Removing PEX Stainless Steel Clamp Rings on Plastic Fittings

[@Live-DIY]

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[@RKmndo]

Soften the Pex with a heat gun and it doesn't need to be scored. Also check out PE-RT piping and expansionable Zurn Pex B piping. PE-RT piping is recyclable, and allegedly stands up to chlorine/chloramine.

[@brianbushay8283]

I take an angle grinder and cut through the top of the crimp portion of the band. Then the band will come off easily. Heat up the pex pipe with a heat gun and it will pull off easily too

[@Live-DIY]

Nice yeah, heating the pex a bit is a good idea

[@brianbushay8283]

@@Live-DIY I should add that I use the same method with crimp rings and plastic fittings. and that I have a thin metal cutting blade on my angle grinder

[@jeffreycase285]

Same way I do it I've used other methods to heat the pipe including candles

[@metalgearana6451]

Great video it help me I was practicing before installing .I was struggling to separate it so I use a lighter to heat it a little, it slip out very easy. The hard part was finding a lighter since everyone vapes now.

[@Live-DIY]

Nice, yeah someone had mentioned heating it with a heat gun. I bet a hairdryer would work too if you had to. I didn't even think of heating it when I did this!

[@jeremywatts2768]

Get them Bic EZ Reach ones. I wonder if hand warmer packs can apply enough heat.

[@rjbook51]

One hint. Place the pex pipe and fitting in hot water for a few minutes. It will make the pipe more pliable and easier to tear. Less risk of damaging the fitting by the heat gun, though I have used both.

[@AdrianvanWijk]

Thanks for the video, I've been using completion clamps on a design because i didn't know how to remove these. Amateur "pro tip" if you heate the PEX pipe it can be pulled off with your fingers. (it's hot so don't clamp too hard or you'll burn you figures.)

[@Live-DIY]

Thanks, I did try the heating technique finally kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF6we3qwjJqFlaM it works SO well!

[@LisaBrown-l4c]

This works if you can lay your work on a table.

[@74willy81]

Oh yeah, I do all of my plumbing on the table. I find it a lot easier than doing it under those pesky sinks etc. LOL

[@andyb7754]

Good information, thank you.

[@BrewCityRider]

That works, but they make ear clamp crimpers that can be quickly converted to removers. Much easier to just pinch the sides of the crimp and it will open right up.

[@tof3275]

In the U.K we have Jubilee Clips put on and take off with ONE screwdriver OR ring spanner depending on size MUCH quicker than the above🤔

[@billhale9740]

There is a tool for savaging pex fittings that have copper rings I don't think it works on the stainless bands but if you cut the pex close to the end of the fitting you insert the narrow blade into the fitting and as the look like some sort of pliers you just pinch the 'cutter' blade into the pex several times around the outer surface of the pex and it expands the plastic and it falls off. On the copper rings the first cut goes through the ring and then a second cut 180 opposite opens up the copper ring less than twenty dollars at the big box stores I bought one to salvage numerous valves and fittings that had been in service only a few months beats the heck out of slicing pex with a utility knife

[@Live-DIY]

That sounds great, the lighter (or heat gun) method works very very well also. I'm interested in hearing about any tool or method that worked for anyone, because in a pinch you often end up just using whatever you happen to have handy!

[@jamisonr]

The Zurn cutters for copper crimp rings will not cut through the steel crimp bands. I've tried. Peeling it off as described here, or using a grinder and cutoff wheel, only way I know how.

[@apexclaimadjusters5816]

good idea, btw a heat gun will soften the pipe to get it off no need to score

[@jfoley1968jf]

Great tip

[@danharvey61]

Thanks!

[@cndream1]

All you need to do is heat up the PEX with a butane match stick and it will slide right off the fitting after you remove the clamp

[@meseahunt]

good info but problem is; majority of repairs are done w/line attached/still in service in an awkward location... this is why you spend the $12 for a proper band cutter 🤠

[@Live-DIY]

Heh yeah when I had no money working on trailers of people with no money it's funny now how a 12 buck tool seemed like an insane amount of money to spend or couldn't imagine what it'd be like to not save a lil plastic piece and just buy a new one instead. Nowadays I'm with you, I can buy the tool I need to make things go better or go faster because time is just far more precious than money now... ain't like that for everyone, and even I need help remembering that sometimes.

[@jeremywatts2768]

And then throw the plastic fitting away so that you can replace it with a stainless one that has about a 30% larger flow diameter.

[@Live-DIY]

Agreed, though sometimes it's not about what you should do but, what you need to do. Imagine the situation where a plastic fitting wasn't only used, but now... needs to be reused. It's a crazy world out there.

[@peterbedford2610]

Yup

[@cyclopathic998]

Thx!

[@steelerpat33]

I used a heat gun to heat the hose off the fitting

[@georgek.6494]

can you reuse the pex if I removed it from the fitting without cutting it?

[@Live-DIY]

No! I mean a short answer is no. You wanna trim back any part that was compressed by the clamp ring. If you absolutely had to because that's the emergency situation you find yourself in... make sure you don't re-seat the new clamp ring in exactly the same indented place on the pex, you'd want to make sure the ring compresses SOMETHING.

[@gf2e]

@@Live-DIYOh, man, that’s so disappointing. It makes sense, though. I’m about to start in an RV where there isn’t a lot of space for extra pipe, and I figured I could remove cinch rings without having to shorten the pipe. I guess not. I’ll make sure I leave enough excess, and if I have to remove a fitting too many times, I’ll leave enough space so that I can crimp a short extension piece :)

[@nebraskaman8247]

You can actually just twist the crimp part. The clamp will release.

[@Live-DIY]

I'll have to try that, just wrench on it. Not on a plastic fitting that I'm trying to salvage but some brass fitting maybe.

[@Live-DIY]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, I made a short video trying out one of these alternative methods here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF6we3qwjJqFlaM

[@akrocuba]

It's simpler and cheaper just cut the mess out and repipe

[@gymee425]

a metal cutting blade on a 4 inch had grinder works great and faster!

[@fillup40]

Why use pex in the first place?

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

A proven product that is quicker and cheaper to install than copper. Easy to add to or repair. No fumes or fire danger when installing. Minimum tools required for installation. Long runs are possible with fewer fittings to deal with. When crimped correctly, it will last a long time. Also, can take freezing better than copper. Just a few reasons why I use it.

[@Live-DIY]

I was wondering when someone was going to come up the top 10 list answer for this question. The freezing thing has already saved me several times this winter, that's a good one... No water hammer (is that what it's called?) either I notice, no rattling pipes when the toilet stops filling.

[@franksosa8259]

Why? Those fittings are still dirt cheap at the local supply store.

[@Live-DIY]

Why save them when it's difficult and they are only a couple bucks for like a 5pack? Good question, and I am happy that you aren't in the situation that someone can find themselves in, where this is gonna save 'em. I've been there honestly with lots of things. Knowing how to rescue an old part to fix something or help someone has been very useful. Besides "dirt cheap" is real money when you don't have any... 😬

[@johnjingleheimersmith9259]

@@Live-DIY saves an annoying and gas guzzling trip to big box store hell. Plus the time of doing so. Plus a few bucks.

[@bobmrfur2216]

Using a heat gun saves me all the trouble of scoring and tearing it off.

[@Live-DIY]

Totally. I used a lighter and it's amazing how well it works ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF6we3qwjJqFlaMsi=p-vzWLGw3lj7pjKk ). Almost seems like if the water was too hot it could pop off!

[@gcal770]

Try this when the pipe and joint is in a tight position like under an RV sink. It’s gonna take you forever along with a lot of cussing.😅

[@wiredperformance6130]

Removing the pipe from the fitting is much easier by simply heating it with a $2 torch. The fitting never gets warm and pipe pulls off with 0 effort

[@Live-DIY]

Yea I've been hearing that makes it so much easier. Good to know the plastic fitting won't be damaged.

[@S.JerseyJim]

It comes off relatively easy after three easy steps. Cursing, whining then crying.

[@Live-DIY]

That's a better idea for a title to be honest. Using a lighter to heat up the pex tube makes it substantially easier, but in case you don't have one...

[@f.demascio1857]

Screwdriver doesn't work? You're doing it wrong.

[@Live-DIY]

Haha just keep trying!

[@truthbetold2914]

Anyone that uses plastic pex fittings.....deserves to have problems.....

[@panchog2552]

Why?

[@adamsaintgermain4149]

Some places you have to they took the lead out of brass fittings causing them to corrode and fail prematurely depending on water quality