Pex clamp failures

[Mellsworth]

Hello all, new here and need help! Pex clamps on our hot water lines keep busting in our kitchen ceiling and I don’t know what to do!

Our home is 2 stories with finished basement, only 5 years old. The past 2 years we have had 4 water leaks in our kitchen ceiling, all from pex clamp failures on the hot water lines. Each failure is at a different site right in the middle of our kitchen and there is evidence of corrosion at the sites. The kitchen is kept at 70 degrees all year long. Our original plumber covered the pex in insulation. I have used 5 plumbers to try to find out the cause and no one knows. Theories range from water pressure, water temp being too hot, improper installation, bad batch of clamps, the pex being insulated, or our recirculating pump making the fittings too hot and corroding them have been proposed. I don’t think it’s an installation issue bc it’s only Happening at the lines in the kitchen which is weird but I’m not sure.

We have no idea what to do and how to stop these leaks!

We have a pressure regulator at the water main entrance so that’s not the issue.

Any ideas? Thanks!!View attachment IMG_2414.jpeg

 

[Twowaxhack]

Replace all the fittings with stainless fittings. That’s your solution.

 

[Mellsworth]

Replace all the fittings with stainless fittings. That’s your solution.

You think the brass fittings are causing the stainless steel clamp failures?

I don’t understand why everyone keeps telling me that I’m the only person they have ever seen that has had these failures when all these plumbers are using the same materials as they installed mine with. Just confused

 

[Twowaxhack]

I have no idea why…….

To solve your issue and move on with your busy life, replace the fittings with stainless and use copper crimp rings.

That’ll solve your problem.

 

[jerg1213]

I have only used the rings and haven't had a failure. I've felt that the crimp style could be not as secure and that there was more room for error during installation if not fully/adequately crimped. But I'm no expert, so what do I know?

 

[havasu]

Pex has always seemed to be very critical with their connectors, even including a "go- no go" gauge when using the crimp fittings. This type of crimping seems you'd be leaving much to guessing when securing it.

 

[sarg]

I have only used the rings and haven't had a failure. I've felt that the crimp style could be not as secure and that there was more room for error during installation if not fully/adequately crimped. But I'm no expert, so what do I know?

It can be confusing.......... The Crimp style is with the copper rings. The "other" style as shown in the OPs pictures are called the Clamp or Cinch style.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Pex has always seemed to be very critical with their connectors, even including a "go- no go" gauge when using the crimp fittings. This type of crimping seems you'd be leaving much to guessing when securing it.

I’ve never had a crimp leak that I can remember. Never……and I’ve crimped thousands of them. I’ve missed crimps but never had a crimp leak.

 

[havasu]

I'm guessing that with crimping so many of them, you know and can feel the pressure on a hand held crimper. Obviously, a Pro-Press is a much different beast.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I'm guessing that with crimping so many of them, you know and can feel the pressure on a hand held crimper. Obviously, a Pro-Press is a much different beast.

Once the crimper is set it rarely or ever has to be adjusted. Clamp it over the ring square and close the handles. So easy a retired cop neighbor handyman in commifornia could do it.

 

[havasu]

Once the crimper is set it rarely or ever has to be adjusted. Clamp it over the ring square and close the handles. So easy a retired cop neighbor handyman in commifornia could do it.

Oh, you funny guy for an overpaid, underworked turd chaser!

 

[havasu]

Oh, you funny guy for an overpaid, underworked turd chaser!

Then again, i guess with my career catching crooks, I could use "overpaid, underworked turd chaser" to describe myself, right? LOL!

 

[Twowaxhack]

Oh, you funny guy for an overpaid, underworked turd chaser!

I wasn’t talking about you……..

 

[tomt30960]

Pex has always seemed to be very critical with their connectors, even including a "go- no go" gauge when using the crimp fittings. This type of crimping seems you'd be leaving much to guessing when securing it.

Apollo has a crimping tool with an indicator light that tells you when to stop. The claim is that it prevents both over and under-tightening and works well in tight, confined spaces because you only need one hand to use it, and it is good up to 1" diameter fittings

 

[Twowaxhack]

Apollo has a crimping tool with an indicator light that tells you when to stop. The claim is that it prevents both over and under-tightening and works well in tight, confined spaces because you only need one hand to use it, and it is good up to 1" diameter fittings

I believe that’s the cinch clamp tool. If you get dirt in it, it’s over with.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Then again, i guess with my career catching crooks, I could use "overpaid, underworked turd chaser" to describe myself, right? LOL!

You’re so mean to me.

 

[TomFOhio]

It looks like all the spots leaking the crimps are bad. I have the tool with the light and the crimps never look like that.