After 20 years we had our first major leak blowout from a pex to copper manifold. The failure was actually at one of the shutoff valves between pex and copper. Couldn't find the leak at first since the stream was heading UP towards the ceiling and a dryer exhaust pipe. Why we always look up for leaks ? So, the manifold, pex, and valves were replaced. A PITA. Just a heads up that even pex with fittings can't last forever.
Yeah, I’d like to know the failure point..... 20 + years on some 1/2” PEX waterline to my parent’s dock, quite a bit of it exposed, with sprinkler style clamps..... never once leaked. Yes, drained before freezing temps.
Well I'm impressed with 20 . This place has wide variations in temp ( no central heat ), high iron content in the well. And bad fung shui. Pex connections need to be done to spec and instructions with their special tool for fitting. It was the valve. But to be safe for the next 20 ( you may not be around ) we replaced the whole azz'y. Same as done on large machinery ( e.g choppers, tanks, your vehicle front end ) to avoid MTBR in-the-field breakdowns. Don't want another chinese fire drill water panic. ( Now please don't flame for the remark ).
It is my experience that the rubber bushing on copper bleeder valves are good for about 30 years.. unfortunately my house is 34 years old and builder most have bought them by the gross
An inconvenient truth: the pex to copper manifold repair was done professionally by a Master Plumber. I had done pex plumbing when we built, but this wasn't the time to relearn or practice. Pex is one of the most innovative and reliable products to come out of the German engineering system; a fossil fuel product BTW. It is like many free market innovations that have made our lives easier and safer. Think Arpanet. And Think Kevlar. Only wish we had it many years ago.
One other science to think: you have pex to brass to copper with high iron in our well. So, what do you call it mixing dissimilar metals in a fluid boy and girls ? Tik, tik, tik.... Clue is that sacrificial zincs are on vessels.
You call it a battery but it causes corrosion. Are those manifolds or valves supposed to be grounded or bonded together in any way?
No. But water is the ground. Recall that Maine water here has iron. Whole house filter takes most of it.
