Reccomendations: Brand Pex-al-pex & manifold for Panel Rad install

Fred Rappuhn

I plan on eliminating some fintube and install some Buderus panel rad's with pex-al-pex, ran as home runs off from a manifold. I presently have 4 zone valves controlling the system, can I also have these zone valves serve the manifolds?

Looking for recommendations of a brand pex that has ez to use connectors and a brand of manifolds to use. I have already done a Slant fin heat loss and 1/2 pex will supply the load I need. Thoughts, please.

Paul S_3

I like the Viega Fostapex

Leon82

What does the local plumbing store sell?

The plumbing store near me sells Apollo clamping system as well as Lowes.

The plumbing place sells slant fin pex while Lowes sells Apollo or another brand.

Both sell the Apollo crimp tool. I would not use the sharkbite style because it is probably cheaper to use copper after you spend the money for the fittings.

If you can plan your layout you can get it from supplyhouse.com. some may have a proprietary locking system, think upnor may be this way.

Paul S_3

I like the Viega Fostapex

Steve Minnich

Lots of good product out there. Viega FostaPex like Paul mentioned. Uponor Multi-Cor, Watts Radiant PAP.

I'm not comfortable using anything but Pex-Al-Pex for home runs in higher temp applications. Many local codes require it too. Some guys, I know, are ok with just Pex.

Fred Rappuhn

Thanks for input, I do not have a local warehouse, just big box stores, I was planning on making purchases through, supplyhouse.com

Steve Minnich

1/2" Uponor MLC will cover individual radiators up to about 15,000 BTU/h. I've been using it since it came out. Never a problem.

Fred Rappuhn

My largest load on any 1 rad is under 8,000 btu, so 1/2 was in the plan.

Bob Bona_4

Agreed, 1/2 Fostapex is a great choice and the crimp tool is relatively affordable. Get a bunch of 90s, for those really difficult bends.

Fred Rappuhn

When it comes to manifolds I am lost!!! So many choices, An 8 branch would serve my largest zone, recommendations???

Steve Minnich

Why the dislike for my post above? Something against Uponor? Inadvertent hit?

Brian Chilton_2

As a landlord, we have used thousand's of feet of Viega Fostapex. We love it. We use it for potable hot , potable cold and heating applications. This is because we think its a better product than regular pex for potable(UV degradation, and stiffness for when we pull in wall and cannot support as much as we'd like) and because we only stock 2 products : 1/2 and 3/4 fostapex.

I have used it since Viega was in Bedford, Ma, which I think was 1997 ish....

I even have the original tools which were smaller(and did not have the same linkage for leverage) then the current ones, I keep the original 1/2" tool in my "jack of all trades" tool bag but have never used it....which means we never did an emergency repair on any viega pex that we installed.

Leon82

If the manufacturer of the pex you use also makes manifolds, I would use their manifold also

Fred

Stephen Minnich said:

Why the dislike for my post above? Something against Uponor? Inadvertent hit?

@Stephen Minnich I don't think that's a "Dislike" For some reason the "Thanks" button changed to "Dislike" and all Thank you's to Dislikes. I sent @Erin Holohan Haskell a message. I'm sure she will get it resolved.

Leon82

If you click it again it will take it off, at least on my phone it does. Have accidentally swiped a few while scrolling

Erin Holohan Haskell

Thanks for the heads up on the Dislike/Thank button. Our developers at Vanilla re-purposed the Dislike button to create a Thanks button for us. A recent update may have messed with the settings. I've disabled it for now and will look into it.