REHAU O2 barrier = squeaky?

Big Ed_4

What you hear is the Expanion of the heat pex. I noticed over time it tends to lessen or go away. New installs , tight claps

SpeyFitter

REHAU O2 barrier = squeaky?

The company I work for uses a lot of Rehau O2 barrier pipe for our radiant installations, mainly because it's a good quality PEXa, and the Rehau EVerloc system is the only approved joining method that is approved to be encased in concrete (should any pipe become damaged during installation). The installs I have been involved with are all covered with concrete, but the company I work for has done installs in the past with staple up applications with this stuff and from what I've heard, not first hand experience, but what I've heard, apparently the O2 barrier with the Rehau is a bit "squeaky" (when used with their Heat Transfer panels) and not well suited to staple up applications? Anyone have any experience to relate and confirm/deny what I have heard?

SpeyFitter

Ed,

So you don't think it's the pipe's O2 barrier itself, but the freshly installed/stapled up heat transfer plates that are holding the pipe to the subfloor from underneath?

Brian_19

pex

Yes it is true Rehau pipe is terribly noisy in a staple up or any surface it comes in contact with(Wood floor joist,ect.). I know first hand I have used it on a few jobs including my own house for radiant ceiling. I wish I had never used it for that.
I did use the Rau-panel system for my first floor and it works great with no noise at all. With that system once the finished floor is installed the tubing can't move.

One other outdoor reset does NOTHING to combat the expansion noise of the pex. For staple ups the pipe sucks.

Supply House Rick

Rehau sucks - Use Wirsbo!!!

They use a special coating or something, we uses only Wirsbo stuff. too many homeowner complaints when we used Rehau. Squeaks and creaks like no other. Noisiest Pex in the industry no matter what anybody tells you!

Andrew Hagen_2

EVOH

The difference is the EVOH oxygen barrier is on the outside of Rehau tube and not on some other brands. The EVOH barrier has a glossy "sticky" finish that has a tendency to make more noise than those with a polyethylene outer finish.

Given the noise tendency and Rehau's very high competency when it comes to plastics, I am surprised they still put the barrier on the outside of the tube.

Bob Forand

Scott K

As others have said it is the red coating which is the barrier that squeaks. And not only does it squeak but it is "sticky" enough when pulling through joists that you feel like Lou Ferrigno when you are done. I would second using Wirsbo.

Supply House Rick

Wirsbo is tops in my book!

We used to use ray-how, TOO NOISY

The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)

That's not me, FYI.....Boilerpro