Press Fittings & Ice

J.C.A._3

Put a main house drain ahead of the main shutoff for the house...an air inlet somewhere higher than the rest of the system and DRAIN IT BEFORE THEY LEAVE!!!

How many times are you going to fix the same problem before facing the inevitable? Get the water out of the joint...and BINGO, problem solved.

Show them how to open and close the place and be done with it.

JMHO. Chris

singh

I had a issue

with propress today . Well, actually , to be fair the issue is plumbing on an exterior wall.

A little history, last year a client from FL. calls me up that her pipes burst in her summer house in upstate NY. The supply lines going to the shower valve had multiple breaks, of course it was an emergency, and without getting out the torch, I repaired the breaks with propress, real quick I may add. We cut an access panel behind the shower into the screen porch, Insulated as much as I could.

Well today got the call again, this time the PP fitting pull right out of the O-ring. I know ice exerts some tremendous force, but It had not occured to me last year. In a way it was good, this releived the pressure so no pipes split, and I cut out the fitting and repaired with PP again. My only suggestion is to use heat tape, last resort, but being they are in FL. most of the year they worry about that also.

I'm not faulting PP at all, I love it, but all of my plumbing installs are PEX now anyway. For a repair like this however PP is good. Does anyone have a suggestion , know if heat tape is ok with PP fittings?

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jp_2

I've seen

ice pull apart soldered fitttings.

singh

Not my soldered fittings : )

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[Deleted User]

I've seen ice DESTROY pex

Just his last week to be exact.

Beneath 4" of concrete.

Split it lateraly on both sides of the pipe.

Not the usual pooch out.

Unfortunatley, it is in a home under construction, and the HO is filing suit against the GC and the installer for gross incompetence.

I'm pretty sure you'd be OK with heat tape on PP fittings, but best check with the manufacturer to be sure.

ME

Weezbo

Mark,...

Have you ever seen "Pex->Powder" ?

pex to powder is and intriguing symptom....

maybe the pex is "Remembering too much "

hot_rod

I see Viega now has press \"repair\" couplings

that will be a handy fitting.

If you do use heat tape get the good, self regulating type. Maybe the stainless braided style for rodent protection.

Although heat tape is generally a "band-aid"

hr

[Deleted User]

the potential problem

with heat tape is in the event of a power failure, but very doubtful about damage of over temp to o-rings

do the drain

J.C.A._3

Thanks Mike...

I feel that if the water ain't there...the problem is solved too. Chris

singh

Thanks everyone!

I did mention to them too winterize everything. But they dislike that idea also.

The call today came frome Florida only because they had friends there at the house to go skiing.

The only thing they do is kill the breaker to the pump. Not ideal, I'll give Viega a call, on the heat tape .




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Unknown

my pipes doesn't freeze

My installation doesn't freeze as I follow rule number one, Never install water or heating pipes in outside wall, no what what insualtion you have. Okay, few exception, where there's hot water return line available with pump on 24/7, I boxed the shower valve with pipings inside... Never had problem. Other homes same design and different plumbers, pipes keep freezing and damaging the interior. Its pay to have plumber with hot water heating experinces!

singh

rjbphd

Well , I guess remodeling their bathroom is an option also. Thanks.

BTW, an experienced plumber knows you don't need to heat hot water ; ) it's already hot.

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