Any new company requires a substantial investment from its founders, be it money, time, or other resources. For me, starting Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses has been no different, and I am just getting started! I’ve already had to buy a new 3/4 Ton work truck, replace a few handtools that were worn out or lost, and also purchase some nice new power tools that will reduce labor time and improve build quality.
Today, I wanted to share with you a new tool that I invested in that will ultimately contribute to a small detail in Tiny House construction, but a very important one: plumbing. The plumbing system for a Rocky Mountain Tiny House is something I’ve been researching vigorously the past few months. With so many options out there, how do you choose? I’ve plumbed with traditional copper with soldered joints, I’ve done PVC and CPVC, I’ve had to use old school galv pipe in some older houses, I’ve messed with QWEST pipe used in mobile homes, and more recently, I’ve used PEX (cross-linked polyethylene). Even within PEX though, there are several different connection systems. There are crimp fittings like those sold at Home Depot. There is the newer style Shark Bite fittings which are incredibly easy to work with (and what I what recommend for DIY Tiny Home Builders) but they are also incredibly expensive. There are several other systems like Wirsbo, Viega, Rehau, Nibco, and others.
After chatting at length with my wholesale plumbing supplier, I decided to go with the Uponor system and a Milwaukee M12 ProPEX expansion tool. I will write a whole other post on the benefits of Uponor fittings, but as for the fancy smancy tool I just bought, all you need to know is that it will save me a lot of time when it comes to installing a high quality leak-proof plumbing system in Tiny Houses to come. What this ultimately means is cost savings and peace of mind that I get to pass down to my clients.
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