OT: PVC & Poly Pex

if you just need to connect two threaded fittings, why not use a brass fitting or something like that and be done with it, instead of messing around with something that might not work?

-Lasse

be

Pure brass fittings are very expensive and hard to get. PVC fitting with brass insert is possible. Alternative, a rubber gasket in the middle to insulate the PVC from hot water (around 120F).

How about a CPVC or brass or galvanized union

the whole part will heat up to close to the water temperature if the threads soften too much it could get messy

Can't you get brass with the same thread? (should that be bra$$) if you can't rotate on of the ends you'll need to use a pipe union.

what about chopping the ends off and using a pex-to-pex joiner?

Jasen.

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what do you consider very expensive?, can probably get a 3/8" coupling in brass or stainless here for something like ~5$

-Lasse

I had to replace the base cabinet & do other repairs in my kitchen where someone used a PVC female fitting for the sink. It was spraying a mist so fine that I couldn't find the problem until I had removed the damaged base cabinet and cut off the female fittings. That's when the hairline crack spread the rest of the way and it snapped in half. Using the right valves & fittings would have cost about the same, but the 'Mr. Fixit' handyman the previous owner hired screwed up everything he touched. That was over $1,000+ in damage. It's your choice.

be

Unfortunately, there are reports of cracking brass and poly pex fittings as well. Copper leaks also. I guess there's a risk in any plumbling material. PVC fittings are twice as thick as poly pex. PVC pipes are filmsy, but fittings are rather strong.

be

The water will probably be between 120F to 140F. What would be the safe temperature margin?

It's not just melting---it could be embrittlement, leeching or any number of other things. The insurance companies tend to deny coverage when they find code violations; it's not worth the risk.

Can you just cut off the existing fittings and redo the whole thing using those sharkbite fittings?

Even brass fitting can leak. I had one brass supply valve fail on the hot line 12 yrs ago, the cold valve failed last year. The supply valves were threaded 1/2 to 1/4 compression and they both split across the 1/2 threads. Unless my duffus plumber over torqued them I'd say cheap materials/design was the cause.

The biggest problem is mixing types. There are warnings not to use female PVC fittings with metal, yet I see them fairly often. Alos, you see that the end of the pipe and the fitting have been replaced. Wonder why? :)

Either over tightened, or they froze. Valves leak. Lucas would be proud of how many leak. That's why the sell valve packing material & new valves. You wouldn't want to buy industrial grade pipe & valves for your bathroom.