What PEX Fittings Are Used in RVs?
Recreational Vehicle (RV) living has become a pretty popular trend globally, especially among adventure enthusiasts. Plumbing is one of the critical aspects of owning and living in an RV: it provides users with the necessary amenities, including running water, toilets, and showers. PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) is among the best type of tubing used in RV plumbing lines. It’s easy to install, durable, versatile and affordable. A PEX fitting is required to make pipe connections.
Let’s explore the exact type of PEX fittings needed in RV plumbing systems and why they matter. This post also highlights the necessary tools needed to work with such fittings.
What are PEX Fittings?
These are types of pipe fittings used to create PEX pipe joints in a plumbing system. PEX fittings are commonly made of plastic (poly), brass, or stainless steel materials. Most of these fittings are easy to install.
What kind of PEX pipe fittings/connectors are used in RVs? RV plumbing systems require common fittings similar to those used in residential plumbing. They include:
1. Couplings (coupler)
These fittings connect a PEX pipe to another PEX pipe or a PEX pipe to a fitting. It is also worth noting that couplings could be used to connect PEX pipes to pipes of other materials of similar size.
2. Elbows
These fittings are used to change the direction of the PEX pipes, and the common ones help achieve a 40 and 90-degree angle in a plumbing line. They can join PEX pipes of the same or different nominal diameters depending on the design.
3. Tee-fittings
These fittings help connect three PEX pipes to combine or divide the water flow in an RV plumbing system. Usually, it has one hole that is the main connection and two adjacent outlets at a 90-degree angle.
4. Valves
These fittings allow RV users to regulate, control, and direct the flow of water through a pipeline. More importantly, valves can help you adjust water pressure within a plumbing system.
Read more: Can I Use PEX Crimps on Copper Pipes?
What Type of PEX Fittings are Used in RVs?
Here are four types of PEX fittings based on different connection methods:
1. PEX clamp fittings (Cinch fittings)
These types of fittings are used in brass or poly-alloy. PEX clamp fittings are reliable and easy to install, even in tight spaces.
They also use stainless steel clamp rings requiring a PEX clamp/cinch tool such as the iCrimp ICP-BJ02 PEX Clamp Tool. The best part is that a single PEX clamp tool can work on clamp rings of multiple sizes.
2. PEX crimp fittings
PEX crimp fittings are another common type of fitting used in RVs to create pipe connections. They have proven to be a reliable option and are easy to work with. In addition, these fittings are widely available and cost-effective for most RV owners.
They require copper or stainless steel crimp rings to secure PEX pipe joints. To install PEX crimp fittings, you need a crimping tool to compress the crimp rings on the pipe, creating a leak-proof connection. An ideal example of such a tool is the iCrimp CL PEX Pipe Crimping Tool.
3. PEX push-fit (push-to-connect) fittings
Unlike the first two types of PEX fittings, push-fit fittings don’t require any tool to install. Therefore, installation is pretty quick and easy. However, they might be more expensive than clamp or crimp fittings.
They feature an internal mechanism that grips the PEX tubing tightly once installed. Push-fit couplings may be made of plastic or metal body. The only tools you may need when working with these fittings are a PEX pipe cutter and a push-fit disconnect tong (it helps remove push-fit fittings from the PEX joint).
4. PEX expansion fittings
Expansion fittings are also commonly used in RVs to create secure PEX connections. Some expansion fittings may require expansion rings/sleeves on the joint. Briefly, expansion-style fittings utilize the properties of PEX tubing (particularly PEX-A, which is more flexible and has no coil memory). Installing these fittings is quite easy but requires a PEX expansion tool like the iCrimp IWS-1960D-34 PEX Expansion Tool. This tool expands the end of the PEX tubing to allow insertion of the fittings, and the tubing contracts create a secure connection.
Bottom line
Choosing the most suitable fittings for your plumbing system can impact your experience as an RV owner or user. There is a wide range of PEX fittings for RVs, and choosing a particular fitting depends on the type of PEX tubing you’re working with available PEX tools and specific applications. However, options like push-to-connect fittings are easy to install since they don’t require any tool and work with nearly all types of PEX tubing.
Are you looking to install or work on your RV’s plumbing line? iCrimp is your go-to platform for high-quality PEX tools and all types of PEX fittings. Our products are affordable and designed to help you achieve efficiency. Above all, our PEX fittings are useful in various RV plumbing applications.
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