Half-Life of PEX

Weezbo

i have peices of pex that are many years in the sunlight and 65 below F from time to time....i use them every year as a tool...here is what i think happens it disorientates the "Memory " of the pex and makes it somewhat brittle. so, when i install pex of the rehau or wirsbo or stadler , wrapping them in tin foil and sticking a plastic grocery bag or two ,or black plastic garbage bag over them is basically my plan of attack. the pex in the home after rough in stays in the tin foil until the sheet rockers tapers and painters are "out". When you expand a piece of old wirsbo that has lived out doors for a few years it usually cracks along the lines of the expander head wedges..if sucsessful though it will make up, and, i have pieces spliced on Rehau with Pls fitting couplers the stuff is tuff :) what kind of half life it has under those severity of conditions i dont really know just yet....Perhaps This year the water will leak out of it ...i have seen manifolds that are of some age in garages and the like, that have lived there doing their thing for many years....

Constantin

So my GC calls me...

... because another client is quite concerned about the UV-stability of the PEX they're using on his job. Due to the fact that they're using the same heating company as on my job, let's assume that it's more Stadler-Viega PEXc in Climate Panels. Let's also assume that the stuff is normally covered by a thick cover after its initial installation and will only be exposed for a week or two at most when the floors are installed. Does this client have anything to worry about, UV-wise?

The structure is fully framed, so the only entry for UV is via windows... I'd like to be able to point my GC in the right direction, so any links you may have to data/installation instructions from Stadler/Viega on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

As for me, the stuff is already beneath the finished floor, so why worry?

Paul Pollets

Don't Worry...Be Happy!!

No cause for concern...if the house is covered, sunlight will not adversely affect the install. 30 days constant sun exposure is what is not recommended. The windows will block 90-95% of the UV.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Jim\"Rocky\" Kelleher

Pex

Thats why you should never buy pex unless it's in a box.

hr

Or

you could buy pex that is black in color In some countries pex must be black to provide adequate UV protection, according to an article in the Global Pipe newsletter.

I have some pieces of opaque colored pex that were under a jobsire trailer for a year. It breaks like it is glass!

Yes, it can and will, go hard if exposed to long. I have heard even in basements with flourescent lighting, over time, it will harden??

hot rod

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Steve Ebels_3

Not with Viega

Their tube is UV stabilized. That's the reason for the black color.