Installing PEX Tubing

Advances in polymer technology have provided us with materials that act as effective alternatives to conventionally used ones. One prime example is polyethylene and its various derivatives that have provided low cost substitutes for many metal products. One such polyethylene derivative - PEX, also known as XLPE is cross-linked polyethylene. In this article I present a brief overview of the procedure for installing PEX tubing for heating and plumbing applications.

About PEX Tubing

When choosing a material for any application, if you opt for the one which has inherent physical properties conducive for the purpose at hand, then the construction lasts long. PEX tubing has some peculiar properties which makes it an ideal candidate for use in radiant heating systems, insulation for high power electric cables and domestic hot water plumbing.

The cross linking converts the thermoplastic polyethylene into a thermoset. It is a designed material that can withstand high temperatures, shows resistance to chemical corrosion and is still flexible. PEX tubing is available in various sizes and is used as an effective substitute to PVC and copper pipes in plumbing networks.

Installing PEX Tubing in Plumbing

Let me provide a concise overview of PEX tubing installation for plumbing jobs. They can be used as hot water pipes instead of copper pipes which are considerably more difficult to install. The fact that PEX tubing bends easily, makes it very easy to install. To install PEX tubing in your plumbing network, you need to invest in proper tools for the job. Depending on the job, you will need to purchase PEX tubing of adequate length, along with PEX cutter and crimper. You will need crimp rings to affix the pipes and fit them tightly.

First measure the length of piping that you will need. Using the PEX cutter tool, cut the tubing in the right lengths. Once you are ready with the cut piece of PEX tubing, insert the crimp ring around it and fix the tubing in place. Let the crimp ring be spaced out by a distance of roughly 1/8 inch from the end of tubing. Make the tubing connection on both sides using the crimp ring. All that remains is to tighten the crimp rings so that the tubing attachment is secure. Use the crimper and tighten the ring on both ends.

If the tubing is going to travel some distance, you can fix it to the wall using metal fasteners. You will have to mark out the path of the tubing and drill holes at regular intervals in the wall, to fix the metal fasteners. That finishes my brief overview of installing PEX tubing.

Installing PEX Tubing in Concrete

PEX tubing is used in radiant floor heating systems. The idea is to keep driveways and floors warm through heat supplied by the hot PEX tubing set in a layer below in concrete. With such radiant floor heated concrete driveways, you don't need to worry about snow accumulating in winter as it will simply melt and subsequently drain away. Installing PEX tubing in concrete is a job, best handled by professionals.

Still I provide an outline of the basic procedure for installing PEX tubing in concrete. First thing to be done is covering the floor with PEX tubing spirals. The spirals or coils of tubing are set in such a fashion that they cover maximum floor area. Oxygen barrier spray is used to cover the tubing with a layer to prevent any oxygen invasion into the heating system tubing apparatus.

Then using metal anchors, the tubing is fixed into the floor. The anchors ensure that the tubing stays firmly fixed in place. After this, a network of cross linked bars, known as a rebar grid is placed over the fixed tubing. The tubing is tied with metal wire to the rebar grid to make it more secure. Once the framework is ready, concrete is poured over it and left to dry out. Hot water is passed through the tubing to provide heating. This is the procedure for installing PEX tubing in concrete. I think this type of hydronic radiant floor heating system is an ingenious technology.

Hope this article has given you a rough idea of how to go about installing PEX tubing. The procedure is quite simplified by the flexible nature of PEX tubing. When considering a plumbing overhaul, consider replacing your old metal plumbing with PEX tubing, which lasts long and is substantially easy to install.