Plumbing - PEX pipe elbow or brass fitting seems very narrow

Jan 22nd, 2018 2:28 pm

#1

Vi20161128 [OP]: Member; Nov 17, 2016; 288 posts; 177 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 2:28 pm

Plumbing - PEX pipe elbow or brass fitting seems very narrow

I have a contractors working on my bathroom renovations. They are using 1/2'' PEX tubes for plumbing and I noticed that standard 1/2'' elbows (example: https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.12-b ... 45037.html) and brass fittings (example: https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.12-i ... 57394.html) goes INSIDE of the tube and because brass is thick, it substantially narrows diamater that watter can pass through and I am just assuming that this should impact on how much water can flow through these tubes. I am afraid that my raindrop showerhead (12'') and hand shower head will not have enough preassure. My contractor said I have no other options and for 1/2'' pipes these are standard fittings that are used everywhere.
Anyone knows plumbing here and could comment on this? Are there different fittings that contractors should use so that watter flow is not reduced?

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Jan 22nd, 2018 2:35 pm

#2

fieldhousehandyman: Deal Addict; Jan 19, 2011; 2952 posts; 1182 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 2:35 pm

the openings insider your shower control valve and mixing valve are smaller even than the ID of a pex fitting.

I used pex throughout for a major main bath renovation a few years ago, but ran pex for my walk in shower direct from a manifold in the basement without any junctions. Provided there are only a couple of pex connectors at most between a main line and your shower valve, you will be fine.

When I run my shower, the rain head and handheld get really good flow, and both work fairly well when the mixer valve is split between the two

you have nothing to worry about.

"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."
Just a guy who dabbles in lots of stuff learning along the way. I do have opinions, and readily share them!

+1

Jan 22nd, 2018 2:59 pm

#3

RCGA: Deal Addict; Dec 10, 2008; 4840 posts; 1373 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 2:59 pm

No other option? LOL

Run 3/4 pex
Use a different type of fitting like Uponor
Run copper

Would love to see what crimping technique they're using

Let's hug it out

+2

Jan 22nd, 2018 3:09 pm

#4

Vi20161128 [OP]: Member; Nov 17, 2016; 288 posts; 177 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 3:09 pm

RCGA wrote: ↑ No other option? LOL

Run 3/4 pex
Use a different type of fitting like Uponor
Run copper

Would love to see what crimping technique they're using

Here is how shower connectors look like:

I checked hand shower connector and it definatelly has very small opening, much smaller than internal diameter of pipe. But 12'' raindrop shower head has bigger opening, but is is rated for 2GPM.

Jan 22nd, 2018 4:31 pm

#5

fieldhousehandyman: Deal Addict; Jan 19, 2011; 2952 posts; 1182 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 4:31 pm

Here's how I did mine:

short copper stubs soldered into my valves then soldered to inline Pex connectors, curved bends, no excess Pex connectors at all.

"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."
Just a guy who dabbles in lots of stuff learning along the way. I do have opinions, and readily share them!

+3

Jan 22nd, 2018 4:36 pm

#6

CaptSmethwick: Deal Fanatic; Oct 12, 2007; 5215 posts; 2592 upvotes; Ottawa

Jan 22nd, 2018 4:36 pm

I wouldn't worry about flow restriction or pressure decrease from the pex fittings in a shower. Short distances of restriction don't really restrict either the flow or the pressure noticeably in most applications. The best set-up with pex is 3/4" or even using 1" trunks with 3/4" or 1/2" branches. But seriously, those are really only needed for bathtubs and (possibly) exterior hose bibbs. IMHO.

What strikes me as surprising in your picture is that the supply lines appear to be copper and then they convert to pex just before the mixer. I would have been tempted to go copper the entire way.

+2

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:14 pm

#7

Vi20161128 [OP]: Member; Nov 17, 2016; 288 posts; 177 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:14 pm

fieldhousehandyman wrote: ↑ Here's how I did mine:
short copper stubs soldered into my valves then soldered to inline Pex connectors, curved bends, no excess Pex connectors at all.

This looks much better than mine.

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:16 pm

#8

Vi20161128 [OP]: Member; Nov 17, 2016; 288 posts; 177 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:16 pm

CaptSmethwick wrote: ↑ I wouldn't worry about flow restriction or pressure decrease from the pex fittings in a shower. Short distances of restriction don't really restrict either the flow or the pressure noticeably in most applications. The best set-up with pex is 3/4" or even using 1" trunks with 3/4" or 1/2" branches. But seriously, those are really only needed for bathtubs and (possibly) exterior hose bibbs. IMHO.

What strikes me as surprising in your picture is that the supply lines appear to be copper and then they convert to pex just before the mixer. I would have been tempted to go copper the entire way.

Thanks! This bathroom previously had bathtub that now is converted to shower. So coper pipes were used in old setup and contractor added PEX pipes from old pipes to reach shower valve.

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:19 pm

#9

Vi20161128 [OP]: Member; Nov 17, 2016; 288 posts; 177 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:19 pm

Thank you very much for replies. This shower will stay as is, as draywal is already in place. But next (when this shower is doen) I will be doing main bathroom with another shower and bathtub. All info I got here is extremely helpful.
I'll talk to contractor about 90 degree bend guide instead of elbow.
Also, for master bathroom I want to make sure that flow into bathtub will be maximum as my bathtub filler support up to 5gpm flow, so clearly 1/2'' PEX piles are not good enough for that as they can handle just 2.3gpm

+1

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:19 pm

#10

fieldhousehandyman: Deal Addict; Jan 19, 2011; 2952 posts; 1182 upvotes

Jan 22nd, 2018 5:19 pm

Vi20161128 wrote: ↑ This looks much better than mine.

I did it myself, and took at least twice the amount of time a contractor and trades would have taken. I expect my results to be at least as good as an absolute minimum.

Your setup is fine, I mean I would have opted to curve the pex in instead of use elbows, but you will have no issue with flow.

"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."
Just a guy who dabbles in lots of stuff learning along the way. I do have opinions, and readily share them!

+1

Jan 22nd, 2018 6:42 pm

#11

Drthorne: Deal Addict; Nov 18, 2005; 4994 posts; 1377 upvotes; Kitchener

Jan 22nd, 2018 6:42 pm

Top is pex and fitting, middle uponor expansion pex and fitting, bottom copper pipe and fitting.

Ask if he can install 90 pex bend supports instead of using a fitting

+2