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Tubing identification

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bricksea
bricksea Member Posts: 13
in A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
I looked at a job that has some tubing that I have not seen before. Can someone please identify it and explain any known issues with it? Thank you

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  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,157
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    Looks like PB, polybutylene. It may be an early 90's Infloor package judging by the pump module.

    Hi Valley Supply in Buena Vista, Colorado bought the rights to that Infloor name a few years back, they would have info, maybe parts for those old systems.
    Www.hi-valley.com
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,062
    edited October 2016
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    PB.....I have a couple thousand feet of that in my house, in concrete, in extruded plates under wood floors and behind walls. The tubing has never been a problem. Installed in 1994.
    However mine is colored red which is oxygen barrier type. It has been connected to cast iron boiler, steel pumps and black pipe, none of which have shown any corrosion due to O2 infiltration.

    What you show may be plain PB without O2 barrier which could allow air (O2) infusion into the water attacking ferrous materials.

    The pump modules, IMO are pretty handy. They have a 4-way mixing valve.....you don't dead head a pump. Adjustable temp outlet.....one of mine is not working well, I am able to keep the temp down with boiler controlling. Air bleed port which is handy. Adjustable flow for each circuit......these were not functional after 20 years. I could not find new replacement modules for flow control....so for one of the manifolds I replaced it with a PEX model. Needed to transition from 1/2" OD (3/8" ID) to 1/2" ID pex. The only approved fitting I could find was a push in coupling which has so far been OK. The pump is still working fine after that time.

    The isolation valves on the 3/4" copper were a little dodgy as time went by and those were replaced with better ball valves.

    Otherwise it was a good concept. ;)
  • bricksea
    bricksea Member Posts: 13
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    Thanks for your help, the owner is having issues with two of the three manifolds in the house not working. The boiler is a mess that is up for replacement. I will use a much simpler approach using modern gear. I thought I saw radiant on the tubing and took that to mean barrier. The original installer is still around I may give them a call and see if they remember what they used. It appears that viega makes pex to PB fittings in 3/8 I plan to use them if I can get my hands on the jaws.

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