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Author:
Tom the Elder (CA)
Instead of waiting a year or two (as I mentioned in a previous post) I am talking to contractors about a whole house repipe with PEX. The two I have talked to so far both propose a trunk-and-branch system like the existing galvanized pipe, using Uponor. My understanding is that the advantage of a home-run system is that it minimizes the number of connections that might leak. A manifold where each line can be turned off individually is also considered an advantage but I don’t see that as a big deal, so if I go with a home-run system I would have them use multi-port tees. My house has a raised floor and most connections would be in the subfloor, so are the extra connections enough of a concern that I should ask for revised bids? Thanks.
FYI, in case it matters, attached is a house plan showing all plumbed fixtures. Yes, it is pretty bad but the best I could do in Excel. The thick blue line at the lower left is the water main. The four short blue lines on the perimeter are stub outs to hose bibs. The blue X in a circle near the water main entrance is a shut off valve. Length of the house is 61 feet. The left end of the house is 30 feet.

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Author:
bsipps (PA)
Personally I would just go with the trunk and branch
Installation of the manablock requires a lot more space than you would think with all the pex lines needing to be Long kink free turns
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Author:
packy (MA)
yeah, the main is too far away for a manifold ststem to be practical.
they work best when centrally located.
BTW, wheres the water heater?
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Author:
sum (FL)
If you don't do all home runs you could also consider doing it for just the hot side because either way the hot side starts with the water heater than they have to go where they need to go, I did my PEX with manifold running a dedicated hot and cold to each "room" instead of to each "fixture". In other words I have a kitchen cold line off my manifold, but I did not run two dedicated icemaker and faucet cold from the manifold. I also did not do each hosebib as a home run, just "north side bibbs" and "south side bibbs".
With Uponor make sure you do not buy the blue and red coated PEX-A tubings, those have a recall and there is a lawsuit going on they do make the white ones with red/blue lettering that seems to be OK.
[www.classaction.org]
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Author:
steve (CA)
The water heater is in the left bottom corner of the U.
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Author:
bernabeu (SC)
I would run CONTINUOUS 3/4" loops around the perimeter for both hot and cold.
Pick up the water heater from the cold loop and run a hot loop also. INSULATE the hot THOUGHOLY.
Then each individual fixture is fed by a 3/4 X 3/8 Tee.
..... if it were my house.
Mine is done similarly but with 'L' Cu Tube
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
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Author:
Tom the Elder (CA)
Packy, there are actually two water heaters (lucky me) shown on the plan. If my plan had a north arrow, it would be pointing left. The water heaters are the circles in the northwest of the house (in laundry room) and in the lower southeast corner of the U formed by the west side of the house. The 2nd one is in a closet that opens into a back porch covered by the roof.
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Author:
Tom the Elder (CA)
Sum and Bernabeu, Those both sound like good ideas. I will print out my plan, draw up some sketches, and talk to whichever plumber I select. Thanks for the advice.
Edited 1 times.
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