Revolutionize Your Plumbing Game: Meet the RIDGID® RPE 100 PEX Expander

Anyone who has ever wrestled with copper pipes, a soldering torch, and flux in a dark, cramped crawlspace knows that plumbing can be an exhausting challenge. When PEX tubing hit the market, it changed the game forever, making pipe runs faster and far more flexible. But even with PEX Type-A, making perfectly uniform, watertight expansions, especially when you are contorted under a bathroom sink, can still wear you out.

If you are tired of manually resetting your expander heads, fighting with clunky tools in tight corners, or worrying about inconsistent connections, relief has finally arrived.

Enter the RIDGID® RPE 100 PEX Expander. Engineered to eliminate the hassle of PEX installations, this tool brings industry-first technology to your toolbox to ensure you get the job done faster, smarter, and leak-free.

RIDGID didn’t just build another expansion tool; they redesigned the experience to eliminate common frustrations. Here is what makes the RPE 100 a massive upgrade:

1. Industry-First AutoReturn: Say goodbye to manually resetting your tool. The AutoReturn feature automatically returns the heads to the closed position after an expansion. This eliminates missed steps, saves time, and prevents you from accidentally leaving the expander heads open.
2. Brushless Power & Productivity: Powered by a high-efficiency brushless motor, this tool delivers incredibly rapid PEX expansions, allowing you to knock out more connections in significantly less time.
3. Flawless Consistency: Leaks happen when expansions aren’t perfectly round. The auto-rotating head ensures even, uniform expansion across all PEX Type-A fittings every single time, drastically minimizing rework and reducing errors.
4. Ultimate Versatility: Whether you are running a small supply line or a heavy main, the threaded, interchangeable expander heads seamlessly handle PEX tubing sizes from 3/8” all the way up to 1”.
5. Smart Diagnostics & Lighting: Work with absolute clarity. A built-in LED light illuminates dark workspaces, while a smart LED indicator provides maintenance reminders (like when to add lubricant) and overheating alerts to protect and extend the life of your tool.
6. Effortless, Safe Operation: The fully functioning paddle trigger is a lifesaver in tight spaces where you can’t get a traditional grip, while a dual-press startup ensures you never accidentally activate the tool in your bag.
7. Compact Ergonomics: Designed for the real world, its lightweight, compact footprint and included belt hook make one-handed portable operation a breeze.

Whether you wear a tool belt for a living or just tackle weekend home improvements, the RIDGID RPE 100 is designed to make your life easier.

For the Professional Trades (Plumbers & HVAC)

When time is money, efficiency is everything.

1. Whole-Home Repipes & Rough-Ins: The brushless motor and AutoReturn feature mean you can move down a line of fittings incredibly fast, shaving hours off major residential or commercial rough-ins.
2. Radiant Floor Heating: When running hundreds of feet of PEX for radiant heating systems, the ergonomic, lightweight design saves your arms and shoulders from severe fatigue.
3. Tight Utility Closets: The paddle trigger allows pros to easily trigger the tool when reaching behind water heaters, boilers, or closely clustered manifolds.

For the “Regular Person” (DIYers & Homeowners)

You don’t have to be a master plumber to get professional results.

1. Bathroom & Kitchen Remodels: If you are moving a sink or adding a new vanity, this tool takes the guesswork out of the connections. The auto-rotating head guarantees a perfect seal, so you don’t have to lie awake at night wondering if your new plumbing is going to flood the kitchen.
2. Emergency Repairs: If a pipe bursts in the winter, you want to fix it fast and get the water back on. The RPE 100 allows a DIYer to confidently and quickly splice in a new section of PEX without needing an open flame or messy glues.
3. Outdoor Spigots & Garage Upgrades: Running a new water line to the garage or backyard is incredibly simple, and the built-in LED light makes it easy to see what you are doing when working in the dimly lit floor joists of your basement.

To make your pipe runs and plumbing repairs as seamless as possible, having the right supporting cast of tools is crucial. Here is a great RIDGID product available at Acme Tools that pair perfectly with your new PEX Expander:

1. RIDGID 15 Tubing Cutter: Why it pairs well: Before you can run new PEX, you usually have to cut out the old lines; this classic cutter cleanly and precisely slices through old copper, brass, and aluminum pipes so you have a perfect edge to transition from.