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Pex, Pex, Pex

Tony Massi
Tony Massi Member Posts: 86
in Plumbing
I'm old school and used about a million feet of copper in my life. Now Pex is just about everywhere. Its not really Pex its anything that uses a plastic tube they call it Pex. I guess back in the day when copper was first being used the old timers said that stuff will never last and had a dozen reasons not to use it. Anyway I have to replace some baseboard heat and want to just use Pex from the element down into the floor and not copper to Pex under the floor.
I know this customer will complain if they see orange or red tubing for that short spot going into the floor. I was thinking of painting it with spray paint. Has anyone has this experience painting the Pex?

Comments

  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Realistically, there is nothing you can paint on polyethylene that will reliably and durably adhere to it. The slipperiness of the material is a big part of what makes it work so well across a broad range of fluid conditions. Sleeves might be a good option.

    White hePEX with F1960 fittings & rings trims out fairly clean as long as it's not too long (at which point keeping it straight can become an issue, hence PEX-Al-PEX.)
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,774
    I'd be leery of using any kind of paint on plastic without mfgrs approval. Perhaps a short sleeve of copper could be slid down before the termination is applied?
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 23,108
    There are some vinyl snap around covers for covering the pex.

    Heat shrink tube comes in a lot of colors, slip a piece over the pex and warm it with a hair dryer.

    Or transition to copper below the floor.
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,514
    Make sure that you use O2 barrier pex.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    SWEIdelta T
  • Guelph_Plumbers1
    Guelph_Plumbers1 Member Posts: 1
    Hmm, we install pex pipe aswell, this has worked for us before but you should try this on a test peice... take a bit of girtty sand paper, quickly go over the pex just to rough it up ( an x patern is the best, this will allow the paint to stick) and use a spray paint with a primer in it. This shouldn't be too much of a hassle if its a smaller piece.
  • kcopp
    kcopp Member Posts: 4,462
    I would stick to the snap on cover pieces of plastic. I would be concerned that sanding the pex would damage the oxygen barrier.

    Look here down on the page 7.

    http://www.hydronicalternatives.com/getattachment/49d1bdaf-bb98-42af-8dbc-46d3d6826eed/Radiator-Accessories-Price-List
    delta T
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 16,237
    Wouldn't it be easier to use copper from the element to down below the floor and then continue with Pex rather than trying to sand, prep and paint Pex?

    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
    lchmbGordyBoondelta T
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,980
    Use end caps on baseboard see very little ... I would use the better hePEX which has an white see through tone ... Expandable is more full port and easyer to use with the battery power expander tool

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    delta T

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