PEX: Is it worth replacing crimps with push connections?

Question

I happened upon a question about PEX tubing last week here and in it there was some discussion about how push connections are superior. (If someone can point me to that question, I'd appreciate it.) I just tossed a contractor out of my house for various reasons and had a master plumber take a look at what was done so. He pointed to some issues with the drains that needs to be redone but didn't mention anything with the PEX supply lines.

After reading that last week, I took a closer look at the supply lines and see that they are all crimped.

Question: while things are open should I go through the trouble of replacing these the crimps with push connections? If so, should I replace the lines or can I use them? In other words, are the ends going to be compromised after the crimps are removed?

As to the other question "Can you re-crimp the end of a PEX tube?", it doesn't address whether I should change an existing setup and my question is not related to 're-crimping' at all.

Answer 1

God no! I've had two leaks, out of literally tens of thousands crimp conections. Both leaks were installer error. One time my tool suddenly went out of calibration which I could feel in the action and quickly remedied. The other time I crimped it way crooked and I returned the next day with my compound offset crimper, cut out the bad connection and recrimped. Push conections tend to leak if there is a lot of lateral tension applied to them. They are crazy expensive and inferior to crimp under certain circumstances.

Edit

Here's a crimp calibration tool

www.zoro.com

It's used to calibrate the tool and to inspect crimped fittings after the fact. If you find an that the calibration tool doesn't fit over then you should re-crimp them.

Answer 2

When you say "push connection" I assume you mean a push-to-connect adapter. They're often called "Sharkbites" colloquially, although Sharkbite is only one of several manufacturers that make them.

The push-to-connect fittings are more convenient to work with because they don't require special tools to make the connection, and it's possible to remove them and reuse them. They also usually connect to both copper and Pex, so you can use them to transition. But when it comes to actual performance and reliability, the push-to-connect fittings are not better than crimp connections in any way of which I'm aware. I've never seen a professional use a push-to-connect fitting except in one special case where getting access to do a Pex crimp connection would have required cutting out a large section of wall.

So, to answer your question, no; I'd definitely stick with the crimp connectors already installed, because they are more reliable (not to mention a lot cheaper) than the push-to-connect fittings. The only exception would be if you have any connections that you anticipate needing to remove at some point, but that is not common.

If you are asking about Pex expansion fittings versus crimp fittings, that's a different discussion, and there are folks who feel that one is better than the other. But my sense is that they both work equally well in terms of reliability. So if this was your question, my answer would still be to leave it as it currently is.

Answer 3

I believe we're down to a Ford versus Chevy type argument. I've been plumbing for 45 years and started using shark bites when they first came out. Hell I can even remember the old quest pipe. I have literally plumbed hundreds of houses with push to connect fittings and never had a single leak. Yes they're much more expensive but in tight areas you cannot beat them for ease of repair. SharkBite list on their website that push to connect has two times the burst strength of a crimp fitting and in the cold Winters in Virginia I found that to be very true.

I've been involved in debates over this way too many times for way too many years, hell I even have an old friend that won't talk to me anymore because of this, but all I can say is I've literally installed thousands of SharkBite push to connect fittings and had no trouble. Their Max fittings are even better than the original.

It's also a myth that pushed to connect fittings will not pass home inspections and are not to code. They actually exceed the code and I've done home inspections for years for Bank of America and never once did we fail a house because they had pushed to connect.

Have fun using that big bulky bolt cutter type tool in tight spots.