When PEX goes horribly wrong 

First time I did pex work, if a cut wasn't perfect or a crimp wasn't perfect I redid it. It did cost me extra time and money, but helped with peace of mind. I called my plumber friend out to check my work. I was told my pex work was high quality plumber style work. No leaks from the beginning to now which is about 5 years later. That's definitely when I fell in love with pex but also learned to respect the pex. It has it's limitations for sure.

This was excellent an tutorial and review of shotty work! Most of the plumbers that I have worked with as it assistant never do the work as the manufacture specifies. Everybody always wants to cut corners and they say the magical words “that should be fine” which always annoys me because I feel there’s too many variables with the word “should”. The only thing that annoys the hell out of me is that PEX is so much faster than soldering and yet people still can’t take the little time to do it right. All of the new construction materials and tools make the job so much faster, which allows for greater productivity but doesn’t always lead to better craftsmanship. I think that’s just a flaw in human nature trying to get things done as soon as possible and not taking pride in workmanship.

This is why I hate to pay for anything that I can, or should, be able to do myself. I don't know how many times I have had to go back and redo work that a professional has done.

Wow you saved me. I went down the basement and checked the start of a project. It was a wake up call. Went down the next day and corrected some sloppy crimps which were all due to the 1/8” distance. I owe you big time.

Thanks for this. I think before anybody does any Pex crimp work, they should see this video. Your point of how forgiving pex is but then how if it is not done properly can cause "near future" problems, is the well presented message of your video!

Not a plumber, but this helped me to understand this common mistake someone new might make, thank you.

Thanks for the video! As a DIYer getting ready to tackle my first pex project it gives me much greater confidence knowing what to watch out for in my own work.

Great video, it does happen not everyone does a good job. Thanks for exposing the challenges with PEX and things to look out for. Cheers!

Thank you very informative. Wish all contractors and apprentices were like you.

THANK YOU , seen other Videos about Pex but none mention the proper way to crimp , I feel a little better on this lil “honey do” i’m about to tackle, thank you again

Very helpful! Just did my first crimp earlier today and had to double check my work.

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. My goodness, could you imagine the eventual homeowner having issues down the road. They would have never known there was an issue when they purchased the house. They just expect quality work in an American home.

I spent 5 days in the attic of my rental house a couple years ago replacing galvanized hot water lines from the 70s. A friend, who had been a plumber, told me about PEX. I used only brass fittings and the pinch-type clamps. I've been up there since to check for any leaks and found none. I should note that I live in Southern California so freezing weather is not a problem. I was unaware of the requirements concerning distance from the nubs but I cut straight and pressed the PEX all the way to the nub before clamping. Fingers crossed. As my pal told me (I was 70 when I did that work), "Attics are a young man's game"

That's really methed up!!

This was very informative- easy problems to avoid by a 10 minute video- Great Job!

So glad I found this before I started using PEX. Thank you!

Really good information, along with clear illustrations. Thanks for sharing. Hard-to-believe this disaster was installed by a so-called professional.

good job,learned a lot ,I just used pex for first time,using the 1/8 spacing ,and crimp it cinch rings ,some copper,and type k in our slab which has a pvc blue jacket,somebody really hacked that job,good info on tub spout,I thought copper was required because of its larger inner diameter,didnt realize it may back up into shower head,keep doin videos

Wow, quite an eye-opener. As a home DIYer and trying out the PEX system for a small home project I came upon this video hoping to catch some tips only to see the type of work some 'professional' plumbers do. I'll be sure to comply fully in my project. Thanks for the education.

Nice video. Good to know I (homeowner) did a better job than a "professional" plumber. To beat that, with my first PEX plumbing job.

Thanks for sharing the tub issue with us. I found 10 years ago after having wall all tiled in and the water valve had no mention of this problem. Lot of work to fix. Mine showed up with water coming out of the shower head.

I'm no plumber but I know enough to see that they are wrong. Its sad that some people are just that lazy

thank you for this video i have been researching for my refit at home and could not find these basics glad i found this before i got any further along been crimping too close to fittings.

Thank you for this very good video, I am working on a bypass to install my water softener this weekend and these examples of how it does not suppose to look are great

Some of those cuts are pretty gnarly too.

I worked maintenance for a large school district and you wouldn't believe what licensed contractors would get away with. Us maintenance guys would always have to go back and fix it right. That plumbing job looks like elementary kids installed it.

This is the first video about Pex that I have seen that addresses these problems thoroughly. I think I will just do CPVC on my small plumbing job. thanks

Great video. Helped me a ton with my diy! Thanks man

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I wish everybody would be honest and work correctly.

Great video. As a general contractor (or even a homeowner) you don't need to be an expert in every trade, but ultimately you are the one who has to identify poor workmanship and get it rectified. It takes gumption to challenge a proud tradesman who has practiced for 20 years, but believe me, there are guys who have been doing it wrong for 20 years. I came across one sub who knew all the best practices fluently and guaranteed that he abided by them. 6 months later, when all the tile of two bathrooms was torn out, it was plainly obvious that he outright lied about taking the protective measures against water intrusion.

This was an excellent constructive breakdown of proper pex handling.

Thank you for sharing this information. I pray that it did not cost a lot to make the corrections.

I bought some of those plastic fittings for exposed pex lines in a basement. Crimped a plastic tee and later pushed the line up to fasten. The TEE BROKE IN TWO. Sprayed water everywhere. Use the brass ones and check every crimp. Cut off any that dont crimp right as you go

There's nothing wrong with Pex B / crimps. You just need to know and care about what you're doing. I used it 10 years ago for the first time (not as a plumber) and my cuts and crimps were cleaner that whatever this guy tried to do. A crimp remover goes a long way too. You can cut out a section of pipe without having to cut out entire fittings. Granted, they work a lot better on brass fittings than plastic which is why you should use brass.

Great info. Its unfortunate so much rework. The person who crimped should be following you around and learning.

thank you for posting and sharing this, very helpful

Wow. I don't do this type of pex. But it's good to know. This is why prefer cold expansion connections. PEX A Awesome video. Thank.

Gentlemen, this brings me to my next point. Don't smoke crack.

The previous plumber is the kind of person that would get a pat on the back for getting the job done quicker from many of the “professionals” I have worked with

Thank you for this video. Learning a big thing for free.

Glad I bought the tool and went with expansion PEX. Simply love working with pex-A and not dealing with metal rings or wondering if I missed something.

No pride in the Plummers' work.

Thank you. Great explanations. I was wondering WHY pex could not be used from the valve to the tub spout. Nobody explained why but you did. I will make sure I use 1/2 in copper!

Good video, I was actually looking for what happens if you use an expand tool on Pex B instead of A. Those crimps were pretty shitty. But that's probably closer to the norm then the exception, especially in remodels with no inspection. Like you said, those fittings are so forgiving those will still last many many years.

Great PEX B explanation. As a DYI I will be cutting out a bad crimp on my house because of this video. I have transitioned to Uponor PEX A from PEX B so I have an issue with both. Unfortunately I need to wait till my friend gets back in town so I can borrow his Uponor $450+ Milwaukee expansion tool to fix my weekend mistakes. Both PEX A & B are challenging to use in a remodel. with corners and tight spaces to crimp in. I need those plastic fittings with the stops. I used to use tape on both sides of the crimp ring to insure my ring didn't slip while crimping.

Fantastic video. Thank you 🙏

I’m bout to start as an apprentice next week this really help !

No professional would ever do that kind of work

My word this is atrocious. I hope this guy got paid nothing more than maybe material for just the pex tubing. I can practically hear the air quotes when you said "professional plumber".

Great video. I am new using pex and have some personnel home repair. I am now confident.

Thank you!!! Great video! This will definitely inspire me to try my best to do it right, the first time!

Must be the same plumber, and I use that term lightly, that did my house

At 6:55 you can see the top pipe has sun fading. Manufacturer limits sun exposure to 30 days max. Looks to me it got way more than 30 days u.v. exposure.

Thank you for that! I'm about to invest in a PEX set just to have on hand and needed a little training on how to do it right!

I was worried that I might not do a good job, but not anymore, thank you for the explanation!

That’s why you don’t let the new guy crimp the pex, whoever made that mess clearly hasn’t even written his first block

The majority of those connections wouldn't have had an issue. The only time I've seen pex leak is when I forget to crimp it.

Very Good Explanation and Demonstration! Thank you

Dang it! Now i gotta find a 1/2NPTF to 3/4 pex adapter for the new bath faucet i purchased. Trying to avoid soldering in a fitting. Great Video, learned a lot.

Thanks for the close up video. In your explanation, try to indicate with a pencil instead of a finger.

Good presentation, clearly explained. One small suggestion-- when detailing what is wrong with a PEX connection, your camera should be much closer, if possible. The tape measure sequence was OK, but hard to see which rib on the connector was the problem. For the beginner, a closer shot will make crooked angles and close tolerances much easier to see. We subscribed and liked.

Great video. Thank you!

Great video for understanding how to properly install PEX B crimping. I note that there are drill plates over the drain lines but no drill plates over the PEX B lines. I opted for the PEX A system with expander fittings for my own home as I find the system somewhat superior and the added cost minimal for such a small installation in my case. To my mind, the method has less of a chance of making a bad connection.

It sucks that you can pressure test the system and have not leaked at that time, and that is why I like copper

6:50 that top pipe looks like it's been sitting in the sun.

Great video! Thanks for sharing

Thank you for sharing the information.

This has to be removed and start over, what kinda hack would pipe like that ?

Great video, thanks for posting! I did have a question, though. Years past, I used a crimping tool that came with two different “go” and “no go” gauges. As long as the ring fit into the “go” range, one was good, at least I thought. I’ve been reading about over-crimping and cannot find any info as to what the cons may be. I figure the tighter the fitting is, the better, right? The Apollo crimp tool I recently bought comes with the same gauge tool you touched on. Are the lines between “go” and “no go” supposed to line up in the middle of the ring once crimped? And again, if the ring goes all the way in, what’s the harm? I’ve crimped a few couplings that spin once the ring is on, having passed the gauge test, but it worries me. From other comments, it appears that’s normal. The Apollo tool comes with a pressure gauge from 0-3. Any suggestions on where to set it for 1/2” pex rings? At 0, it seemed to fit perfectly based on your video, but again, if the fitting can twist, it makes me nervous it may pop off. Sorry for rambling - any help is appreciated!

Doing my first pex from copper. Im just installing a walk in tub. It came with pex on it. Had never seen it before. Been watching all sorts of videos. This is very helpful. Before even knowing where to crimp. That work rite there. I couldn't ever leave it looking like that. When i build something. I want it to last for its entirety. So no one ever has to go back and fix it. Had this lady that wanted me to just sheet rock over her back door. I was like nope wont do it. Of course she was like why. I asked her why she wanted to do it. She said she seen someone do it that way and if anyone wanted to redo it the door would be there. I said we have a sliding glass door. She is 75 and hard to deal with.

Thank you for such an awesome video, I am about to replace old galvanize pipes with PEX and my knowledge is limited to copper piping.

looks like they cut the pex with their teeth.. 🤣🤣... you should get a refund on...🤣🤣👋.. when I install the shower valves I do all the connections with copper..

You’re never supposed to bend pex off of a fitting, you’re supposed to clamp and then you can make up to 22.5 degree turn.

Best PEX video I have seen. Thank you very much

Wow! No wonder why there are so many sharkbite and pex haters out there. Its solely because installers such as this are giving them a bad rep. The cutting of the pex looks like some kids cut it with a saw or a pair of dull scissors and the crimping tool they used was obviously a pair of pliers. You can see that the crimping rings are no longer "rings" they are flared out and flattened. I have never seen such shoddy work and I'm not even a plumber. I did a few pex lines myself and never had a leak so far. I liked how you explained where to actually crimp, this made it very clear to me. I just can't believe that I actually crimped in the right area on the pipe!

When using the copper rings I use a pair of pliers to squeeze the ring a little so that the ring does not move before crimping

Use Uponor, problem solved.

The world needs more people who do the right thing for their fellow humans.We need more considerate people.

Great video ! Thanks !

Since the beginning I thought PEX A was a superior product.

I prefer copper over PEX. It’s expensive but worth it. If you screw up, just resolder it no fittings to throw away. Also, you will find out that you made a mistake right away once you do a leak check instead of later down the road and paying up to tens of thousands of dollars for water damage. Also, copper is anti microbial.

Thanks for the great lesson!

thank you for you knowledge and sharing

Did any of these fittings actually leak? I know the plastic fittings can easily break . I ALWAYS use brass.

This makes me so mad, if you do it, do it like you should, or just never do it and

Good video! Educational. Thanks for this

Thank you so much. Definitely helped me

Thats why I use Uponor with shrink rings instead of metal crimps. I don't know how you can say these crimps are less error prone than Uponor. This wouldn't happen with Uponor.

You have to try hard to make those mistakes.. 🤣 A license wouldn't haVe helped 😎😂

Thanks for the info very helpful.

Helpful and well done!

8:45 - I think it's more likely that whoever installed the Uponor didn't turn their tool 1/4 inch all around when making the expansion. Pex Crimps and Clamps get weak over time as crimping or clamping is forcing the pipe against its natural state. Uponor pipes naturally want to be its original size and you have to force it to expand to put the fitting in. However, if you don't push the pipe all the way in or don't expand it correctly (1/4 turn all around when expanding), that's when you get your leaks.

At least they didn't use sharkbites, I guess?

It looks like those guys prioritized speed over all else. Doing it right is so much faster than doing it twice. For myself. I stopped using rings as cinch clamps are just easier for me to keep consistent. Great video my friend.

Great video!

That was a "professional" plumber? :(

pex takes almost all skill out of being a professional plumber and this one still f-ed it up

Thanks, that was very useful to see.

Great video bro 👍🏾

I was wondering how the plumber passed the exam ?