Nowadays, the Pex is a fairly common water conduction tool. According to statistics, 60% of water supply systems in new residential areas use Pex. Therefore, many of us are not too unfamiliar with this tool.

However, not everyone knows how to use Pex crimping tools when repairing and installing water lines. Using Pex crimp is not difficult; you can completely do it yourself at home without needing a plumber.

With this article, we will guide you in detail on how to use the Pex crimp tool.

In addition, we also provide you with important notes when using Pex. If you intend to install pipes for your home, you should not ignore this article.

Preparation Tools

 

To make the use of the Pex curler easy and convenient, it requires preparation in advance.

Although you only equip some basic tools, those will help you manipulate quickly and limit the movement. From there, you will also save time, get the job done faster and easier.

Here are the tools you must prepare before using Pex crimp:

To make the use of the Pex curler easy and convenient, it requires preparation in advance.

Although you only equip some basic tools, those will help you manipulate quickly and limit the movement.

From there, you will also save time and get the job done faster and easier.

Here are the tools you must prepare before using Pex crimp:

• Sure, the Pex arming is obvious. Usually, you can choose ½ inch Pex.
• 1 Pex curl, you will also use ½ inch.
• 1 Pex 90-degree elbow is about the same size as the Pex you have (½ inch).
• Another indispensable tool is the 90-degree SharkBite elbow, which is the same size as the Pex.
• Pex pipe cutter to make pipe cutting easier.
• Pex bending ring cutter: quite important and cannot be ignored.
• A SharkBite depth tool will help you better.
• Finally, You will need the Sharpie Marker.

One caveat that you must be aware of is that not all local plumbing codes allow the use of Pex. So, you should find out and ask if your home’s pipes can use Pex or not to avoid wasted effort.

After everything is ready, we will come to the steps below.

How To Use Pex Crimp Tool

 

Here, we will guide you in the most detailed and specific 6 steps. If you have no experience using Pex crimp, you can still succeed by following the steps below. So, don’t worry too much.

Step 1: Slide the crimp ring into the Pex

First, you choose the right type of Pex for your intended use to start sliding the bent ring. All include 3 Pex colors:

• Red Pex crimp tool: for hot water lines.
• Blue Pex: used for cold water lines.
• White or gray Pex crimp tool: it is a neutral Pex to be used for hot or cold water. Usually, this type is used for both hot and cold water.

Then, take the crimp ring attached to the Pex and slide it inside the Pex with your hand. Be careful not to slide too deep inside using the depth go gauge prepared above and mark the depth with Sharpie Marker.

Step 2: Install the connecting pipe

Next, you slide your adapter inward to the previously marked depth. One more note is that you do not slide the connecting pipe through the bend in step 1.

To continue, you attach a 90-degree elbow to the Pex and forcefully push it inside the Pex until the depth is at a 90-degree segment.

Because the inside of the elbow has a small tube, it will be quite difficult to push in and take a lot of force. So, you can use the trick of slowly turning the elbow 90 degrees in a certain direction.

Step 3: Bend the Pex

Before starting to bend, you must determine the size of the drinking ring as measured from the end of the Pex. Accordingly, the optimal size recommended by SharkBite is from 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch.

Sometimes you feel that this size is different from many Pex systems on the market, and it is probably not true. But you need to know that the manufacturer has tested on this size. So, if you follow the instructions, the results will be better.

Once you know the dimensions, use the Pex crimping tool set at a 90-degree angle to the crimping ring. After that, you can use pliers to bend until you hear the edge pop and compress into a circle slowly.

You can refer to the video below for details on how to do it https://youtu.be/hqs_O0gfQYk

Step 4: Check the tightening of the connecting crimp rings

After everything is done, you have to check again that the loops are closed. If you do not squeeze tightly, water will overflow right at the joint.

From there, the repair will be much more difficult. Therefore, please check the tightness carefully before using it.

The good news for you is that SharkBite also has a tightness measurement device. When putting the device to the test, if the ‘GO’ slot fits your flex ring, you have installed the Pex correctly. If you slide the ‘NO-GO’ slot through the bend, it means you need to re-adjust only afterward.

Step 5: Fix the crimp rings for more uniformity

For those who use Pex crimp for the first time, making mistakes is inevitable. One of them is the irregular fixation leading to loss of aesthetics.

In fact, the repair is not too difficult if your crimped ring is more than ¼ times the Pex tip. You just need to use the fixing Pex crimp tool prepared earlier to fix it evenly.

Step 6: Use Sharkbite accessory

In general, using SharkBite accessories makes it a lot easier for us to do. Tools support almost all steps of making SharkBite.

Using SharkBite’s tools is not too difficult. On the contrary, they are very light and easy to handle. However, SharkBite is quite expensive, so it is also a drawback for many people.

Notes On Using Pex

If you are inexperienced in using Pex, it is very easy for you to make mistakes that cause many serious consequences. So, to limit the risks, you need to note the following things when using Pex:

Select a common connection system

To choose an effective pex pipe connection system with accessories, you should consider what is available where you shop.

Usually, you will find many systems, but most of them do not go through local plumbing providers. So, we will give you the following two main methods:

• Brass crimping ring.
• Stainless steel cinch ring.

Do not buy Pex coil

Another mistake many people make is that they often choose coils instead of Pex rods.

First, for straight lines, the club will work a lot better.

Second, the elasticity of the coil is very high, making it difficult to pull. In contrast, coil installation is often easier and quicker. Therefore, professional plumbers often use straight form rather than roll form.

Avoid folding

Next is a pretty important note that you must know is to avoid the pipe bends or bends too tightly. Because, when folded, the water will clog and may burst the water pipe, causing serious damage.

In particular, the characteristics of Pex coils are very easy to bend due to elasticity. To solve this problem as quickly as possible, cut off the bend and rejoin the new joint. Or you can also use the curl sleeve tool to help avoid folding the Pex.

Thanks to the support of the bending cutter

 

In fact, you can completely cut the curl yourself, but you will feel quite tired and lose time. So why don’t you take advantage of a bending cutter?

In terms of use, the machine helps you remove the folding rings easily. In addition, damage to the coupling is also very unlikely when you use the cutter.

As you know, pex pipe accessories are quite expensive. Therefore, being careful in using a bending cutter can also save you a large amount of money.

Do not worry too much about the operation when using. In general, using a bending cutter is not as difficult as you think; you only need to make two cuts on the ring.

Don’t take advantage of Pex

 

In the end, not taking full advantage of Pex will bring you a big disadvantage.

Accordingly, Pex is relatively more flexible than materials such as copper, zinc, etc. With Pex, you can easily connect one end of the pipe to the water control system and then go through the wall or floor without interruption during installation.

In addition, Pex is expandable, so the crack resistance of pex pipe is quite good. What’s more, Pex materials do not rust over time. From there, this approach protects the water source and the health of consumers to the maximum.

Conclusion

With this article, we hope you can use Pex crimp effectively and quickly.

In addition, we also mentioned common notes that people often encounter. Following those notes will help you limit a lot of risks when using them.

In short, you just need to follow the steps that we guide you to install pex to the water pipe. It will not be difficult anymore.

If you have any questions or comments, please contribute below to answer and fix them as quickly as possible.

Do not forget to share the article with everyone if you find the information useful.

Thanks for reading!