Installing PEX in 24" high crawl and being 6"3", 73 years, benign tremor in the right hand and not as strong as I use to be, trying to devise a plan of attack. I would appreciate your comments.

1. Hard to get leverage on the crimper. On another install in the same area, while lying on my back and making a crimp, had to hold the ring (keep from slipping) with the left hand, grip the crimper with the right hand and line up, and supported the other handle on my thigh to push against for leverage. You know the drill. What a dog and pony show that was.
I've been thinking, which isn't my strong point. Is there a PEX and crimp friendly adhesive, that can be put on the PEX to hold the ring in place? Or maybe, use a clear tape to hold the ring in place? Or placIe the ring on the tube and give it a slight squeeze with a smooth jaw, channel lock and slip over the fitting to keep it in place?

2. To avoid having to make connections on the 10 T's in the crawl, maybe pre attach all the T's outside on the garage floor and carefully, drag it into the crawl space. Or, perhaps "dry fit" the entire assembly without crimping the device feeds and see how the longer device feeds work out?

3. For sink stops, reviews of Dahl-Eco brand.

4. Start from the valve and connect to the T? I figure the valve is the valve area is the most critical.

I already own the big, nasty, unmanageable crimper, rings and ring cutter, so, I'm committed to using this contraption.


Once again, thanks for all your help.

Jeff

why not use the home run method and have no tees in the crawlspace?

i don't know the layout but pex is cheap so using a few extra feet is no big deal.

you can hang a couple of pieces of 2 inch pex to use as a pipe chase.

you can run all the colds in one and the hots in the other.

drill holes in the floor and pull the pex up into the room.

i don't use dahl stops. brasscraft is a good brand. they make both angle and straight stops

Thanks for your help.
I cut the 3/4 main in the crawl, right below the 1st of 6 devices for new master bath and installed ball valves. I was considering a manifold but it seemed like it would be tough to make the bends in such a short distance (duh). Would you suggest cutting the 3/4 copper main further back, maybe 15-20 feet. That would most likely provide sufficient room and distance to make larger radius bends?
There will be 4 hot and 6 cold feeds off 3/4 copper main. I would like a manifold with turn offs for each. Can you suggest an appropriate manifold? One cold goes to hose bib and there are 2 shower valves, one for a hand held in back. Don't ever incision needing both on at same time. The other devices are 2 faucets and a toilet.

My psi is 63 and gpm is 10.5. Have one other bath with 1 faucet and shower/tub. Just the wife and myself. 1800 sf ranch.

I'm feeling good about your suggestion.

Would you suggest a recirculation pump? I was looking at the Watts brand.but not sure that can work with a manifold system.

Thank you for your time.

it is so hard to suggest a piping layout without being there.
if i were there i could look and say.. OH just put this here and put that there and it will be easy.
we don't have that luxury so any suggestion is made in a broad term.
you can recirculate the hot but only to the manifold.
you can add a tee to one of the outlets to use as a return back to the recirc pump.

Just trying to gather a few ideas and all respondents have been very helpful.
I will definitely look into the recirculation return at the manifold.

I would not hesitate to use shark bites and legal for what you need to do in fact legal to be sealed behind drywall

Have you checked out the tremors in your hand sorry to say may be a sign of Parkinsons disease

Suggest the use of multi-port tees

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This would be a using the logic plumbing system which is somewhat a remote manifold. I think this would serve you well reduce joints and splices