Tapping into Rehau water line with US fittings
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Topic: Tapping into Rehau water line with US fittings
Posted By: Ananda
Subject: Tapping into Rehau water line with US fittings
Date Posted: 30 May 2025 at 15:15
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I need to tap into my inlet Rehau 16mm water line (Hanse 460) without having to use Rautitan fittings and required compression tool etc. This system and parts are not easily available in the US. Has anyone been successful in adapting this water line to a US PEX line? Maybe using a barb fitting with hose clamps etc? Thx  |
Replies:
Posted By: marsella
Date Posted: 30 May 2025 at 15:35
| Yes, possible with PEX pipes but you need an expander tool (check Amazon) |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 31 May 2025 at 01:23
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I’ve tapped into those lines using domestic brass barb to barb fittings available at plumbing supply and Amazon. If you mate those with 5/8 Pex you can simply hose clamp or crimp. Expander tool is not needed on standard pex. I would suggest using a heat gun on the Rehau pipes to ease the barb fitting in, as they are very stiff and slightly less ID than 5/8. ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: marsella
Date Posted: 31 May 2025 at 01:48
| Heat gun might also work, didnt think of it, but I used expander tool to expand european 16mm to fit USPEX standard, that is the standard plumbing procedure. |
Posted By: 32mike
Date Posted: 01 June 2025 at 13:53
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My experience so far with the Prineto European version of PEX, is that they are not designed to be expandable but rather they fit with compression fittings. They CAN be expanded somewhat with the PEX A expansion tool but they don’t return to shape like a PEX A pipe. Also, they can be overexpanded at which point they start to split so, be careful if trying that. On my first attempt I drilled out the Prineto with a drill bit just big enough to fit the PEX A fitting and then used a hose clamp (jubilee clamp) to secure it. It requires quite a bit if tightening because the Prineto tube is not very flexible. It has seemed to work so far and I’ve been reluctant to redo it with expansion tool and PEX compression clamps since it seems to have worked as is. Also, during install of an accumulator tank for the fresh water system, I discovered that there is another type of tubing used. The blue water tubing leading from the water pump to the system looks like it might be Whale, Seatech or Aqualock. It’s designed for push-connect fittings but Hanse used hose barbs instead. It’s quite the mishmash of plumbing inside this boat. ------------- Mike S/V Dulces Sueños 458 #087 Tampa, FL |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 01 June 2025 at 14:40
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Correction. My experience above was with the Prineto piping from 2018. I realize now Hanse may be using something more like pex by Rehau. I agree with Mike and I did something similar with the Prineto piping. I did have some success using a heat gun and I did not need to drill. The rehau pipe will be easier and more familiar to work with. Hose barb and crimp or clamp should work fine. ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: marsella
Date Posted: 01 June 2025 at 15:15
| To be exact about my experience with this, at the time I was doing my watermaker I need a tee inserted into the cold water pipe, it was european prineto and I found its specs at https://ivt-group.com/en/produkte/prineto-schiebehuelsensystem/" rel="nofollow - https://ivt-group.com/en/produkte/prineto-schiebehuelsensystem/ . There was also a video posted there how pipes should be assembled using their couplings and the expansion tool. I just followed exactly that video, the expansion tool I got from Amazon, it had several sizes, I think I used 1/2 in size to expand prineto to fit US PEX barb tee and then fixed with standard worm gear clamps. The US PEX pinch clams did not work for me (there were either too big or too small) |
Posted By: Arcadia
Date Posted: 01 June 2025 at 22:07
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Yes I do recall that pex crimps were not sized correctly. I also used hose clamps as Marsella did and are holding well. I did retighten them after a year as I find with most tubing there is a settling that happens after initial tightening. ------------- Leon / ARCADIA 2018 Hanse 588 Sag Harbor, NY |
Posted By: Ananda
Date Posted: 02 June 2025 at 18:52
Hey guys, many thanks for all the helpful comments!  I solved my problem using 1/2" expander tool to open up the Rehau pipe and connected to a 1/2" barb to NPT to 1/2" PEX push to connect fitting. I secured the Rehau pipe to barb using two single ear hose clamps. Works great!  |