Brass or Plastic Pex Fittings? How About Stainless Steel!

[@hdtvkeith1604]

If only they made stainless fittings for Pex-A I would be all over these fittings.

[@BoshartIndustries]

We can neither confirm nor deny that this may or may not be in the works 👀 Keep your eyes peeled over the next little while!

[@beardedbarnstormer9577]

​@@BoshartIndustries bump because I'm in the middle.of a remodel and would love these ❤

[@beardedbarnstormer9577]

Nvm found them 🤣

[@timjohanson588]

@@beardedbarnstormer9577where?

[@jamesburgess3628]

I am also about to do a total refit from PVC pipe to Pex. I am going with Pex A pipe. And would love to go with the stainless steel fittings. But have been unable to find the Stainless steel fittings for Pex A expansion type pipe.

[@Squarekn0t]

We put brass PEX fittings underneath our 32 slip marina 30 years ago after half of the plastic ones failed just two years in. No breakage yet, we would winterize and put anti-freeze in the pipes, but then some A-hole would come along and open one of the faucets and not shut it off even though they saw anti-freeze coming out.

[@PhilNelson-mq2zi]

I enjoyed your informative video. It would have been much easier for my old ears to hear if you didn't have the "non music" background constantly competing with the message.

[@BoshartIndustries]

Thanks for the feedback Phil! We have made improvements on videos we've produced since then. Thanks for watching!

[@TRCFL]

Your video may have solved a mystery that I’ve been trying to rectify. Had my HW tank replaced and the plumber used 3/4” plastic fittings in lieu of the original brass. He also replaced additional 3/4 and 1/2 brass fittings with plastic due to minor drips. Ever since, pressure has been noticeably reduced, especially on the third floor bathrooms. His response to follow up was loss of pressure was due to limitation of the tank. Don’t BS a DIY’er…we have the time and incentive to identify and solve our own problems. Going to procure some stainless and swap them out. Interesting experiment.

[@BoshartIndustries]

Glad we could help!

[@f.demascio1857]

I switched to plastic from brass after seeing so much "dezincafication" (zinc corrosion) on the brass fittings. I have noticed pressure losses, esp. in houses with lower water pressure. I'v been eyeing the stainless ones @VAMAC, but haven't committed yet.

[@BoshartIndustries]

Give them a try! Stainless Steel PEX fittings hav the same wall diameter as brass with none of the corrosion issues. Hopefully you can get that water pressure back

[@jaimedpcaus1]

Good video. I just saw another video on plastic pipes where they say that Pex A leaches chemicals.... that's way more dangerous than the fittings used anywhere.

[@melmartinez7002]

Be wary. There are some scare tactic videos on KZbin that don't use the best science.

[@Laserman99]

Had brass fitting snap in half leaving my water softener. Looked like a chemical reaction making it brittle. It was less than 5 years old. Didn’t know they had stainless and will be locking into changing to it in the future.

[@pcofranc]

Don't forget you can always solder just the part that experiences corrosion.

[@pcofranc]

Also have the option to run 3/4" PEX B and use thick push-fit brass aka shark bite fittings where flow is a concern then switch over to plastic, or stainless. Don't forget that copper pipe & Pro Press viega fittings seems to be growing - though I would say plastic in new construction is dominant.

[@danrichards496]

I need to figure out what’s best. I have treated water and just bought a bunch of grass fittings for some work I need to do and I want to be sure it doesn’t leak.

[@pcofranc]

@suspicionofdeceit So what -they are renewable and I've got thousands of replacements growing in the back yard ;-)

[@62Cristoforo]

Fittings for 3/4” pipe are about 1/2” internal diameter

[@pcofranc]

Basically, to my knowledge, with PEX B you need to go up on size for equal flow but that shifts the cost balance because 3/4 fittings are more expensive although with more competition from PEX A and other push fit systems like viega pro press prices keep falling. But for 3/4 you need to step up to 1" and that gets expensive. Main lines 1" - then drop down to 1/2" for short branches since flow should be good enough.

[@morrisschwarts4826]

No mention of cost comparison.

[@BoshartIndustries]

Great point Morris! Boshart Industries sells directly to Wholesalers who are in control of the price that contractors end up paying, so we can't speak for their sales strategies entirely. That being said, it's been our experience that (speaking in very general terms) there is a 10% cost difference one way or the other when compared to brass. Of course this is affected by countless factors (material costs, stock, geography, etc.) so it's best to check in with your local supplier for exact costs. Hope that helps!

[@JS-hl1oc]

It is unclear when you are talking about Waterhammer you show a comparative picture of elbow fittings with a failure load of 90/120/140 lb. You are connecting these fittings to pex or pert which would not produce such side loads. Also, the water hammer pressure spike will not produce such high loads. It is very misleading. Also, how does the price compare to brass and plastic? Is you fitting a available in all configurations as brass and poly?

[@BoshartIndustries]

Hey J S! You're definitely right that, in general, water systems that these will be used on won't handle that kind of pressure. That being said, it still doesn't diminish the fact that Stainless Steel PEX, in our in-house testing with our Quality Assurance department, outperformed brass + poly by a huge margin (and even well exceeded its own rated maximum). Whether or not that's a factor to you as a contractor is subjective. We answered another poster about cost - it is generally comparable to brass but prices will vary depending on whom you're buying from, geographical location, cost of materials, etc. so it isn't a clear-cut answer. Stainless Steel PEX Fittings are generally available in all configurations as brass and poly - yes! Thanks for commenting + watching.

[@pcofranc]

You both make good points. I will add - most failures are the fittings - install error, corrosion, flow reduction PEX B etc. Plastic fittings under stress could fail. We went from soldered copper - good corrosion resistance, almost never come apart, pin hole leaks almost always self seal, can handle 6000 psi (1/2") and then went to plastic fittings with hard 90 degree angles AND plastic systems are supposed to be "as good as copper" - as in gets the same job done and lasts as long (hopefully) but is easy to install / replace.

[@TheFlutecart]

I should have use stainless ones, used brass instead. Will definitely get stainless next time.

[@wolfattack402000]

waay too much background noise. Why is that necessary?

[@leonidkostitsyn6525]

For hipsters

[@BoshartIndustries]

Hey Wolfattack, thanks for the feedback! We've made changes in videos since we've posted this one. Appreciate you stopping by

[@alksjda]

Turn off the damn music

[@briansegall1084]

Where can you get these in Canada?

[@BoshartIndustries]

Hey Brian! Countless places. Give us a shout on our website and we can help you find a store near you.

[@kathyern861]

How about manufacturing stainless steel pex 1607 fittings?

[@jamesmccaslin5419]

Another one of those videos where the obnoxious background music is so lout you can't hear what the speaker is saying. I turned it off after 30 seconds.

[@PaulPinkman-w5w]

What is the cost factor

[@dennisjoiner4164]

Your message is completely lost with the "MUSIC" over taking the audio. Can't believe this was approved for the public.

[@michawldriver2420]

JUST TURN THE BASS DOWN

[@debbyrush3100]

Great Video !!

[@KipOConnell]

Sorry, I had to bail. No way I could concentrate on flow rates etc with that droning music.

[@BoshartIndustries]

Thanks for the feedback Kip! Definitely noted. Thanks for coming by our channel

[@number1pappy]

What's the point of using brass or stainless steel fittings with a plastic pipe? I also get around the smaller restrictions of plastic connectors by simply upsizeing the pipes from 3/4 to 1 inch and 1/2 to 3/4 inch with pex b. This, of course, isn't an issue when using pex A as its fittings go on the outside of the pipe, thereby not restricting the flow. If you're not confident in plastic fittings, maybe you shouldn't be using a form of plastic pipe. I'm just saying....

[@f.demascio1857]

Curious about the PEXa fittings that go on the outside of the pipe. I used Uponor's PEXa product for years, but those fittings go inside the pipe. Granted, the pipe has to be expanded to get the fitting inside the pipe, which allows the inside diameter of the fitting to be a little larger than PEXb. Perhaps you were referring to the Sharkbite (push to fit) fittings. IDK

[@number1pappy]

@F. DeMascio yeah, I worded it wrong. I should have said that pex A fittings have the same "ID" diameter of the pipe and the actual pex A pipe expands around the fitting. Oops. Lol! With pex B fittings they of course, are smaller so they can fit inside the pipe, thereby causing a restriction. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. 🙂

[@melmartinez7002]

The reduced ID is definitely a bigger concern for plastic Pex B fittings than with plastic Pex A fittings. Otherwise, not all plastics are created equal. The plastic used in fittings is not the same as the cross-stitched polyethylene plastic used in the pipes. The fittings are stiff and do not flex and if you are worried about any sort of structural stresses on them that might cause one to crack, brass or stainless would be much stronger choices. That said, for the vast majority of home usages, plastic fittings are probably fine and much cheaper.

[@Slipshott]

Video is probably good but the drone sound is overpowering the narration and makes it very difficult to listen to. I know others have complained. Maybe remove the drone sound or redo the narration without the sound. It's unfortunate because this is good information, but I'll have to go elsewhere to get it.

[@kimmydaisymaltese1111]

Every pipes leeches materials into the water supply. Copper will leach copper, and plastics will reach plastics...

[@richardhaley3347]

Zurn Type B does not leech anything

[@Luckingsworth]

​@@richardhaley3347Incorrect.

[@danielz722]

Background music detracts from your message

[@BoshartIndustries]

Noted. Thanks Daniel!

[@alwilson3541]

The question is how much more are they then grass an arm and a leg

[@hailholyqueen]

Way to many plumbing distractions in this great music video!

[@GeoffreyMorrison-xh2eo]

Isn't the curvature.of this SS fitting better for flow than the other teo? Can't use this for A. I never was a fan of brass for lighting, locks, etc. Cheapo. Always corrodes. Yeah, such brass plumbing fittings are better quality than such '70s examples of other usages.. Still, f brass. Why not bronze? Probably chemicals. He he. SS likely holds up better. Stronger against freezing. Better quality. Probably purchase. Isn't long term commercial copper leaching bad for bods?

[@62Cristoforo]

Is there a sacrificial brass swap-out part, like on a water heater?

[@mike-pm6xn]

That music is too loud and distracting... next....

[@fillup40]

Why use pex at all ?

[@doncorleone2713]

Faster to install/less labor Durable Less theft issues Freezing resistance compared to copper Cost of material

[@offgridbc6810]

stupid irritating background sound.

[@Rotaris1]

SHUT MUSIC OFF!

[@johngallati8164]

WHY NOT COPPER???

[@larryslone65]

Good info but annoying music

[@roywest6557]

Why do they have to play that annoying music?

[@philipfoster373]

Just loved the way you inserted that loud ass music that just kept getting louder, to where no one could hear the video at all…. Lousy video

[@mikemaid5350]

Cannot get them anyway. Don't waste your time get plastic fittings

[@tubetigeerr]

you have an expansion tank, no need for this. Also, how often that water pressure would come up to so high? not realistic. all here said is over-exaggerated. do you buy life insurance for a comet from the sky falling and hitting on you? of course not.

[@quentin3168]

m

[@leelomoe]

I've seen stainless steel rust. Just looked it up, confirmed.

[@jimkane9832]

You've seen what kind of stainless rust? 304, 316, 400?

[@Timeforchangenow]

My thoughts exactly.

[@A1Skeptic]

I’m irritated that you ruined a good video with very annoying droning “music” 😮 It’s so loud you can’t even call it background music. It’s foreground noise that competes with the voice. Why are you making your viewers suffer?

[@BoshartIndustries]

Hey A1Skeptic - Thanks for the feedback. We have plenty of other videos on Stainless Steel PEX Fittings on our channel that have better audio, so feel free to check those out. Thanks for stopping by!

[@A1Skeptic]

@@BoshartIndustries I eventually suffered through the unnecessary droning music - your video was otherwise informative and helpful. 🤷🏽‍♂️ I’m hopeful that you’ll at least consider turning the volume down on the background music so that it doesn’t compete with the dialogue.

[@BoshartIndustries]

@@A1Skeptic Yep! It wasn't intentional by any means, and (as you can see if you check out the other videos on our channel) we've tried to address that with every other video we've made in the past year. Appreciate your feedback!

[@Slipshott]

@@BoshartIndustries You paid money to make this video,spend a few bucks to fix it. Or take it off youtube. Telling people to look at other videos is not a solution to this video. Leaving it as it is doesn't say much about Boshart Industries. If I was in your marketing department I wouldn't have this on youtube so people get distracted from the message you are trying to tell about the company's product.

[@panemon187]

Yeah well once your oxide-passivation layer wears down by erosion of the pipe over time, it will probably rust and you wont get more than 10 to maybe 20 years out of the fitting. I don't trust "coated" products. Honestly if people want long lasting pipes they need to bring back lead pipes. Copper erosion wears down over time, Pex can have variable results based on conditions, chemicals in the water, and other things like leeching amonia. If the lead really bothers you, get a filtration system. Lead resists erosion way better than copper, so you would not get much lead runoff in your pipes (if they were manufactured properly with a smooth bore) not only that you dont get problems with lead in your water if you run the water frequently. Lead is an amazing element despite its obvious toxicity. If you want a water proof seal, use lead. Friend of mine told me a story about his great grandfather who couldn't afford to buy some grout, so he grouted his tile with molten lead. 100 years later no failures, lol.