PEX retro fit. How DO I attached PEX to something solid ?

[Ray]

Afternoon everyone.

I want to replace the galvanized pipes in my mid 1970's single wide with PEX.

I'm having a hard time understanding how to attach the PEX to the house.
I DO understand how to attach fittings, connectors and such to the PEX with slip rings.

But NOT how to make the PEX rigid so as to accept hose bibs or shut off vales like under the sink for the hot and cold feeds.

IE:
Under the kitchen sink there are two galvanized pipes protruding through the base of the cabinet.
One for hot water and one for cold.
They are rigid.
You know, solid.
If I grab either one, they don't move if I try and wiggle them.
That made it easy for me to attach shut off valves so I could change out the faucet without turning the water off to the entire house.

No comes my PEX pipe.
I hope to use the rolled flexible type.

I can drill a hole right next to each of the galvanized pipes under the sink and snake my PEX through.
But now it is flopping around.
In a retro fit situation like mine, where I hope not to open the walls, how to I attach the PEX to something before attaching my shut off vales to the PEX?

Another good example would be the fill valve for the toilet.
There is a rigid galvanized pipe sticking out of the wall right now.
And a shut off valve screwed onto the pipe.
I can probably snake a piece of PEX right next to it but once again it would be flopping around.

The shower and tub seem to be a lot easier.
I have a full length access panel that can be removed.
I'm guessing there is a PEX fitting of some sort, that can be attached to a 2 X 4 up around the shower head.
The PEX will run into the bottom of this fitting and the shower head "bar" will most probably screw into the other end of this fitting.

I really don't want to open the walls in order to attach the PEX to the studs inside of the walls.

I hope I am being clear.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Is a puzzlement !

Ray in Wisconsin

[Jim from Canada]

There should be no problem attaching the pex to a faucet. Simply install the proper fitting to the pex and thread it on to the faucet. The ideal way to do the install is to have two manifolds, one for hot and one for cold. Install the manifold near the water heater and where the water service enters the home. The shut off valves attach to the manifold and you have an individual run to each appliance ( tub, sink, toilet). That way you have no joints or fittings between the manifold and the appliance. There are clips to attach the pex to studs, they are kind of like the ones used to put in wiring, only made for pex. You can instali the pex like normal plumbing, going through holes in joists/studs and using clips to run along the length of the joists. Make nice holes in the wood without sharp spots etc. You can also attach a board across joists and attach the pex to that with the clips. I hope this helps. Might be a few things I'm missing, some one will surely fill in anything I'm forgetting.

Jim

[Greg]

Ray, there are many different styles of adapters for pex. you can get NPT (pipe thread), Copper sweat, and it seems like I have seen some compression type adapters.
As Jim said mount a 2x to the wall and use straps to hold the tubing .
There is an article in the articles section about working with PEX. Greg

[Ray]

Hello again Greg and Jim,

So if I understand correctly ....

The on / off valves are located on the manifold.
The I just run a "home run" from the on / off valve on the manifold up through the bottom of the kitchen sink cabinet (right next to the existing hot and cold gavanized pipes.)

Then I attached the appropriate adapter to the end of the PEX and just screw it firectly on to the hot or cold connection on the bottom of the faucet ?

I'm guessing it would probably be the same for the cold water feed to the toilet as well.

If this is true then I guess I DO understand and I thank you both for your time and responses.

Ray in Wisconsin.

[Greg]

You can install a valve in line near the faucets also. Greg

[Guest]

Hi. I have pex installed in my mobile home.(above the floor,inside my MH)..i dont have any under the floor at all.My brother and i did it last fall. I installed valves along the line...you can.I like the pex a lot better than the copper pipe.Thanks.
Glen