had a shark bite fail? I destroyed one once in installation, never in use. Have to admit they worry me a little though.

I got a call to go install a fix after a shark bite fitting came loose. And started flooding the upstairs.

I, myself, don’t trust them enough to leave them permanently installed.

For PEX, I use the Viega system where they use a stainless steel collar to clamp the PEX to the fitting. They seem to hold much better than the ring type connectors.

Clint.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I got a call to go install a fix after a shark bite fitting came loose. And started flooding the upstairs.

I, myself, don’t trust them enough to leave them permanently installed.

For PEX, I use Viega’S system where theY use a stainless steel collar to clamp the PEX to the fitting. They seem to hold much better than the ring type connectors.

Clint.

Clint, I'm not familiar with the Viega S, a google keeps pulling up megapress stuff, but I doubt that's what you are talking about. Have a pic maybe?

[Greg R Bradley]

Clint, I'm not familiar with the Viega S, a google keeps pulling up megapress stuff, but I doubt that's what you are talking about. Have a pic maybe?
Not Clint, but here you go......You were close:
https://www.viega.us/en/products/innovations/viega-pureflow-pex-system.html

[Clint Baxter]

Not Clint, but here you go......You were close:
https://www.viega.us/en/products/innovations/viega-pureflow-pex-system.html

Greg got it. It’s the PureFlow Press system.

Clint

[Tom M King]

I'd feel a little better about that system if it had a longer warranty. I got my plumbing license in 1975, and I've seen things come, and go, that didn't work out so good.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Greg got it. It’s the PureFlow Press system.

Clint


Ahh, I have seen those around on the web. Never in the wild here, but this area is probably the last to adopt any new system. I was talking the the plumbing supply house counter guy Monday, and it was really surprising how little newer stuff they carried. If I wanted press fit copper, I was in business, but they didn't carry any Uponor/Wirsbo, just some Sioux Chief. Ironically, I bought the expander there, and it is branded Uponor Pro Pex. I suspect I know what the highest margin stuff is after talking to him.