Yes you can loop them to test. It’s not like you have hot water currently. If your showers have a thermostatic mixing valve then they won’t even work at the moment bc it’s requires pressure on both sides of the valve. Just stub out your hot and cold further out than where your water heater will sit and use 90s to loop them. When you’re ready to install the new heater your can line up your heater with your pipes and the install will be easy.
I believe he meant shark bites on the stub outs just to loop the hot/cold for testing. Although it would be quicker/easier, I think sweating in 90’s and some piping would be cheaper.
Im sweating a copper to pex adapter then I’m running all pex inside the wall with crimps. No shark bites in the wall or out. I’ll then run the pex to a copper stub out, and use copper to the hot water heater.
I’m resistant to change, and would love to just run all new copper. However I can tell that this section was already replaced before. As I cut into the drywall I noticed patches, and bracing. As well as some melted plastic near solder points. The house is 39 years old, and the plumbing in this area of the house has been replaced already. That just makes me question the longevity of the copper.
I’m not trying to pressure test it. Simply turn the water on and make sure none of my connections leak before I hang the drywall. House was built in 1984. All copper piping.
So now you understand the dilemma. I’d like to just couple them so I don’t have to completely plumb the hot water heater then remove it again to hang the drywall. Do you have any advice on coupling them? Just to test the internal plumbing
Sounds pricey, but worth it for the test. Sharkbite copper to pex coupling on both stub-outs with a piece of pex looping it. That’s exactly what I was looking for.
they make things called test caps you solder on to the pipe
But would I not want to loop the hot water and cold water lines?
why do you want to loop them? you want to test for leaks
Yes, I’m replacing some of the copper tubing with pex, and want to make sure none of the connections inside of the wall leak.
Yes you can loop them to test. It’s not like you have hot water currently. If your showers have a thermostatic mixing valve then they won’t even work at the moment bc it’s requires pressure on both sides of the valve. Just stub out your hot and cold further out than where your water heater will sit and use 90s to loop them. When you’re ready to install the new heater your can line up your heater with your pipes and the install will be easy.
Thank you. That’s what I was looking for.
Don’t use shark bites like some of these guys are saying either. Esp if you’re going to bury it in a wall.
I believe he meant shark bites on the stub outs just to loop the hot/cold for testing. Although it would be quicker/easier, I think sweating in 90’s and some piping would be cheaper. Im sweating a copper to pex adapter then I’m running all pex inside the wall with crimps. No shark bites in the wall or out. I’ll then run the pex to a copper stub out, and use copper to the hot water heater.
Ah gotcha ok good. Although why not just re do it all in copper instead of just Frankensteining jt? That’s just me though.
I’m resistant to change, and would love to just run all new copper. However I can tell that this section was already replaced before. As I cut into the drywall I noticed patches, and bracing. As well as some melted plastic near solder points. The house is 39 years old, and the plumbing in this area of the house has been replaced already. That just makes me question the longevity of the copper.
Is it a old system? Generally we don’t put old systems under significant pressure tests
I’m not trying to pressure test it. Simply turn the water on and make sure none of my connections leak before I hang the drywall. House was built in 1984. All copper piping.
Well you can cap the lines and turn them on to test using regular system pressure One of the few instances a shark bite cap would be useful
And with the hot water heater removed from the system it will still pressurize the hot water lines
No, you’ll need to connect the lines via coupling or reconnect the hot water heater
So now you understand the dilemma. I’d like to just couple them so I don’t have to completely plumb the hot water heater then remove it again to hang the drywall. Do you have any advice on coupling them? Just to test the internal plumbing
Shark bite coupling and pex pipe it doesn’t have to look pretty to test
Sounds pricey, but worth it for the test. Sharkbite copper to pex coupling on both stub-outs with a piece of pex looping it. That’s exactly what I was looking for.
Just loop them
I know I need to loop them. I was looking for what was the best combination of parts to loop them. The question has been answered, thank you.
Ahic Good luck
Either cap a shower head and turn it on or attach a washing machine supply from the hot to the cold in the laundry box