That leaky PEX fitting in my basement took 6 HOURS to fix

Everyone says PEX is so easy to work with but I spent a whole weekend fighting a single crimp ring near the water heater in my Edmonton house. The tool kept slipping and I had to redo it THREE times before the joint stopped dripping. Has anyone else had a crimper that just won't grab right on the first try?

3 comments

3 Comments

blakem378d ago

Ugh dude that sucks. PEX can be such a pain sometimes.

derek6568d ago

Went through almost the exact same thing last month, @graceblack. Had a ring pop off three times before I noticed the new crimper I bought had a tiny burr on the jaw from the factory. Ended up filing it down with a old nail file while my wife kept telling me to just call a plumber. That PEX line still holds, but I replaced the whole tool anyway just to be safe.

graceblack8d ago

...and my buddy in Calgary had the exact same crimper issue with his hot water line. He was out there on a Tuesday night with a headlamp, cursing at this ring that wouldn't stay put no matter how hard he squeezed. Finally figured out the jaws on the tool were slightly bent from him dropping it once. He ended up having to borrow a neighbors crimper to get the job done. By the time that joint was dry he'd already bought a whole new tool set online out of pure spite.