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I'm in the process of moving my laundry area. For the plumbing we decided to use PEX. Unfortunately I have been unable to properly seal the PEX tubing to the fittings on the final fixtures- they continue to leak with a slow drip. What do I need to do to get these to seal.

We tried two different crimpers, thinking that maybe the first one was out of adjustment, but that didn't fix anything. We removed the first set of rings (using a dremel) and crimped on a new set, but the drip continued. We wrapped the hot water fitting with some silicone tape, but the water keeps seeping through.

Maybe I should replace the brass fittings on the faucets. Other than that I'm out of ideas. What should I try next

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T1M0THY
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6 Answers6

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Here's what I ended up using:

PEX Barb Pinch Clamps: PEX Barb Pinch Clamps:

Which required the purchase of one of these:

PEX Quick-Cinch Clamp Tool: PEX Quick-Cinch Clamp Tool

They are available from several manufacturers, at various price points, at Lowes and Home Depot (and I'm sure other places as well.) This solution was a bit on the pricey side, but it worked very well. I haven't seen a drop of water in the nearly three years they've been installed. (Uhh, yeah, sorry for taking three years to post this... but I noticed a lot of people have come here looking for help and I figured it might still be helpful.)

T1M0THY
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You need to evaluate where the leak is really coming from. Use some paper towels to thoroughly to dry the whole fitting area. Then watch to see where water first appears. I suspect that you may find the leak coming from here:

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..as opposed to the PEX joint. It appears that you did not use a Teflon sealing tape on the pipe threads.

Michael Karas
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Looks like the wrong type of connector.

Pex to Faucet

You can also get the push on kind, like a shark bite. If you look at the picture, it has a gasket inside, and the whole thing spins freely when it's on the pipe.

CharlesW
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I'm using teflon tape to wrap a stubborn pex fitting made with pex clamps on a metal fitting after repeating the clamping process about 5 times. No the tool is not out of adjustment, the clamps are fully crimped on. Its possible the RV pex is thinner gauge than it should be, the ID is correct anyway. I'll take my beating and laugh all the way home. ;)

Patrick Williams
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Probably just need to seal the threads. We always use pipe thread sealant instead of teflon. Its cheap, easy to apply, and almost impossible to goof up if you actually coat the threads all the way around. Just keep it out of the inside of the pipe and only get it on the outside.

Damon
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PEX inherently leak at the two pinch points, because their is no contact in this area. Just put worm-hose-clamps on them. Use pipe compound too.

owlpic
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