Second pin hole leak in galvanized water pipe in (4) months. House is (64) years old with (1) bathroom. When re-piping with PEX should it be main line and branch like the existing galvanized or should it be installed with a manifold and "home runs" to each fixture?

 

normally i've only seen the octopus manifold on brand new installations where you could actually do home runs... if the walls are accessible, it's easier for you to replace the whole line with pex... that should be a full repipe because then you don't have many crimps to have to worry about failing... if you are just doing spot repair, then i've seen them just sharkbite in a section of pipe to copper...

 

You only have a few fixtures, and short runs, I'd imagine. Go with whatever is cheaper. Nothing I say from this point on will matter much.

The manifold is nice for serviceability, but if I was you I'd run one 1/2" line for all the hot water at least. This way you don't have to wait as long for the hot water to reach the fixture. If you want to get fancy, have them run an additional line back from the farthest fixture. Then you can put a pump on the hot water with a timer to get water circulating in the morning so there's hot water at the fixture immediately.

 

Are you only repiping that bathroom or the whole house? I wouldn't manifold just one room because you may run into pressure issues when running multiple outlets at the same time. The homes with manifolds are designed as such so I'd replace one for one with what you have now.

I'd recommend sharkbite connectors over crimp though. They are more expensive but far more reliable and easy to install.

 

Got the estimates and I am going with type L copper. A little more expensive, but tried and true. Aluminum wire at one time was also considered the way to go. No need to reinvent the wheel.

 

make sure they get out all the galvanized then. No connections between the galvanized and copper without a dielectric fitting. The pipe will rot.

 

Good man!!



Curse you galvanic corrosion!!!

 

100% copper and all the accessible galvanized will be cut out and hauled away.

 

Good deal! Are they going to replace the Plumbing stack also and drain pipes.

I did this in my first home and replaced all the original pipe, stack and lines with a mix of cpvc and copper for the lines and pvc for the drains and stack. Big job. Well worth it.