# ZURN PEX plumbing and the customers who use them



## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

I started this thread for those who have never used PEX or are thinking of using it or are interested in changing to accommodate budget minded consumers.

I've been putting in PEX for over 15 years now and I've never had a single failure that I'm aware of. In that time I have used 4 different systems until I finally decided to stick with ZURN products. The following thread is how ZURN crimp rings work. as well as a story about a customer who had very little money and requested a simple budget minded water system on a complete gut-out remodel of a little 2 story home that's about 1,000 square feet.

The ZURN crimp system is simply a Stainless Steel ring that gets crimped from the side vs other other systems where the entire ring gets crimped.

The ring slides on the PEX tubing until the 3 tabs bottom out on the edge of the PEX. It also has a sight window that the user is able to see the colored tubing to verify proper depth. 

The fittings, if used, are plastic and also have a depth stop where the ringed tubing butts up against.

The crimping tool works for all sizes so the user only needs one tool. The tool also has a battery operated blue light that lets you know when the ring is fully crimped.

You simply keep ratcheting until the light goes on. That's it.


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

Here is the crimping process in 3 photos.


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

There's always been a debate about running PEX in homeruns using manifolds vs branches using T's. Both work. I prefer manifolds. And yes, you can still run a recirc line, I have done it a few times and it works great.

Anyhow, below are a couple photos of a job i'm currently doing. Rough inspection is next week Monday. It is a manifold system using the "homerun" method. The manifolds have yet to be installed but I do have photos of the 1st and 2nd floor.

The home owners name is Steve. Steve called me one day with a special request. This happens all the time, everybody situation is unique and all we can do as contractors is provide a solution. The request was for a simple dependable system that is affordable and low maintenance. 

Steve bought a trashed home that was pretty old. The house was small and pretty scabbed together....typical of the 1920's -1950's. He decided to gut the entire house and start fresh.

I gave Steve 2 options to pick from. The first was glued CPVC plastic water pipe and the 2nd was a home run PEX system. He chose PEX.

The house has a bathroom on the 2nd floor and an bathroom on the 1st floor. 

Some people when they run PEX don't use any copper at all, they stub out PEX right from the wall, support it with a bend support, and when dry walled and painted either crimp of compress valves on for the fixtures. For myself, and Steve, I did it differently. I ran the home runs but stubbed out of the wall using copper. The second floor water for the sinks need to be ran on the floor under the cabinet. It was a mess under the floor joists. Anyhow, below is how I'm currently running the PEX on his home.

The water piping for both shower valves, all the pex, and the stub outs took me about 1-1/2" hours.

The photos


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

Here is the ceiling before I put Zip-Ties on the PEX


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

Here is a pre-made Sioux Chief stub-out with a bracket installed before it's mounted.


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

photo


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

Shower valves I always do in copper just because I like how rigid it is.


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

The last two photos are for the double bowl 2nd floor lavs. I sweat them together using brass drop ears that are screwed to the floor. The are kicked forward and drop under the cabinet. When finished the home owners gets a real solid copper water supply under the cabinet.


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

That's all I have so far, I'm still plumbing the house. The photos are terrible because they were taken with my cell phone right before dark.

If anybody wants to put photos here of PEX work they did feel free. 

Mike


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

Oconomowoc said:


> Shower valves I always do in copper just because I like how rigid it is.


Man I wish you lived closer! We disagree with our plumbers on how best to install...they do it our way but gripe a little. Your install is almost exactly how we prefer it!


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

overanalyze said:


> Man I wish you lived closer! We disagree with our plumbers on how best to install...they do it our way but gripe a little. Your install is almost exactly how we prefer it!


There's different ways to do this of course, my way is how I do it based on things I like and don't like. For me at least, I can sweat up a shower tree in minutes and then I have a nice solid unit I can strap between the studs. It might be overkill and unnecessary but that's my favorite way to approach it.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Oconomowoc said:


> There's different ways to do this of course, my way is how I do it based on things I like and don't like. For me at least, I can sweat up a shower tree in minutes and then I have a nice solid unit I can strap between the studs. It might be overkill and unnecessary but that's my favorite way to approach it.


Hey I thought you were a service business...you doing rough-ins now?


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

Oconomowoc said:


> There's different ways to do this of course, my way is how I do it based on things I like and don't like. For me at least, I can sweat up a shower tree in minutes and then I have a nice solid unit I can strap between the studs. It might be overkill and unnecessary but that's my favorite way to approach it.


Not overkill at all. People appreciate grabbing the valve and not having it move. Also the full flow of copper prevents shower head drip while using the tub spout.


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## Oconomowoc (Oct 13, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> Hey I thought you were a service business...you doing rough-ins now?


I do one, maybe two per year, and I only do the ones that are fun or interesting. Steve and I hit it off right away, he was a cool guy and I wanted to help him and his family. 

I worked a deal with him. I told him I would do it if I had no schedule whatsoever and no pressure. I could come and go as I please and work on it periodically between service calls. One week I had 2 hours and that was it. 

In return, I met his budget and dropped my rates in half. The job is T&M.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Oconomowoc said:


> I do one, maybe two per year, and I only do the ones that are fun or interesting. Steve and I hit it off right away, he was a cool guy and I wanted to help him and his family.
> 
> I worked a deal with him. I told him I would do it if I had no schedule whatsoever and no pressure. I could come and go as I please and work on it periodically between service calls. One week I had 2 hours and that was it.
> 
> In return, I met his budget and dropped my rates in half. The job is T&M.


It can be real nice to have a relaxed job to fill in the gaps.


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## moorewarner (May 29, 2009)

Nice thread Mike, thanks for posting it.

We have the nastiest rat's nest of old piping in our place and want to redo it all in PEX.


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## Driftweed (Nov 7, 2012)

I've redone about 15 rentals in pex. We just replumb from the main & do it all. Usually in wintertime when pipes burst, a whole house conversion is an easy sell.

Personally, I use a similar crimp ring setup like you. You can get the pliers @ depot for $60.

However, when we did the conversions, we went 100% pex to the shower handles/heads. No metal. Clamping stuff every chance we got to floor joists, etc eliminates pipe movement. Even on tub handles.

2 guys can knock a whole house changeover in 1 day max. 1 person under the floor & 1 person above. 

I love the red & blue pipe, it assures the customer it's ran correctly.


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## sledhead54 (Mar 16, 2013)

My only complaint on pex is the same I have with running electrical wires, it's hard to keep from looking like a mess without a lot of extra blocking. The cost of copper sucks, but it looks a lot cleaner when done and some prefer the taste of the water through a copper pipe. I'm just a nobody, but that is my two cents.


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## BThomas (Apr 21, 2013)

Sled
My buddy AL was a master of the copper. He had his handy bender tools and used the BT copper ( not around anymore). He would bend a full length ( 20 ' ) with sometimes fifteen or more bends and place it. Talk about beautiful copper work. I hated to close the walls.
BillT


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