Can I just bend my hot water PEX line out of the wall?

[PatrickGSR94]

My hot water line from the water heater was leaking the other day. After cutting out wet drywall, I'm thinking that thermal movement in the PEX stub-out pipe (SS braided line from water heater to PEX stub-out) rubbed against the drywall and caused a pinhole leak to develop. The stub-out had a 90-degree fitting inside the wall, then runs down below slab before heading out to fixtures. I cut the riser pipe below the fitting, removed both the fitting and the sub-out, and then connected my SS braised line directly to that riser. So from the water heater, the SS hose goes up and curves over and back down, and connects to the PEX pipe that is now slightly bent out from the wall cavity.

It works fine, no leaks. And I like that a fitting and 2 crimp bands have been eliminated from inside the wall. And of course, I want that SS line to PEX connection (yes it's SharkBite, and yes it works just fine) to remain outside the finished wall. So the question is, can I put up new drywall and just finish around the PEX pipe that's bending out of the wall? Obviously it won't look the best, but it's a garage and I don't really care if the pipe isn't actually perpendicular coming out of the wall. I just want it to remain leak-free. Any code issues doing this?

 

[BN4537]

No code issues with what you have proposed, unless you bend the pipe too tight, which doesn't sound like you are.

Obviously it won't look the best, but it's a garage and I don't really care if the pipe isn't actually perpendicular coming out of the wall.

I judge you from my lofty perch behind my keyboard

 

[PatrickGSR94]

No code issues with what you have proposed, unless you bend the pipe too tight, which doesn't sound like you are.

I judge you from my lofty perch behind my keyboard

yeah I know, if my garage were nicer I would do something else, but it's barely big enough for my needs, and we're hoping to get out of this place in the near future, so I'm not as concerned about it looking super nice.

The PEX pipe had a clamp on it just below the 90-degree elbow, and then another one about 8-12 inches down. I removed the top clamp and cut the pipe a few inches lower, in order for it to make a slight bend outside the plane of the original wall surface. So there's still a clamp about 8 inches below the current pipe connection.

 

[Joe.B]

Maybe not a code problem, but you could have a material problem:

"With PEX, the oxidizing effects of UV light can significantly affect the performance and lifespan of PEX piping. UV light consumes the chlorine-inhibiting antioxidants that protect the pipe from chlorine-induced oxidation and premature failure. As these chlorine inhibitors get consumed, the piping is left vulnerable to attack from chlorine in the water. With prolonged exposure, UV light may damage PEX piping even without the presence of chlorine.

"Depending on the type of PEX being used, as few as 30 days of UV light exposure can reduce the expected lifespan of the material by at least 21% when exposed to chlorinated water conditions.

"And sunlight isn’t the only enemy of PEX piping. At least one PEX manufacturer advises against installing PEX piping within 5 feet of direct view from fluorescent and LED lighting without protecting the pipe with a UV-blocking material."

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[PatrickGSR94]

thanks, the pipe is way back on the back wall of my garage, and never receives any direct sunlight or any other UV light source.

 

[Joe.B]

thanks, the pipe is way back on the back wall of my garage, and never receives any direct sunlight or any other UV light source.

You don't have any lighting in the garage? UV exposure is not limited to direct sunlight.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

I have tons of light in the garage. But none of them are within 5 feet of the pipe in question. Also, if I drywall around the pipe in its current configuration, it will have much LESS of the PEX exposed to the garage than the stub-out pipe that was there before. Before there was around 6 inches of pipe sticking out from the wall before my SS hose connection. With the current configuration there would only be 1-2 inches of the pipe visible outside the wall.

 

[Joe.B]

That 1-2 inches will eventually fail. But go for it man, what do I care. Just providing free information, up to you if you want to ignore it.