Flexible plumbing pipe
I’m plumbing the interior of my house with PEX and my exterior line will also be a 1” PEX line. I have a pipe sleeve running through the bottom of my footing, which then makes a 90 degree angle to come up through my basement slab. My original intention was to run the 1” PEX line through the sleeve and to the manifold. The problem I’ve run into is I can’t push the PEX line through that 90 degree angle, there just isn’t enough flexibility in the line.
So now I’m looking at other options like flexible stainless steel pipe that’s typically used for appliance hook ups. I think there’s also flexible PVC and a few other options.
Has anyone ran into this issue and have any recommendations?
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Replies
Rod,
I think you are going to have to bust up the concrete to make a correction -- so you can install a long-sweep ell in your conduit, or a larger diameter conduit.
I'm having a hard time picturing a 1" steel pipe that is more flexible than PEX. PVC is a bad idea for several reasons.
This is a long shot, but what type of PEX are you using? Type A is much more malleable than type B. If you're using type B and it can almost make it, it's possible that type A would work. You can also warm the pipe up a bit to try to help it around the bend. Once around the bend and inside the house, you'd add a joint.
Rod,
When you sleeve for pex you need to use sweeps at the corners. I don't know if your code would allow it, but one solution, if the the 90 degree bend is with-in arms length of the exterior or slab, would be to use a shark-bite fitting at the bend.