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I didn't see the article on remote manifold systems and would like to know if putting a manifold in the center of your house would be considered a remote system. The biggest advantage of the home run system is being able to run small diameter lines. Friction is caused when the air flows across surfaces. When the inside surfaces of ducts are smooth there is very little friction but rough surfaces, or dirt, increase friction. Friction is also increased by how fast the air is moving through the duct. The more friction, the more loss of airspeed as it moves through the duct.
The main drawback is that you’ll need either separate crimping tools for one-half inch and three-quarter inch fittings, or a universal tool with a swappable insert . Depending on the fixture type, it will demand a certain amount of volume flow. The piping should be sized accordingly or else fail your inspection.
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Say on the other hand the meter is on the other side of the garage wall, you have two feet of half-inch pipe, and you have a huge garage and it's another 50 feet to the bathroom. Then it could make a big difference, and you could put a manifold at the garage entrance or run 3/4 inch pipe the 50 feet, upsizing then downsizing, and put a manifold or T&B in the bathroom. But they actually simplify plumbing runs and reduce possible leaks by eliminating the need for tees and other fittings between the main supply line and the fixture. In the next photo you see the 11/32 drill inside a ½ copper pipe.
If the ductwork is too big, the pressure of the air will drop and never arrive at the its intended location. You don't need to do a full home run system or a full trunk and branch. Since your closet is right there on the exterior, why not put in a direct vent gas tankless?
PEX Homerun vs T&B with 1/2in Supply
Water pressure is not adversely affected by the spontaneous use of another fixture. Plumbing systems are many and innovative designs continue to be formulated by the best minds to come up with the most optimal solutions for the ever-growing demand for housing whether residential or commercial. With the exception of electrical connections to distribute power, you will be hard-pressed to name any other part of building and construction as significant and as essential as plumbing. Typicall for a residential application you would run a 3/4 main and branch off the main with 1/2.
Efficient and effective home ventilation systems require a significant amount of planning and designing, particularly in high-performance new construction. Hot water on a main line makes a recirculating system possible, but will also make it take longer for water to get hot at the farthest fixture since you will likely have a larger diameter trunk line. Trunk lines tend to make sense when the hot water heater will be installed at one side of the house and won’t be centrally located. Trunk lines also work well when all the fixtures are in an approximate straight line.
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It doesn’t increase the cost much and is more convenient than running downstairs to shut off the water when a repair is needed. The major advantage of PEX is that you can bend it, and avoid the use of elbows in most cases. I plumbed my whole house with PEX and didn't use a single elbow. All PEX, whether type A, B or other is manufactured to the same ASTM dimensional specification. The difference is in the fittings, as type A is suitable for cold expansion and therefore can stretch over larger fittings. I think it's debatable whether this makes a significant difference in flow rate.
Not only does the actual length of each duct run to and from the ventilation unit need to be addressed, but each type of fitting comes with it’s own additional ‘equivalent’ length. The sum of actual and equivalent lengths impacts the air flow and the pressure needed to each supply or exhaust outlet, and so, determines the size of the ducts. That is probably true for some houses, it may even be true for a typical house.
While home run systems may use more ducting material for installation there are many advantages. PEX fittings are faster to install than copper. If you use a manifold and ‘home-run’ system, it’s like running a garden hose to each fixture — super fast and easy. But even if you install PEX fittings in a conventional main line and branch system, the connections are quicker to make than soldering copper. I let my plumber use “PEX” I failed to ask any questions.
Trunk & branch and home-run piping systems are the two most popular ways to configure PEX tubing for domestic water. The traditional trunk & branch method includes main hot and cold lines that run through a building. Smaller lines branch off the main trunk with tees or small manifolds in order to feed water to fixtures. Home-run systems typically use single hot and cold manifolds mounted near a water heater, from which an individual line runs to each fixture. The intuitive piping setup makes home-run systems popular among do-it-yourselfers, and Viega’s Manabloc simplifies installation. When deciding between these two types of piping, note the advantages listed below and watch our plumbing manifold video for more information.
A manifold is therefore present in the Pex home-run plumbing system. Remote manifold systems as well can be done using Pex plumbing equipment. Pex home run and remote manifold are two such systems and while a cursory glance at the system may not reveal much to the untrained eye, they are quite different, each with its own merits and demerits. At a casual glance, all you may be able to discern is a maze of pipes moving in and out of metal fixtures that you cannot make head or tail of. The preferred method would be to discharge both the TPRV & the pan outdoors through the wall.
I would also not put any plumbing in any exterior walls. If the manifold cost is not exorbitant, I would definitely go with your plan. A sub-manifold system involves placing a main manifold at the main water source and smaller shared manifolds at select junctions in the house. Now, i now you're doing the labor, but put a value on your time and calculate how many hours you think it takes drill holes, measure every pipe length ,crimp fittings, anchor pipes, nail plate, pressure test, etc. I doubt very seriously if your plumbing inspector will allow you to discharge the water heater TPRV into the shower pan.
I used Uponor type A, but mostly because I've seen leaks with type B crimp connections before. The lower restriction fittings I saw as just a bonus. Well if you believe that a fixture can restrict flow, then why are you not sure if a fitting, or reduced opening can restrict a flow, which of course they most certainly do. Friction causes pressure drop, which leads to a drop in velocity and thus volume of flow per time. Plumbing codes are based on scientific principles and charts are devised to properly size water and waste piping.
As for the 90s it depends how tight of a turn your going to make with the pex, if you go so sharp its going to crimp it then yes use a 90 or you can drill a holes if possible to give yourself more room. There are pros and cons to both homerun and the more traditional trunk and branch systems. My current plumbing is the standard 1980's copper tubing with 3/4" and 1/2" lines that are branched. I did not know that you could get away with the 1/2" as which most Pex Manifolds come. PEX pipe has a number of characteristics that make it a good fit for commercial plumbing projects. Yet, many engineers remain hesitant to specify PEX simply because metallic systems have been the norm for so long and are often the default option.
Home Run vs Trunk & Branch Duct Layouts: Which is Better?
Also, since PEX is more flexible and available in long lengths, it can work better for ‘fishing’ through walls in remodeling situations. Personally I would just live with the trunk and branch. It will be very expensive to replumb the house. I like the manifold arrangement but one quick thing to try would be to just plumb the washing machine into the end of the branch line. I this this would allow the other fixtures to have pressure preference over it. Please do check the pressures, though, if you are able.
But I could run hot water to a central location where a manifold would distribute it. Snaking around a bunch of 1/2" pex lines is much easier than trying to get a couple of 1" lines and manifolds in. Not because i prefered to but because i had to in order to recirculate. 1" copper with sixteen 1/2" branches with mini ball valves costs about 10 bucks a branch. If it does not hurt your sense of symmetry, you could do some home runs for some hots, and run cold in a branch.
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