In Floor Pex Tubing Problems

Pex piping was invented in the 1950s and refined during the 1960s for use in for radiant floor heating systems.

In floor pex tubing problems.

Pex tubing is easier and faster to install than most other types of plumbing pipe which makes it a popular choice for beginning plumbers. At plastic expert group our experts in pex analysis will determine if the pipe failed due to defective installation or because of a manufacturing defect. The reasons for this are twofold. With 1 2 tubing a 6 pattern is sometimes used in smaller spaces such as bathrooms and for extreme cold climates while 8 and 9 patterns are standard for most living areas in most climates and a 12 pattern is used in garages.

Pex tubing or piping is used for water supply lines as well as radiant floor heating. When i built my last home in 2005 the plumber tried to pull a switch and substitute pex for the copper pipe he had quoted saying pex was superior. As more and more people are using pex tubing over the past few years failures are being reported. Unconfirmed estimates say there are approximately 200 000 homes in bc with poly b water systems and some 700 000 homes across canada.

It cannot be used outside. I fired him on the spot. While pex is generally considered a safe product and accepted by building codes the materials and components that comprise the system have several vulnerabilities and several defective fittings and systems produced by various manufacturers have resulted in leaks and system failures. The pipe and the fitting.

Most of the failures can be tied to 2 specific areas. It s not a good choice for water pipe under pressure. For example by increasing the flow through 1 2 pex tubing by only 0 1 gpm floor output will increase at 5 btu sq. However if pex pipe is incorrectly installed leaks kinks and other common challenges can easily occur.

Here are some of the pex pipe problems you ll want to know about before making any decisions. Before opting for pex plumbing you might want to know about the problems associated with it. Some of the disadvantages of pex include. Polyethylene including pex has dimensional stability problems i e it shrinks back over time.

No single pipe tubing system used in the us has been 100 problem free and pex is no exception. The flexible tubing is embedded in a. The new plastic fashioned into flexible pex pipe also known as pex tubing arrived in the us in the 1980s initially for radiant floor heating systems. It cannot be recycled.

Pex piping is not meant for external use. Poly b is a flexible grey pipe used in residential plumbing and hot water heating systems from the mid 70s through the 80s and into the mid 90s.