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...And that's why I keep SharkBite End Caps in the shop

It's probably the trades in general that run the show. Plenty of non-union plumbers and electricians here. Chicago code is common in the counties around Chicago.

Reply to
Vic Smith
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That's a really neat and clean job. Well done!

Reply to
SeaNymph

question forr the poster in morton grove where PEX isnt approved.

do the big box stores like home depot and lowes sell it anyway??

Reply to
bob haller

Sure do.

Reply to
Vic Smith

When I looked at your link it appeared that your village recently adopted the overall Illinois plumbing code. Maybe I read it wrong, but Section 890 of the state code appears to allow PEX. Are you saying that your village adopted the state code and then amended it to be more restrictive re: PEX?

If so, do you know why?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

They sell plumbing and electrical parts and material that, by code, you need to have a permit to install. If you had to show your permit or license to buy the stuff they would go out of business.

Besides, the people in Morton Grove that buy pex do so just to make spray things for their pool, they would never consider doing a job not to code.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Ha Ha Ha

Reply to
clare

No, that's not it. The vast majority of plumbers licensed to work in Illinois live in the village of Morton Grove. Every inch of PEX that they buy locally is carried out of the village and used on jobs in villages, towns and cities where the planning boards actually have a clue. I've heard that they are escorted out of town by the code police after every purchase.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Vic Smith posted for all of us...

Have you thought about PEX?

Reply to
Tekkie®

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Have you thought about reading the thread before responding?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Yes. I copied and pasted the relevant sections, which said "delete" and "replace with."

My assumption is they are protecting the building trades. The Chicago way.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Of course not. He'd never think of that.

Reply to
clare

PEX is for people who are too lazy to do REAL Plumbing. It's about the same as running a garden hose to your sink, toilet, or whatever else. It may seem durable and strong, but for how long? It's plastic, and like all plastics, it has a limited life span. Some day in the future you'll come home and find your house flooded because this plastic crap broke.

REAL PLUMBING is made from metal, and is a PIPE, not a HOSE!

But we live in a day and age when people worship plastics and dont want to do any REAL work, or pay for REAL plumbing.

Pex is fine for a temporary means to get water from point A to point B, but it's NOT a permanent plumbing. I might consider it for an outdoor sprinkler system. but not for "piping" in my home.

Reply to
Paintedcow

Oh man, that is funny. The start of this thread was about a copper tube leaking. Yeah, metal pipe is perfect! PEX has been in use for about 60 years now.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Any pipe can develop a leak, and the copper was a pin hole, not a gushing fully broken pipe. If a PEX connector comes apart, it will result in a flood, not a small puddle.

PEX may have been developed 60 years ago, but it was not allowed in America until recently, and is still not allowed by code in some parts of the country, and for GOOD REASON! I dont know if it's allowed in my part of the country, and I really dont care, but if I had any say in local codes, I would vote against it. (But I dont have any say). No matter how you look at it, it's a HOSE, not REAL PLUMBING!

I do know it will never be used in any home I live in!

Reply to
Paintedcow

And most of them are just a stainless braid over plastic..A piece of annealed copper does the jog just fine.

Reply to
clare

The ones I'm referring to are solid copper, with spiral ribs, so it can be bent any way you like. Unless they are no longer sold, they were readily available, but it's been years since I needed any such thing. I would not plastic with a braid over it either. I avoid all plastics when it comes to plumbing. I saw what happened to a neighbor when their plastic supply tube broke under their toilet, and the elderly woman was asleep. Many thousands of dollars damage, including flooring, all carpet, and so on. She was knocking on my door early in the morning, in tears. I quickly went there and shut her water off. She wanted me to fix it, but I told her she needed to have her insurance company come first, and told her I could fix it, but since I'm not a licensed plumber, she needed to get someone with a license, to satisfy the insurance company.

The following day, I replaced 4 of these plastic supply lines under my own sinks, with chrome-brass ones. Plastic is fine for toys and picture frames, auto dashboards, molding, and anything that is not supporting weight or pressure. It is NOT for plumbing, and also NOT for lawn chairs (I've seen several people hurt on collapsing plastic lawn chairs). I will make an exception to this, as far as PVC drain pipes, but those are not under pressure, and work fine. Drainage is the only time I use plastics in plumbing.

Reply to
Paintedcow

I had one of those put in when the house was built. It sprang a leak in a bad spot so I replaced it with another. Two years later, it leaked again. Out it went and I replaced it with PEX and it has been good for

15 years now.
Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I've seen those copper spiral tubes last many years. But like anything, there are defective items made, and maybe the manufacturer was making all bad parts. I've never used them myself. I prefer to connect the tank direct with copper pipe because it's cheaper, and I think it looks better. I did see a house where all the plumbing froze, and the ends of both of those spiral tubes separated from the tubes. But none of that stuff is made for freezing, and I'd think all those ribs would cause excessive pressure on the pipe, because the ice would be applying a lot of pressure against every rib.

I would not normally recommend them, because they are really not needed, and they are costly. But in this thread, it was mentioned that the pipes were not properly aligned and I thought that would be an easy way to correct it, rather than redoing more pipes.

For all I know, they may not even sell them anymore. Plumbing stuff changes all the time. Even the old brass spiral gas pipes have now changed (for behind a gas stove). Those were always the same for years, but when I was young, I always feared having one break, when I moved the stove for cleaning behind it. But I guess they were stronger than they looked. Someone always comes up with something they consider better. Sometimes it is better, but often it's just a way to make stuff cheaper so the company can make more money.

By the way, PEX is not supposed to be connected directly to a water heater. When I was considering using PEX, I did a lot of checking on this, from actual plumbers. It's suggested to put at least 6" of pipe before it. Some plumbers said more, and if it's a gas WH, it's not suppose to be anywhere near the chimney pipe. But if it's lasted you 15 years, it should last another year or two before it gets real brittle and snaps in half or crumbles, which is how all plastics generally deteriorate and eventually fail....

And since we're talking about PEX, has anyone ever determined how many chemicals a person ingests whenever they drink water from a PEX plumbing system? Just wondering.... Our bodies need some iron or copper, and all pipes leach at least a little of their material. This is the same reason I dont buy bottled water and buy all my soda, beer and other beverages in cans or glass bottles, not plastic.

Reply to
Paintedcow

Are you frigg "The ideal solution would be to install one of those flexible copper (or stainless steel) pipes made for water heaters."

Note the word *ideal*.

So are you saying that you don't prefer *ideal* solutions?

"Easy" rarely equates to "ideal". Which word are you now going with as far as the flexible WH tubes? Easy or Ideal?

In the case of my repair, the ideal solution turned out to be fairly easy. One extra fitting and a shim. Now I have straight copper (just like you like it) and everything lines up perfectly and in a relaxed manner.

It actually would have been more work to go out and buy your "ideal" solution than it was to solder a few fittings.

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That's funny! Are the beverages you are buying 100% natural?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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