Best hoses and connectors for plumbing a water system?

[Dan Grec]

Hi all,

I'm about to put together a water system - pump, filter, water heater, hot and cold taps, shower, etc. and I'm wondering what people are using for hoses and connectors?.

In the past I just used some braided 1/2 hose, hose clamps and brass 90 and T joiners. It all worked OK, but it's only as good as the hose clamps which slowly wear out.

Are people using PEX from houses? some other system?

Thanks

-Dan

 

[Dave in AZ]

Loved your last system, looking forward to reading about this one or watching your video!
I use Pex in houses, but haven't in a mobile setup. But I do like the low volume lines, and feel they should do well. Hope someone more experienced has good info for you! Mostly just wanted to say Thanks for your work and writing, many many hours of enjoyment for me

 

[James86004]

Our 2005 Airstream Interstate Sprinter uses PEX from houses, and there have been no leaks from that, even when it got down to single digits when we were driving I-40 in December of '22. The Sureflo pump sediment filter cracked, the city water connection started leaking, but the PEX tubing and connections are fine.

Most of the rest of Airstream's work is garbage.

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G (2022) using Tapatalk

 

[GHI]

I had a blow out in my water system cause I got lazy and didn't attach the pressure gauge. Fixed it with household PEX and shark bite fitting. Never a problem after the fact.

 

[Herbie]

but it's only as good as the hose clamps which slowly wear out.

I feel like that is a point worth visiting right there.

Not sure if you've read "Engineer to Win" (Carroll Smith's seminal work on race car fabrication and design), but if you could boil the philosophy of the whole book down to one sentence, it would be "If the failure of a 5-cent part is what is going to cause you to lose the race, then it should probably be a 5-dollar part instead".

In this case, I feel like there are hose clamps on the market of sufficient robustness to survive anything even you will throw at them. If that was the only failure point on the old system, then it sounds like that's your upgrade path. Automotive style "constant tension" clamps or the tangential t-bolt style clamps are selected by OEMs for full service life in an engine bay, so should survive a freshwater system just fine.


Digressing from philosophy - I don't like PEX for mobile applications because (a) to really do right, you have to employ the Pex fitting installation tool; (b) unless you use specific adapters, PEX doesn't mate directly with other plumbing standard sizes; and (c) field repair can only be managed with stuff like the very expensive sharkbite connectors which are not readily available outside North America.

If I'm signing up to use expensive fittings anyway, I'd design the system around a better grade of hose clamp with the idea that it would be more flexible in case of a need to "cobble together" solutions from whatever was available.

 

[dstefan]

Can’t speak to your type of system as mine is very simple 1/4” drawing from scepter cans with a Dometic faucet, but these guys are an excellent source for seemingly nearly everything, if you’re not aware of them.

Fresh Water Systems | Whole House Systems | Water Treatment

Fresh Water Systems is the leader in water filters, water filtration, purification and treatment with thousands of products by all the top manufacturers.

www.freshwatersystems.com

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

I've had good luck with sticking to garden hose fittings and find them easy to repair as the fittings are fairly universal. Even my diversion valves are garden hose "y" adapters. They are cheap and ubiquitous and if I had to rebuild my entire water system due to failure I can do so at almost any hardware store for about the price of a tank of gas as long as I have access to a leatherman tool.

That being said, I don't like the amount of water that is "stuck" in the system as a result of the line diameter of the pipes, and so I'm revising my system to use narrower tubes. Smaller food-grade tubing is available (beer kegs and similar) and most Lowes and Home Depots sell the brass fittings necessary to adapt them to the 3/4" garden hose size.

For the actual accessory connections, I use Gardena quick-connects - I can keep a few spares for cheap and light (and after over 10 years have never needed them). This allows me to quickly and easily swap out my inline filter, attach a shower head, connect hoses together for added length where needed, etc. For permanent connections, I use teflon tape on the threads and snug everything up with a wrench and I don't experience leaks.

For the hose clamps - I use fuel injector style clamps. They grip the tubes more universally/evenly, and are more robust - to Herbie's point, the hardware store options are fine in a pinch but are a common failure point so spending a bit more on these (and bringing along 3-4 spares, as they are cheap and light) is worthwhile.

 

[Wheelman55]

I had 1/2” braided hose collapse on the suction side, so replaced with garden hose.

I found these “next level” quick connects recently and used them on an outdoor shower setup. FYI they will not work on the suction side of the system. They work perfectly on the pressure side.

Garden Hose Quick Connect Sets

Commercial-duty drinking water-safe brass construction. Quickly attach-detach hose and watering tools. 10-YEAR warranty. Highest-rated. Midwest family-owned.

www.eleyhosereels.com

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

Dan, PEX is great, but the fittings and clamps are the potential weak points. Avoid cheap plastic fittings and crimping style clamps. I’m not a fan of Shark Bite connectors for any RV.

 

[Ozarker]

Use PEX, especially for cold weather applications. Yes, it takes a special tool to clamp the connectors/fittings shut, mine was $70.00 at Lowes.

Fittings are not weak points if properly installed, problem is, it takes some practice, time and patients to crimp them evenly to secure the joint, if not done properly it will fail. Also, cutting PEX is easy but must be done "square" so the shark bite connectors can be properly applied, sloppy cuts can be a problem.

Picture this, a PEX line connecting to another line, it being secured at both ends about 2 feet apart and the fitting suspended between the two tubes without it being screwed to a wall. Now picture a PVC line, but secured to the wall. Which will vibrate more running down the road? I'd say the PVC line as it is not flexible and movement can stress the lines and joints, not so with PEX.

PEX doesn't come from houses as noted above. It's easy to cut and work with, spare parts/pieces are easily stored.

 

[WanderingBison]

Another vote for PEX, but with a few comments;

• Not all PEX is created equal, and I found a high-quality PEX pipe dealing with a commercial brewery/food prep contractor. It was noticeably better than the Lowes/HD stuff)
• The ability to run a full length between connection points, even turning corners (which can be helped by a corner bracket), MORE than makes up for any perceived weakness of the connection. I had much fewer fittings.
• A little more forgiving if they begin to freeze
• Avoid plastic fittings whenever possible (should always be possible, but in a pinch ... I go back and replace the plastic with brass)
• I have avoided Sharkbite and used quality crimping bands and tools.

I have more than 200K on my water system, much of it on rough forestry roads, backcountry roads, etc. without any failures or leaks.

 

[plh]

I plan to use PEX and have the proper crimping tool. Also have had more than 1500' of it in my house (in floor heat & domestic water) for 15 years and never a problem. Good enough track record for me.

 

[DzlToy]

If you really want the BEST, get out your credit card.

Options are:

Hoses from a company such as Metra-Flex or Sani-Flex. PEX is awful and introduces micro-plastics into your water supply, as does PVC. Now, if you don't care about that or about really having the best, any old water line will do, even food grade 'water hoses'. Copper is a bit better, but poisons the body as well (copper from pipes is the inorganic form, not the same as the copper you get from veggies).

Food grade stainless (304), titanium and Silicon-Bronze are also options, and are used in high-end marine and food manufacturing application.

Research HyperPure piping and Smart Click fittings too.

What are your priorities, your skill level, your budget and your time line?

 

[Dave in AZ]

If you really want the BEST, get out your credit card.

Options are:

Hoses from a company such as Metra-Flex or Sani-Flex. PEX is awful and introduces micro-plastics into your water supply, as does PVC. Now, if you don't care about that or about really having the best, any old water line will do, even food grade 'water hoses'. Copper is a bit better, but poisons the body as well (copper from pipes is the inorganic form, not the same as the copper you get from veggies).

Food grade stainless (304), titanium and Silicon-Bronze are also options, and are used in high-end marine and food manufacturing application.

Research HyperPure piping and Smart Click fittings too.

What are your priorities, your skill level, your budget and your time line?

Uhmm... I'm just gonna say that the attitude of this post doesn't seem compatible with driving around foreign countries living out of the back of your car. There are 200,000 other things to worry about than microplastic and copper poisoning from the two main water supply methods used in every building in America.

 

[DzlToy]

Uhmm... I'm just gonna say that the attitude of this post doesn't seem compatible with driving around foreign countries living out of the back of your car. There are 200,000 other things to worry about than microplastic and copper poisoning from the two main water supply methods used in every building in America.

Title of Post:

Best hoses and connectors for plumbing a water system?​

If you don't want the best, don't ask for that. Instead, ask for a ranking or hierarchy of best to worst, best value for money, or some other topic to be discussed.