Replace PEX tubes with flexible hose?

[I_am_Yu]

I'm repairing a piece of rotten floor in my trailer, and the trouble is, there are some PEX tubes right in the way of where I need to cut. I need to disconnect it somehow to gain access. Would it work to cut off the collars around the tubes and cut the tubes off, and then when I'm ready to reconnect it, just use a short section of braided clear flexible hose attached to the PEX fitting with a hose clamp? Will the hose be OK on the hot water side? Or maybe automotive heater hose, if I can find some small enough.

[Lynnmor]

There is no PEX to hose fitting that I am aware of, it would take multiple adapters to do that job. PEX and hose barbs are two different things.

[ndrorder]

I once tried vinyl tubing and hose clamp as a temporary fix when a PEX collar failed. The grooves on the PEX fitting were not deep enough to hold the tube with a hose clamp once pump pressure was applied. The only thing that worked was to replace with a PEX crimp ring. If you choose to use the shark bite fittings, remember that they only clamp to tubing and not PEX fittings. So cut the tubing as far enough away from the PEX fitting to allow installation of the sharkbite. Curious why not replace with pex tubing and collars?

[Old-Biscuit]

Sharkbite (Home Depot) Gatorbites (Lowes) Flair-It (ACE Hardware)

All can be easily installed AND removed if necessary (Shark/Gator have a semi-circle removal tool available-----Flair-It fitting slides onto PEX then you push the PEX onto 'barbed' section/slide fitting down and tighten)

[Lwiddis]

Do it right. Do it once.

[time2roll]

I would avoid vinyl tubing at any cost. +1 for sharkbite or gatorbite.

[enblethen]

I would stay away from the clear tubing. Replace with piece of PEX using the SharkBite style fittings.
Some similar fittings are not removable like SharkBites.

[jdc1]

gbopp wrote:
X2 on the SharkBite fittings.

I recommend the real SharkBite Brand.
They coast a little more than the plastic versions but, they hold up very well.
I've been using them on my home heating system for 15 years with no problems. They are very easy to install.

Ditto. If you're in it for the long haul, buy three aftermarket PEX tools.

[gbopp]

X2 on the SharkBite fittings.

I recommend the real SharkBite Brand.
They coast a little more than the plastic versions but, they hold up very well.
I've been using them on my home heating system for 15 years with no problems. They are very easy to install.

[agesilaus]

Why can't you simply disconnect the PEX tubing and reconnect it when done. As for the flex I assume vinyl tubing that's asking for leaks. If you must carefully cut the PEX hose, get a PEX splice from the hardware store and just splice the PEX back together. I had a number of leaks from the manufacturer using vinyl tubing where PEX was called for.

Sharkbite spilce