Patching/ connecting PexALPex

TAG

Naturally, the guys installing my wood floors hit one of the lines in the Warmboard. It's in a room where they had to go parallel to the tubing .... I'm using random wide boards so it should never have happened. They are going to have cut out that one run to assure they did not hit more than once.

I'm not seeing anything other than compression repair fittings. The cross manifolds have duel "O" ring connectors that use a common crimp ring .... is not a standard slip on both sides not available?

How do you extend a short PexALPex run .. ?

Why is everything a pain !

GroundUp

The Cross manifolds you have with the crimp connection are most likely standard 1/2" PEX, not PEX-AL-PEX. Uponor does make a crimp style fitting for PAP and I think Watts has one also, but they are super uncommon. Either way, they're still pretty big and won't fit in your Warmboard track anyway. Personally I'd replace the loop, nobody wants an inaccessible joint under their floor

TAG

The cross manifolds come with what I guess is a "universal" connection -- has the two "0" rings. They only sell them one way --- for 1/2 inch.

Unfortunately -- the floor is down and it's not run of the mill flooring ..... some of it is very wide 14". I can't rip 1/2 the room up taking out the floor to get to the whole loop. Thankfully -- this looks to be on one of the thinner boards ... had they used a wider one this would not have occurred.

Warmboard has you cutting a larger "pocket" in the subfloor channel and using a compression connector. drop it in. My guess is they hit the Pex more than once along the length.

I can burry the fitting under a cabinet on the one end. The other end ... will be under the finished floor.

Ironman

If it's 1/2" tubing, the internal diameter is the same as 1/2" pex and a standard 1/2" pex crimp fitting will work. We've done it several times over the years and never had an issue even with 100 psi on it.

Roth makes the larger SS press sleeve and RE Michel carries it, but you'll need the tool or jaws for it.

Zman

I have found that the flooring guys rarely hit just one tube. I would put ~90 psi on the whole zone just to be sure. It sucks to find the leak a few years later when the nail finally rusts.

TAG

Ironman: Seems all the PexAlPex have 0 rings. I have the gizmo to clean and set the end and it seems to set up the O ring to fit inside the chamfer

Zman -- I hear you. That's why the whole run of that width board has to come out -- If I'm there I can see how many nails went into the board and check. Told them to just plan on replacing the whole length of pipe in that groove to be safe -- can't risk. I measured the rest of the house and there is no groove even close the a board seam .... someone was not paying attention!

GroundUp

The ID of PAP is larger than PEX. Perhaps a standard crimp fitting/ring will work, but it's not the right fitting for the job. The Cross manifolds are shipped with fittings for 1/2" PEX, not PAP and not universal. Just PEX.

TAG

GroundUp -- I'm only going by the Cross install manual. They call it 1/2 universal Pex/PexAL/ PE-RT

It has two O rings --- two (6&8) of mine are done with PexAl and one (8) is PEX. Done want to risk anything not approved.

Looks like I will be doing two of the compression ....

hot_rod

Whats below the Warmboard, a finished space? I have sawed thru the WB and make the splice where it is accessible. I would use an o-ring style, either crimp or compression.

If it needs to be fixed from the top, chisel or router the WB for the couplings to fix

Ironman

GroundUp said:

The ID of PAP is larger than PEX.

Not on 1/2". Larger sizes, yes.

TAG

HotRod. Warmboard now supplies two repair couplings with the install kit. They did not before --sent direct to the HVAC sub. Never saw them. Unfortunately -- the floor guys did not wait as instructed and nicked the cross pipe as they removed the board run. Now I need a third coupling. Everhot brand looks to be a match .... it's a bit smaller in size than the others. Warmboard has you cut out a pocket and drop it in.

There does not seem to be a simple crimp ring fitting for this .. too bad

hot_rod

It's a UF 1281 fitting, PAP with o-rings. It does use a special crimp tool. Uponor had them for the MultiCor PAP, Weil McLain, and Watts and a few others also for their PAP. Maybe all them sourced from Hewing of Germany. Might be hard to come by, and without the proper tool...

TAG

Yes --- HR .... did see that one. Don't have the tool.

hot_rod

TAG said:

Yes --- HR .... did see that one. Don't have the tool.

properly installed that compression coupling will be fine.

TAG

Went yesterday to the house -- was able to use one of the holes and had to drill some of my own to fix it correctly ..... it's all working now. It doe not seem like the 3 fittings are causing any real flow problem.

The little Everhot splice fittings are nice quality and small -- twin "O" rings. They finished the rest of the flooring -- this was the only problem in the 3500sf.

Just noticed the old phone jack .. need to remove that !!

hot_rod

put aluminum foil over the splices

TAG

Maybe I should have ... !

They had the floor in place when I returned ..