CPVC to PEX for intermediate plumbing

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mdnagel
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Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:39 am

I have some new faucets that I'd like to install in my bathrooms. They come with non-detachable 3/8" braided hose.

The existing plumbing is CPVC to (weird push-pull) plastic shutoff valves with (white) crimped-on flex tubing to the fixtures (all are the same).

Although I'd love to PEX the entire home I just don't have time to do it now, but would like to do things that would stub-in for now.

I'd initially bought some (nice?) shark-bite 1/4 turn valves after discovering that I couldn't find any 5/8" CPVC to 1/3" 1/4 turn valves. I'm having second thoughts about installing these things. One is over whether I can trust them not to leak. The other is that they'd no longer be of use when converting to PEX. So...

Is there anything that I can use for a 1/4 turn valve connecting from 5/8" (OD) CPVC that takes PEX and then can be used to connect up a standard 3/8" faucet?

CPVC 5/8" OD -> PEX -> 1/4 turn valve -> 3/8" standard sink fixture line

Or, would I just be better off just putting in some simple tubing connector from the existing flex tubing (not sure of size, but it's small- 3/8"?) with a threaded 3/8" end? Don't want to spend a bunch of time and money on something that would get pitched when going to all PEX.
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Greg
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I believe they make a CPVC to PEX adapter, (JD help me out here)I seem to remember seeing at Lowes. If you have to, you can go to a threaded adapter and then to PEX. Once you get to PEX you should be home free.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mdnagel
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Hi Greg,

Yeah, was looking to do that but Lowe's didn't have anything that would work on 5/8" OD! I was all set to go this route (that's when I got desperate and went with the shark bite valves). Seems that nothing wants to play nicely (still working on flooring, and it's giving me fits trying to get things flattened out- just a hallway and dining room to go though).
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Greg
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Just checked a chart I found, 3/8" CPVC is .675"OD (5/8" is .625") so it sounds like you may be working with 3/8" ID CPVC. you may need to try a full service hardware store to get adapters. Lowes may not stock slow moving odd stuff.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mdnagel
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How bizarre is that? You'd think that 5/8" would be bigger... I took a closer look and saw that the pipe is stamped with "5/8 OD 1/2 ID." A quick caliper reading shows OD of about .630". Sigh, all I want to do is toss on some faucets, a job that should take only about 10 minutes...

I don't know what the ID is of the flex hose, but I guess (for now) that I'd like to just cut it and put in some sort of barbed adapter with a 3/8" male thread that I can attach the new fixture's hose to. Something like this (though it's not clear what size the barb is): http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... ogId=10053
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Greg
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If you can cut a couple of inches off of the CPVC and take it with you, that may help.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mdnagel
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I'm thinking that I'll just amputate at the hose. If I am unable to find anything, such as the barbed hose fitting, then I'm pretty sure that I can splice the hose back together. I need only turn the shutoff to the fixture off. In order to cut the CPVC I'd have to have the water to the entire house shut off: and then if I couldn't find something?

I suspect that this 10 minute job will have to be put off until I can find a couple of days :-( (which probably won't be for several months- grr!)
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Greg
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Sometimes the simple jobs turn out to be the worst.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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JD
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[quote="mdnagel" I don't know what the ID is of the flex hose, but I guess (for now) that I'd like to just cut it and put in some sort of barbed adapter with a 3/8" male thread that I can attach the new fixture's hose to. [/quote]

I am at a loss here. Never worked with 5/8 plastic pipe. PEx barb fittings come in 3/8 1/2 3/4 and larger, but not 5/8". Most stores here only carry 1/2" and larger fittings and pipe, not 3/8", although it is available.

If it were me, I would convert to 1/2" pipe thread and plumb with that to the stub out. Then install a 1/2" x 3/8" shut off valve, to have 3/8 for your supply lines. Be sure the stub out or PEx pipe will reach the supply lines.
☯JD♫
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All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
mdnagel
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Folks at Lowe's were pretty perplexed as well. But that's what's printed on the pipe, 5/8" OD (and it actually measures out as such)! It looks like it's going to be more of a hassle to try and stub this for PEX than it's worth and that I'm better off saving my energy and money until I'm ready to go full PEX. So much for thinking I'd slowly wade in to it (PEX)...

This kind of stuff, along with my flooring that looks like it was constructed by someone with a roller-coaster fetish (T-joists all higher than the others, causing the flooring to undulate), has me wondering how anyone (in my case, Champion) could have been in business with these kinds of practices.
Steve S.
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mdnagel wrote:... I'm better off saving my energy and money until I'm ready to go full PEX. So much for thinking I'd slowly wade in to it (PEX)...

This kind of stuff, along with my flooring that looks like it was constructed by someone with a roller-coaster fetish (T-joists all higher than the others, causing the flooring to undulate), has me wondering how anyone (in my case, Champion) could have been in business with these kinds of practices.
I think there are a lot of us who would like to go full PEX...I have bits and pieces of new PEX, mostly from new shut-off valves to faucets...I just can't find the time or the gumption to start tearing into the underbelly. What year is your Champion? I have a 1985 New Haven model...and I can't really complain about the construction of mine, although someone went crazy with a staple-gun and some of the floor joists are unevenly spaced...but the plumbing isn't bad, although the pipes are all PB and the dreaded acetal fittings are all ticking time bombs.
HHands
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I am confused (which is not unusual). I thought 1/2 inch pex, copper and cpvc all had the same OD of 5/8 inch. So a 1/2 nominal sharkbite would fit all 3 types since they are copper tube size (CTS). Please help me understand what I am missing here - I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. :D
-Dave
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JD
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Hi Dave,

I think we are missing the same part to the puzzle. You are correct that all 3 pipe types have the same OD. What I am missing is how mdangel is not finding a fitting to fit his needs. Maybe it is some weird type of pipe or something. I know when I run into the old black polyethylene (not PEx), nothing in the stores short of hose clamps fits well enough to not leak.
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Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
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Greg
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I hate to date myself, but I seem to remember in the early 70's when I worked in a hardware store (after school) there were some weird PVC/CPVC sizes. it may have been a manufacturer that wanted to lock you into buying THEIR fittings. The only other thought, do they make a schedule 80 PVC???

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
HouseMedic
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Are you sure it is CPVC and not just PVC? I know PVC is just for drains but someone might have made a change before. If it is CPVC and is 1/2" (5/8 O.D.) any big box store should have the transition connector. I have used them a couple of times. It is a glue on (for cpvc) to a crimp on (for pex) They also make one for Polybutylene pipe to PEX.
Here is what they look like.
http://www.kbico.com/filez_29101/specsh ... apters.pdf

And another http://www.bow-group.com/Pages/popupPro ... 2441&ip=US

Ron
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