Here’s a quick update on the house, not the farm. We thought we could test some small scale projects here, before going full scale on the farm. The first new idea was to use PEX for plumbing. The old copper, and a few pieces of old iron, were rather corroded, and the kitchen faucet leaked more than it poured. Problem was, it was conected directly to the plumbing. No shut offs or disconnects. Both of the laundry bibs in the basement were also bad, and the shower had been leaking too.
The main problem in fixing all this, was that there was no logical place to cut in. Fixing any one of them would involve cuttin gout larger chucks and redoing large sections to get around old problems.
So, how to fix it? Simple, rip every piece of pipe out of the house and start over! The demolition portion was fast, and for the most part, installing PEX was fast. There are a few issues I’ll point out for anyone else considering.

• Rolled PEX has memory. 3/4″ has a life of it’s own. Having a helper old this stuff still, and tacking parts down first will save on headaches. It will not stay where you left it, and will curve back when you are done.
• Crimpers. The standard kind of crimpers neglect to warn you that the handles need to open 180 degrees to get the jaws open enough to get on the crimp rings. In new construction, it might be easier, but I was working behind drains and in joists. I had a few challenges
• Manifolds. While I love the design possibilities and the flow control using mini-manifolds, I found an issue when crimping. The crimping tool only fits on from the ends. There is not enough room between ports to reach in from the side. That caused a big headache behinf the main sewer drain.
• It’s fast. There are no splices and I used 1 elbow. With so few fittings, there are few chances of leaks.
• It might have been skill, or the lack of a tight fitting crimper. I had to leave some slack in the PEX in order to crimp. This left some curves and bends in a retrofit. In new construction, it would be a little easier. I still can’t keep the 3/4″ lines going tot he water heater straight.
• Curved pipe = fast flow rates? It may also be quiet. The bathroom sink turned hot real quick, and I don’t recall hearing water running.

And here is the best part. Not a single leak!!!! Well, I had 1 drip and that was from the thread to threaf connection attaching the washing machine to the hose bib. Would I do it again, sure. Our local Ace Hardware rents the crimpers for $14 a day, which was the deciding factor. I was holding off when the average price was $150. The next time, we may get all the parts and start some tubing runs before renting the crimpers. You can ‘tack’ the fittings down with pliers, just to get the rings to stop sliding. This might be a better use of time on a larger project.
Cost of re-doing entire house with PEX: ~$350, plus the costs of a new kitchen faucet and a bathtub/shower kit. I’ll post a picture after clean-up is done.

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