PEX Plumbing

[Rob_Lowe]

I have a dual basin bathroom sink, with out dated / ugly faucets. I want to replace both faucets, which are now fed by copper piping. To connect my new faucets, to the current copper pipes would be difficult! (I do not llike to sweat solder copper pipes, especially near a wall).

I have seen PEX tubing as an easy option, for plumbing upgrades. I would like to use PEX and Shark Bite connections. Are there any "Beware Of" traps; that I should be aware?

Note: I am not concerned if a PEX solution might cost a bit more, than a few copper fittings! That is a cost easily recovered, by doing the job myself!

-rob

BTW: I sure appreciate the many other home improvement suggestions, that I see daily on this site.

[TomR]

If I understand what you want to do correctly, you may not need to use any PEX (or CPVC, or copper, etc) at all.

If you are just replacing the faucets, you could first look to see if there are shutoff valves in place for each faucet's hot and cold lines. If they are there, and you are going to keep using the same ones, there should just be flexible supply lines going from each shutoff valve to each original faucet. When you put the new faucets in, just use new flexible supply lines to connect the new faucets to the existing shutoff valves.

If you do a Google search for --- > bathroom sink supply line

[DerbyDad03]

Connecting PEX to copper with Sharkbites is a piece of cake. I've done it myself where sweating would be difficult. I've even combined Sharkbites and sweating by sweating a "multiple connection/lots of turns" section on the workbench and then using a Sharkbite to connect that to the main system.

That said, I have a few questions:

1 - Why do you need to connect PEX to copper? 2 - Assuming you have a decent answer to that question, what is going to be attached the other end of the PEX? 3 - Do you have local shut-offs for these faucets? If not, that is what should be connected to the copper pipe coming out of the wall/floor. They have shut-offs that can be connected by sweating, compression or Sharkbites. Prices go up as the ease of installation goes up.

That is only partially true. The cost of the plumber's labor is only *fully* recovered if you do the job in the same manner as the plumber. If the plumber would use low cost sweat fittings and you use Sharkbites, you will only recover a part the labor costs because you will spend more on fittings.

Daily? Really? Are you sure you are reading a.h.r?