Routing PEX

Ed_20

I'm adding radiators to some rooms where I now have forced hot air. I'm using homerun PEX connections to a manifold near the boiler. I have to route the PEX through a unfinished basement that has a finished ceiling. What's the best way to hang the PEX up against the celing? Also, should I cover the pex with insulation the way I would copper pipe?

Thanks.

Ted_9

Use plastic clips or Sioux Chief tube talons.
PATRIOT HEATING & COOLING, INC.

kevin coppinger_4

Sioux Chief

makes a lot of different stuff, Touchdown clamps. tube talons, mickey mouse ears, etc... kpc

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John Felciano

Hanging pex

Pex is a great material to work with, however it needs room to expand as it will grow with temperature increases. About 1" per 100' per 10* if you attach it to the bottom of joists it will look like a pile of sogy pasta when it heats up.

Also code (in Connecticut) calls for all heating pipes in a unheated area to be insulated.For these reasons we always "drill it up" into the joists.By drilling holes and running the pex through the floor joists rather than under them the whole mess of drooping pex can be hidden behind the insulation.Killing two birds with one stone.Once the pex is above the insulation it doesn't need to be insulated and there is no need for countless numbers of clips or hangers.

Be sure and drill your holes straight with each other and a bit oversized so the tubing has room to expand and contract withot rubbing against the structral members and making anoying noises.

Good luck with your project.

John Felciano

oops

Just reread your post,missed the part about your finished ceiling.

If there are multiple runns of tubing in a situation like yours we have sometimes sleeved it in larger diameter drainage pipes.Maikes for a more attractive and neat installation and saves alot of labor.

Mark Eatherton1

C.O.E.

Co-efficient Of Expansion. If uncontrolled, it will make you wish you'd never seen a plastic pipe.

For example, I used to work for one of the most prolific RFH contractors in the state of Colorado. We ran PEX for EVERYTHING, including S&R runs to and from (he was into home running) the manifolds and mechanical rooms.

One customer, with an exceptionally large home (10K + Sq Ft) kept complaining about an annoying ticking sound coming from the ceiling of his basement. No, we didn't do staple up. Everything was in gyp on top of the framed floor. Anyway, I knew exactly what it was that was making the ticking sound. I'd tried to talk the business owner into a controlled schedule of allowing expansion to go where WE wanted it to go, instead of allowing it to go where IT wanted to go. The plan is simple. You "lock" the tube down on one end, and make sure that there is adequate room on the far end of the run to allow the tubing to expand without binding up and causing the tube to grow backwards, thereby binding up, and scraping against the framing members. It takes a little forethought and attention to details laser sighted straight holes), but I'd proven time and time again that it works quite well. He (the biz'man) didn't think his tubesters could handle that much of a mental work load, so he never put it into place.

He'd tell the H.O. "Thats the nature of the beast. Thats how you can tell your heating system is working..." Yeah right, virtually silent heating.

After I left the company, the H.O. had my home number and called me to ask me to address the problem, at any cost. I went in, and exposed the piping runs (8), anchored them on one end, and made sure there was plenty of growing room on the opposite end. I insulated the offending rub areas with plastic from white plastic milk jugs, and the system is now truly virtually silent.

The same theory has been applied to metalic piping for years with excellent results. You just need to think ahead...

The tube "lock" was nothing more than a 6 inch long piece of 2X4, with a hole approximatley the same OD as the tube OD drilled in the center of the flat portion, then sawed in half through the middle of the hole. This was fit over the tube, screwed tight to "clamp" over the tube, then the clamping device was securely screwed to a framing member on one end of the run.

Sweet, simple and effective.

ME

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Weezbo

do i know you Kevin? Thats what i call those clips

micky mouse ears and omega clamps )

Ted_9

Weezbo, we all call them Mickey mouse clips, but I havent heard the Omega clip for the flat clips. I like that one. Makes them sound tough.

PATRIOT HEATING & COOLING, INC.

kevin coppinger_4

omega clips....

thats a new one, but I see how you get the idea for that, can I use that? kpc

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Mark Eatherton1

I love Sioux Chief products...

but did you know that they're only rated to 140 degrees F and shouldn't be used with copper tubing use on continuous circ heating lines? Neither did I until an inspector pointed it out to me;-(

http://www.siouxchief.com/Frm_MS.cfm

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