American Coach: Plumbing in older Motor Home Polybutylene Pipe and fittings

[rapid rick]

Glennlever,
Do you ever visit the mohegan sun casino in conn? I'm about 20 minutes from there,I have trays of quest,questpex and pex fittings,crimp rings and some (not much)pipe. Some of the fittings are extinct as the quest fittings and pipe were pulled off the market several years ago,I bought out several suppliers quite a few years ago,all for emergency repairs on existing systems. The light gray poly quest fittings were and are notorious for breaking when the water line has any sideways tension,especially the t's, and very regularly on the hot lines. Some lot numbers of the quest pipe also had issues with pin hole leaks,spraying a fine mist of water,sometimes so fine that you can't see the leak only feel the water hitting your hand when you run your hand down the pipe.They briefly came out with quest/pex fittings to convert quest to pex,had different size crimp rings, black on one side copper on the other side, now one of the handiest fittings on the market are sharkbite fittings,they will adapt quest,make sure that you use the insert on the quest pipe(very important) but anyway if you get in a pinch and need a certain obsolete fitting let me know. Oh and a regular mini hose clamp will hold all quest joints, pex must use the crimp rings. If you need something,send me a pm, I would be happy to help.

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by rapid rick

Glennlever,
Do you ever visit the mohegan sun casino in conn? I'm about 20 minutes from there,I have trays of quest,questpex and pex fittings,crimp rings and some (not much)pipe. Some of the fittings are extinct as the quest fittings and pipe were pulled off the market several years ago,I bought out several suppliers quite a few years ago,all for emergency repairs on existing systems. The light gray poly quest fittings were and are notorious for breaking when the water line has any sideways tension,especially the t's, and very regularly on the hot lines. Some lot numbers of the quest pipe also had issues with pin hole leaks,spraying a fine mist of water,sometimes so fine that you can't see the leak only feel the water hitting your hand when you run your hand down the pipe.They briefly came out with quest/pex fittings to convert quest to pex,had different size crimp rings, black on one side copper on the other side, now one of the handiest fittings on the market are sharkbite fittings,they will adapt quest,make sure that you use the insert on the quest pipe(very important) but anyway if you get in a pinch and need a certain obsolete fitting let me know. Oh and a regular mini hose clamp will hold all quest joints, pex must use the crimp rings. If you need something,send me a pm, I would be happy to help.

I'm lucky in that I have second generation polybutylene (copper fittings, no polybutylene fittings.

I have sent you a PM

[superk]

Originally Posted by GlennLever

I'm lucky in that I have second generation polybutylene (copper fittings, no polybutylene fittings.

I have sent you a PM

I had the same pipes in my 99 bounder. I had a frozen pipe and had to replace a large section of pipe. Replaced it with PEX using these WATTS fittings. They are cheaper and easier than sharkbite, they have no crimper tools, and they come with a release tool (one with each fitting, universal), which can be used to release the pipe its connected to, and the fitting can be re-used. Zero leaks so far, just make sure to cut the pex flat.

[GlennLever]

So a member here on the forum used to work in the manufactured home business and then later in the RV business.

He is now retiring and had left over fittings and sent me a selection.

I have a pretty good repair kit now, of both first and second generation fittings.

[JohnRR]

Is anyone having problems viewing these videos?

Originally Posted by GlennLever

I have now had several battles with the plumbing in my American Dream.

This being the most recent one

There was two generations of Polybutylene Pipe and fittings, I have the second generation.

This You Tube video talks about the two generations.

Polybutylene pipe or, tubing was used between 1978 and 1999 (it is in my 1997 Dream). Polybutylene was easy to install, low cost, wouldn’t corrode, and thought to be resistant to damage from freezing.

As Fleetwood seems to have used Polybutylene Pipe in a number of these motor homes I'm thinking I am not the only one that has run into the problem of finding ways to repair it.

Polybutylene and Pex is not the same material.

In this You Tube Video the guy talks about repairing Polybutylene with Pex and conversion fittings.

I am looking into the future to be able to repair the plumbing without having to replace the whole system. I would like to get a "repair kit" put together before I have a major problem.

So I'm looking for input on where to get the tools (particularly the crimper and would like to be able to do both Polybutylene and Pex, where to get the fittings, and finally help and guidance in how to repair this plumbing.

Can you help?

[GlennLever]

Originally Posted by JohnRR

Is anyone having problems viewing these videos?

The concern is not so much viewing them but getting the video viewer window to appear in my posts, see the attached

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/holdi...ng-299312.html