Re-piping supply lines with PEX


  #1  
Old 11-17-13, 12:25 PM
M
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 7
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Question Re-piping supply lines with PEX

Hi,

I am re-piping my supply lines with PEX and am not 100% sure how to go about the routing since I have a water softener as well as my water heater to take into account. I want to use a manifold system as well for distribution.

How does the following diagram look for doing this?

Name:  new plumbing.jpg
Views: 15718
Size:  20.6 KB
 
  #2  
Old 11-17-13, 02:40 PM
lawrosa's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Galivants Ferry SC USA
Posts: 15,993
Received 84 Upvotes on 76 Posts
Looks good to me... Welcome to the forums...

FYI what size pipe you using?

IMO I would use a 1" main.....
 
  #3  
Old 11-17-13, 03:15 PM
Gunguy45's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 19,281
Received 6 Upvotes on 6 Posts
One thing...and I may be wrong...don't most WH manufacturers recommend not softening hot water? Or am I thinking of swamp coolers because I was recently messing with mine? I must be mistaken about the WH because my house was plumbed for softened hot water ONLY when I moved in. Can someone confirm?
 
  #4  
Old 11-17-13, 05:24 PM
M
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 7
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I believe you want to soften the hot water as it helps prolong the life of the water heater due to the fact that the softener removes minerals from the water that could reduce the life of the water heater. I may be wrong, but it sounds good to me, and I dont see how softening the water would harm the water heater at any rate.
 
  #5  
Old 11-17-13, 05:30 PM
Gunguy45's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 19,281
Received 6 Upvotes on 6 Posts
I know...thats why I'm sure I'm mistaken...but it's stuck in my brain.
 
  #6  
Old 11-17-13, 06:02 PM
M
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 7
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Lawrosa,

I believe my main is a 1" coming in. The lines going into the water heater have to be 3/4" per my local plumbing code and many others I assume. So I will be going 3/4" into the manifolds and sending out 1/2" and 3/8" to the fixtures and such.
 
  #7  
Old 11-17-13, 06:25 PM
chandler's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 36,607
Upvotes: 0
Received 9 Upvotes on 8 Posts
Non-plumber advice. Don't neck down to less than 3/4" until you turn up to the application such as a toilet, and no smaller than 1/2".
 
  #8  
Old 11-17-13, 06:25 PM
lawrosa's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Galivants Ferry SC USA
Posts: 15,993
Received 84 Upvotes on 76 Posts
I believe you want to soften the hot water as it helps prolong the life of the water heater

softening the water actually makes the water more conductive.. This will reduce the life of the water heater....

Dont know why you would pipe anything 3/8....


The lines going into the water heater have to be 3/4" per my local plumbing code

Never heard of such a thing... Can you show reference to this code?

So if you bought a 75 gallon water heater that comes with 1" tappings you are forced to pipe it in 3/4???


Pex has a smaller ID then copper. This is why I suggested 1" on the mains to the manifold...

You may experience pressure lose ( volume really) when you try to use multiple fixtures...
 
  #9  
Old 11-24-13, 06:58 PM
Z
Forum Topic Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 6,095
Received 422 Upvotes on 375 Posts
Be sure to add a valve at the cold water input of the water heater.
 
  #10  
Old 11-26-13, 05:33 AM
M
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 7
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Zorfdt,

Thanks for the heads, already ahead of ya there.

That is something a lot of people might forget to do however.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: