Updating Plumbing in 84 Sovereign

[PhilipRay]

I am replacing the faucet and sink in my bath and cannot get a non-leaking connection to the faucet. So I'm planning on putting in a PEX based manifold and update the plumbing in both the bath, shower and galley.


Attaching a picture of the plumbing in the bath. Can someone tell me what type of piping this gray stuff is? What is the best way to transition type of piping from this to modern PEX piping?


Thanks for any help.

[LeeJ]

Following this thread

[rmkrum]

It’s gray CPVC, obsolete, and prone to failure.

Go with PEX and metal fittings with copper crimp rings for better reliability. Lots of data on the firings about this. Imho PEX is the best way to go.

Big box home improvement stores have the pipe in multiple colors and fittings galore.

[PhilipRay]

The pump and external water connection are on one side of the trailer and the galley and bath are on the other. So there is a CPVC pipe running under the floor in the belly pan from one side to the other. I was going to convert fro the CPVC to PEX where it comes into the bath area and if I ever pull the belly pan, then convert the line going between the two sides. What is the best way of connecting the CPVC to PEX?

[JohnTF]

It is not CPVC , it is polybutylene .
Used for yrs. in mobile homes & RV --- very problematic - especially with aluminum crimps .
There only one verity of PEX , but a bunch of fittings & crimp types , most of the crimp types take a lot of experience - training & practice , to get them to not leak .
Wirsbo is the way to go , almost never can be install incorrectly / leaks .
Wirsbo is referring to the fittings , PEX is always PEX .
The Wirsbo fittings use , basically a oversized PEX collar that uses special stretching tools to inlarge the collar and quickly slip over the fitting then the collar goes back to original size .
When replacing old plumbing with PEX --- never put any fittings / breaks where they are not reachable - incase there is an issue .

[tbashin]

If you go PEX I recommend brass fittings. The plastic fittings are the weak point in freeze situations should you not be able to winterize. The brass is a little stronger.

[Bill M.]

I have successfully connected PEX to the gray tubing using brass PEX connectors and the crimped rings. Actually my trailer has quite a few of those connections.

[n2916s]

The polybutylene tubing itself has never failed in my ‘86 but the 90 degree plastic fittings tend to fracture as they age.

[emelaich01]

Looks like Quest. Our house was full of the stuff back in the 80's and other than cracking outright, tended to become porous in use and other bad habits.

New AS's, homes and some commercial properties are plumbed with Pex. Great stuff so far and after doing a couple of repairs, you'll find it's easier and cleaner than PVC. Be sure and get a good crimping tool--not something to cheap out on. Amazon offers several.

[Streamracer]

JohnTF is correct on polybutylene. I used the brass fittings and was told there are no fittings to go from poly to pex although fairly close. I put double crimp rings on the places I left the poly. Like you when the time comes to go across to the sink I'll finish out with all pex.

[JohnTF]

There are adapter fittings - poly to PEX - there is a dimensional difference , between PEX & poly , so getting the correct fittings with crimp collars is important .

[leif9016]

I have connected pex to polybutylene in several spot repairs in my 84 sovereign using the shark bite type fittings with no problems. Eventually I will replace all the poly with pex. I've used the ring type connectors in a lot of home repairs with no problems, definitely go with the brass fittings.
Pex survives freezing!

[rcmenz]

Polybutil fitting came undone under the floor under the kitchen in our 85 Sovereign 25 center bath. I am a bit slow but that was clearly Karma hitting over the head about time for PEX. I am looking at the rats nest of pipe down there and I see what looks like a pair of really cheep poly shut off valves at the low point. No way to reach them normally from inside. No obvious drain tubes through the belly pan. Is there any reason to replace them?

Since I have never seen a low point drain I just use compressed air to flush the system for winter. But I don't want a bad case of the would have should haves on down the road. Is there a straight foreword place to add some low point drains without pulling the belly pan?

(Need to update our signature. Pulling with an LR3 V8 these days)

[leif9016]

You should have low point drains under the sink. I also have an 84 sovereign 25 and I have them. I have a little opening in the cabinet floor under the sink. Down inside that opening there are 2 valves, one hot, one cold with drains that stinck out of the belly pan. If you look under the trailer directly below the kitchen window you will see them.

[perryg114]

Originally Posted by PhilipRay

I am replacing the faucet and sink in my bath and cannot get a non-leaking connection to the faucet. So I'm planning on putting in a PEX based manifold and update the plumbing in both the bath, shower and galley.


Attaching a picture of the plumbing in the bath. Can someone tell me what type of piping this gray stuff is? What is the best way to transition type of piping from this to modern PEX piping?


Thanks for any help.

Shark bite fittings will work on pex and pb tubing. Problem with pb is the fittings not the tubing. Some pb adapters have a collar that stiffens the tubing from inside. The ID is different for pb and pex. Pb takes a different collar on the od side.

Perry

[perryg114]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Shark bite fittings will work on pex and pb tubing. Problem with pb is the fittings not the tubing. Some pb adapters have a collar that stiffens the tubing from inside. The ID is different for pb and pex. Pb takes a different collar on the od side.

Perry

Look on amazon search pb to pex adapters.

[rcmenz]

They have those fittings at Home Depot. Pb, etc on one side and pex on the other. Bothers me that they are good for several types of pipe.

[perryg114]

If you go with sharkbite, take the little top hat insert and add some thickness to it with Teflon tape to make it fit the PB tubing better. The PB is the same OD but the ID is a little bigger than PEX. My sharkbite fittings came with the insert that is typically used with PEX tubing.



Perry