Pex fasteners

[dmascheck]

Planning on removing the old toilet and installing a new one. I notice it has pex tubing. How do you remove the fastener rings? Will the installation tool take them off, or do they have to be cut off?

Excuse the ignorant question, but I have never used pex before and I just bought the installation tool, but never used one.

[Stripit]

The Pex rings are used only one time. I use my dremel tool with a cut off wheel to cut the ring being very careful not to harm the line. Or if you have the pex crimp too, cut the line, install a connector and then add new line to the fixture. Whatever works out to be the easiest.

[Rockyhud]

If your Pex clamp rings are the type that have a "nub" on the side, made during the crimping process, I've been able to use some good quality side-cutter pliers (the type usually designed for cutting wire) and cut the nub off so I could get the main crimp ring off.

For me, getting the ring off was the easiest part, then you have to work at getting the fitting out of the Pex. That's always been the hard part since the Pex is clamped down hard on the fitting, forming a water tight fit. The fittings I've worked with have had ridges and/or barbs formed into the section that's inserted into the Pex. I've used regular pliers to hold onto the Pex and another pair to hold onto the fitting so I can put some muscle into the task as the fitting won't come out easy. If you have enough line that cutting off the fitting wouldn't cause a problem, I'd recommend using a Pex line cutting tool (available at Lowes, Home Depot, etc) to cut the fitting off right at the bottom of the fitting. The cutting tool isn't expensive and makes a nice clean end for inserting the new fitting. Much easier to do than trying to save the line using the other method.

BTW, if you do cut the line and need more length, there are male couplers that are just for that. You insert one end into the existing line, crimp it on, then take a new piece of Pex and push it onto the other end of the coupler and crimp that on. Now you have as much Pex as you need to complete your work.

[dmascheck]

I'm new to pex. Done tons of PVC, but what I see, I wish I would have used Pex for all my water lines outside! So much easier and I have so many!

I plan on changing the plastic L's out for brass. Plastic and being in a 2006 trailer bothers me a bit. Any time I can, I will go with brass or stainless if they are available.

I put in a new Dometic 310 commode and need to reroute the water, so I plan on modifying for the new toilet, but I also want to add a brass shut off valve. I bought a Shark Bite ball valve which should do the trick!

I also have one of the plastic control valves that broke off flush so I have to replace it on the control board. They don't make the valve anymore, so it will be a challenge! oh well!!

[Rockyhud]

When I had water lines to deal with in our home, I found all kinds of fittings, including ball valves, tees, plugs and elbows for Pex at Lowes and Home Depot. The majority of the fittings were brass and insert easily into the Pex tubing so all you have to do is crimp them in place once you've determined lengths and orientation.

[dmascheck]

I use Lowes plenty and I'm just getting into using Pex. Wish I would have known about it years ago when I was laying water lines all over my property. Sure handy!

I've been buying on Amazon Prime, but I need to stop by Lowe's today and see what they have!