Can you use PEX pipe in concrete slab? Yes, PEX pipe can be installed under a concrete slab. PEX pipe can also be encased within a slab, which is commonly used for radiant floor heating. In cases where PEX pipe penetrates a concrete slab, it must be protected with a nonmetallic sleeve at the penetration point.
How do you install PEX tubing on a concrete slab? General Rules of Thumb for Concrete Slab Underfloor Heating Installations
On top of the compacted earth or sand, install a vapor barrier.
Lay down at least 2″ of rigid foam insulation.
Install the wire mesh or rebar for the concrete slab.
Attach the tubing to the wire mesh or rebar using plastic zip ties.
Why is PEX banned in California? California banned PEX because of the possibility that harmful chemicals can enter drinking water. There are no studies that indicate that you will risk your health if you drink water from PEX pipes.
Where can I find PEX in concrete? Using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to scan a concrete slab and locate radiant floor heat PEX tubing.
Results are marked directly on the concrete with this real-time 2D method.
Rebar is also marked to help with drilling.
GPR is ideal for locating PEX tubes in concrete regardless if they are filled with air or water.
Can you use PEX pipe in concrete slab? – Related Questions
Can you bury PEX pipe in the ground?
PEX tubing is approved for direct burial outdoors, a practice most often necessary when running a water supply line to a house. Embedding PEX in sand protects it from any rocks in the soil.
Why would you put foam under concrete?
Concrete contractors learned that a layer of poly helps to keep a slab dry, because it stops upward vapor diffusion from the soil.
The foam layer isolates the room-temperature slab from the cold soil under the slab.
Does PEX need to be sleeved?
When PEX tubing is placed in soil and is used in potable water systems intended to supply drinking water to fixtures or appliances, the tubing or piping shall be sleeved with a material approved for potable water use in soil or other material that is impermeable to solvents or petroleum products.
Why is PEX plumbing bad?
PEX plumbing system has been used for more years and therefore its failures has been observed and known. Its major failures is linked to piping and fitting. Piping fails when the pipes are exposed to chlorine that is within the water, exposure to direct sunlight before its installation.
What are the disadvantages of PEX?
PEX Plumbing Disadvantages
PEX may leach BPA and other toxic chemicals.
PEX is extremely sensitive to UV light.
PEX can be damaged by chemicals and pests.
PEX can’t be installed in high heat areas.
PEX is semi-permeable, which means liquid can enter the pipe.
Should I use PEX A or PEX B?
PEX-A is the most flexible of all PEX tubing types, has little or no coil memory and gives installer an ability to repair kinks with a heat gun.
8 times the OD for PEX-B & C) is helpful, but offers little practical advantage in most cases.
PEX-B is a clear winner in terms of price vs.
both other types.
Can you run PEX inside PVC pipe?
The 1″ pex in 1.25″ pvc gives you about 1/8″ clearance in diameter. You should plan on 50 yds of sand. Any rock damage or distortion of that pipe and you’ll never get it out. Seems to me that it would be very difficult to push/pull 1200′ of pex through PVC pipe.
What size PEX should I use for radiant heat?
1/2 Inch
Generally, for residential Radiant Heat Systems we recommend 1/2 Inch PEX Tubing. The PEX Tube size dictates the flow rate that can be achieved and thus the maximum loop length of the pex tube.
How deep should a water pipe be in the ground?
According to ‘The Department of the Environment’, they recommend that pipes should be buried at least 600mm (two feet) underground. At this depth, the soil acts as a natural insulator and prevents them freezing.
How long will PEX last?
Additionally, long-term testing programs on PEX have shown that it has a potential lifespan of more than 100 years.
So, while copper systems may have to be re-piped every few years or decades due to corrosion and pinhole leaks, a PEX system can last 10 times longer — or more.
How long does PEX last underground?
Myth: PEX tubing has a short life span.
Fact: The life span of PEX tubing can vary based on frequency of use, water quality and water temperature and has an average life expectancy of 40-50 years.
How thick should foam be under concrete?
You’ll also need to lay a 4-inch tall section of foam around the perimeter of the foundation- enough to be level with the concrete after it is poured.
Lay down the vapor barrier according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Make sure there is a 6-inch overlap on the edges of each roll.
What kind of foam goes under slab?
Two of the rigid foam insulations most commonly used below grade and under slabs are expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS).
Can you use spray foam under concrete slab?
Insulating under foundation and basement slabs using SPF (spray polyurethane foam) offers certain advantages over the more common method of using rigid foam board.
Only closed-cell SPF can be used in a subslab installation; the open-cell foam does not have adequate compressive strength.
What PEX is best for underground?
Cross-linked polyethylene, commonly called PEX pipes, are another great choice for an underground water line.
The pipes are created from melted HDPE polymers, which gives the pipe a great amount of flexibility compared to other pipes.
PEX pipes are durable, flexible, and able to handle high pressures.
What is the best insulation for PEX pipe?
What Is The Best Way To Insulate Pex Pipes
Can I run PEX in conduit?
Pulling 3/4 inch PEX through otherwise empty 2 inch PVC conduit should definitely be do-able although not necessarily easy.
I would start at the end with the three 90 degree bends so that you can push as someone at the far end pulls.
