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Old 10-22-2008, 03:52 AM   #1
Waynem
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Plumbing pipes in RV

How long are the plastic pipes good for in RV's?

Reason I ask is because several years ago we came hope to water all over the floor in the stick house (gald we had porcelain tile). The feed tube to the toilet tank had ruptured. My favorite plumbing team said that they should be replaced about every 5 years and replaced with the metal reinforced feed line.

I keep thinking that after a period of time the plastic piping in an RV is going to deteriorate to a point that any little bend or stress will cause it to crack.

Any thoughts?
 
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Old 10-22-2008, 04:28 AM   #2
bullroc3
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We had a similar event happen about 5 years ago. Went away for a week and came home to water running out of the first floor bath. A compression fitting for the cold water to the sink had separated and water had seeped out into the laundry room and found its way to the cellar. $7000 in damages. I replaced all of the compression fittings with reinforced feeds with twist on fittings. Also, the water to all of the sinks and toilets gets shut off in the cellar. It wouldn't be a bad idea to turn off the water when leaving the camper. Several years ago in Fort Wilderness I witnessed water running from a camper. It wasn't a good sight.
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:49 AM   #3
bsmeaton
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I think you just had a failure.

PVC should last as long as any braided flex line or even the solid chrome plated copper. I'm sure every plumber would like an income replacing those flex lines every five years. It keeps them out of the crawlspace.

I've had to inspect modular homes that use the same tubing inside the walls as we use in the RV. They actually have a distribution system that feeds fire sprinklers and domestic water with the same plastic distribution lines, and UL accepted it for permanent applications.
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:58 AM   #4
Ozz
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Brad is right on, the Pex tubing is the best, we old Pipefitters and Plumbers have made the transition from copper to plastic.
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Old 10-22-2008, 09:06 AM   #5
Waynem
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It was not PVC that failed on me, but the flex hose from the wall outlet up to the tank. I have replaced them with the metal braided ones. For $5 or $6, I can replace them myself every 4 or 5 years.

I have seen PVC gnawed at by the little varmints we all don't want in our units. This was in a stick house, but they will gnaw trying to get to water if it is scarce. Some may even succeed.

Best to check periodically.
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Old 10-22-2008, 09:13 AM   #6
ols1932
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The life of this piping is indefinite. The answers given are valid.
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Old 10-22-2008, 09:14 AM   #7
racerjoe
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I don't know about you guys,but I would dread to think of having to change out water lines in any travel trailer... Even if you left the olds ones in place,running new ones out of harms way would be a nightmare. Did you ever hear the statement,"you can't get there from here",that would be the issue in running lines from front to back in a trailer. If and when my water lines fail,it will be sitting on a dealers lot as a trade.
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Old 10-22-2008, 01:19 PM   #8
Driftwoodgal
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I our old house, that was built in 1967, we had galvenized pipe, cast iron pipe, copper pipe, PVC pipe and the new metal flex pipe. We also had brass fittings on some items. I can tell you that hard water and soft water does a number on all of the above except the PVC. The trouble with the PVC is that if you have to do a repair to it behind a wall you are in trouble. Been there done that, and it was expensive.

The house that we are in now was owned by my parents. It is solid rock about 18 inches thick. A water pipe broke at the sink allowing it to fill up like a swimming pool. I came over to check on their house to see water running under the carport door.

We turn off the water to the stick house when we leave for more than a day now. I need to remember to turn off the water here at the RV when we go home to vote at the end of the month. Thanks for the reminder guys.

Colleen
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Old 10-22-2008, 05:24 PM   #9
Waynem
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I also turn the water off at the stick house when we leave, and the gas to the water heater.

I started turning it off at the RV when we are away for the day. In both stick house and RV I leave the system pressurized, but just turn the water off at the outside valve. Sometimes I forget at the RV - darn!

Just getting paranoid in my old age I guess.
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Old 10-23-2008, 03:40 AM   #10
OntMont
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The braided metal tubes are still plastic tubing inside a protective metal sheath. I have no concerns about PEX tubing, it will probably outlive every other part in the RV. I hear it is being used in some new stick houses now. One way to get around the use of lead solder.
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Old 10-23-2008, 04:28 AM   #11
racerjoe
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Pex tubing also turns out to be cheaper to install then copper. Due to the long runs with no joints. The price of the pex fittings scare you with price,but in the end it is more economical then copper. But if you have noticed,the price of copper has fallen about 30% and if it stays or cotinues to fall, copper will look more attractive. It will also help the price of electrical installations.
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Old 10-23-2008, 02:22 PM   #12
Waynem
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I guess I have had my question answered.

Thanks.

Oh! And would the metal braid around the plastic tubing decrease the possibility of a rupture by the pressure it keeps on the tubing?

Oops! Darn! That's another question.
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Old 10-23-2008, 02:34 PM   #13
kdeiss
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They are putting Plex in $300,000 homes
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Old 10-23-2008, 02:52 PM   #14
bsmeaton
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by kdeiss

They are putting Plex in $300,000 homes
$300,000 as priced today, or last month. Thats a +/- 500K variance.
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Old 10-23-2008, 11:24 PM   #15
kdeiss
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Not true in the Pittsburgh Market!
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Old 10-24-2008, 04:07 AM   #16
skypilot
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The braiding assists in preventing a burst but does not guarantee such. Our washing machine hoses are those braided non-burst lines; and we have a water pressure regulator set for 65PSI on our stick home line -- 2 year old hose burst a year ago. The chemicals in the water just ate the rubber away I guess. In any case, we had both water hoses replaced and, had the washer preventative maintenance check done at the same time. Tech said that hoses last 3 to 4 years locally; ours failing early was a fluke but I wonder how many others are on borrowed time with their hoses -- I never replaced the past set!!

Now, back on topic a bit -- I have some Pex water lines and some hard copper lines running in my stick home. Water heater was replaced 2 months ago -- the hard copper lines running to and from the water heater were filled with material (looked like plague they show in heart arteries) and very narrow center still open. The pex lines which 'T' off right before and after the water heater (they run to where we moved our washer and dry to) were clean.... Plumbers said it was the chemicals / solids in the water once again and that the pex holds up in local homes much better. All of this (water heater and pex) were installed a little over 2 years ago as we renovated some of our basement and moved some utilities.
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Old 11-28-2022, 01:37 PM   #17
jstadler
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What type of Pex is in a Montana

There are three types of PEX A-C a is like Upinor and C is a clamp type. What type is in a 2017 Montana?

Thanks

John
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Old 11-28-2022, 06:16 PM   #18
dieselguy
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John ... you might start looking at the dates on these threads and possibly start your own ... you just resurrected one from 2008. Anyways, PEX A-C is mostly just manufacturing differences. I've used PEX from Lowe's or Menards on several RV's both of which I think are A and all have been put together with the standard PEX crimp clamps.
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