PEX and Pretty Mechanical Rooms

Kevin_in_Denver_2

Has anyone figured out how to use and support PEX to make a professional-looking mechanical room?   Note that I believe that most of the hot pipes should be insulated and most pipes brightly identified.



Please post photos so I can learn how!

hot_rod

which pex?

I've found if you use the straight lengths, 20 footers, of pex it looks a lot better. But you end up using a bunch of flow restricting fittings.



My favorite is the straight length Viega fostaPex. If you do want to bend some long sweep 90's it stays put.



Coiled pex, even the PAP or FostaPex doesn't straighten so well.



hr

croydoncorgi

Use Multi-layer pipe!

Single layer or 'barrier' PEX is always going to look tacky.  Even if you get it REALLY straight and neat to start with, the high expansion coefficient will tend to make it look saggy.



Multilayer (PEX/alu/PEX) pipe is much tidier and faster to fit than copper or steel, and given the chance I'd use it every time.



 BUT there are BIG problems with costs (too high!) and standards (at least in UK, there are none worth speaking of!).  If only someone would launch a 'supply service' for multilayer tube and fittings kits, so you could bulk-buy and then RETURN the bits you didn't use, for (say) an 80% refund on the original price, I'd go for it immediately.  As it is, the high costs of all the bits (tube, fittings, and especially special tooling) are a big show-stopper.

Al Letellier_21

neat piping in mechanical rooms

I guess I need one of Dan's new Tshirts because the old school I went to and subscribe to is older than dirt, going back 4 generations.

In my opinion, a mechanical room is no place for PEX. I have tried everything from PEX-AL-PEX to sleeving and I have found out that nothing looks as good or as professional as rigid pipe in the mechanical room or around a boiler in an open cellar. I always use rigid, be it copper or black pipe, until I get into the joist or ceiling spaces, then I really burn up the PEX....it's great stuff and wish we had it back it the old days, but it just doesn't look as good as a straight piece of pipe.

I've seen some very nice installs using PEX all the way, but those jobs are in the minority.....as I said "older that dirt"

Merry Christmas everyone !!

hot_rod

Ideally all mech. room piping

would be insulated. If you use a rigid insulation like the good old high temperature fiberglass stuff, then the wavy-ness of the PAP tube disappears, the room stays cooler, and more of the btus end up where they are needed.



I agree there is no substitute for a professionally installed plumb and straight iron or copper job, but pex and other composites are here to stay.



Pap with nice sweeping bends and Armaflex insulation can look nice. It provides lowers pressure drop, and saves fittings.



I'm looking at a HX idea that would use a composite/ plastic tube that is being developed for exhaust piping on cars and trucks!



hr

Kevin_in_Denver_2

Sweeps with Armaflex

A possible design/build scenario:



1.  Sharkbite fittings cost 5X as much as the crimp fittings, but are useful in layout.  Once all the interconnections are laid out, replace the Sharkbites with crimps, and slide on the Armaflex as you go.  This is the analogy to assembling everything in copper before you get out the torch.



2.  In the mechanical room, you can get away with the thinnest possible Armaflex insulation.  Pex lets you eliminate lots of the 90 degree elbows which are annoying when you use Armaflex.



3.  Pumps are mounted near the tanks or boilers and supported by threaded fittings and nipples.   This can save a lot of pipe and fitting pressure drop in contrast to mounting pumps on a nice board on the wall.



4.  Try to make the mech. room piping go straight up and then bend smoothly to the destination.



5.   Pex-Al-Pex is a great idea to keep things in place.



6.   Paint the Armaflex bright Red and Blue with latex paint, then using stencils, spraypaint flow arrows and pipe descriptions as appropriate.



7.  Neatly bundled line cords are a way to keep the electrical system from becoming spaghetti, and are useful for troubleshooting.   (Is this pump bad, or does it even have power?  Check it by plugging it right  into the wall)



7.  Sounds like a lot of work, but worth it if only for ease of troubleshooting and explaining the system.



Again, somebody please show us a photo of a good looking PEX mechanical room!