Snow melt systems

rjbesaw

We installed a snow melt system 5 years ago using a prominent brand pex tubing.

It was in poured concrete and the system had antifreeze protection, regularly maintained.

a water leak developed. When the tubing was dug up and chipped away from the concrete, two of the loops had
blistered out from the inside out, both had a small hole.

Of the tubing exposed, the outer layer was peeling off.

The balance or the loops were presur tested with 90 PSI
of nitrogen , No other leaks present.

Any Ideas what may have cused the leak and the outer skin
peeling?

Note: There are other areas on the property with snow melt.
They are not in concrete.

rjbesaw

Snow melt tube failure

We installed a snow melt system 5 years ago using a prominent brand pex tubing.

It was in poured concrete and the system had antifreeze protection, regularly maintained.

a water leak developed. When the tubing was dug up and chipped away from the concrete, two of the loops had
blistered out from the inside out, both had a small hole.

Of the tubing exposed, the outer layer was peeling off.

The balance or the loops were pressure tested with 90 PSI
of nitrogen , No other leaks present.

Any Ideas what may have caused the leak and the outer skin
peeling?

Note: There are other areas on the property with snow melt.
They are not in concrete.

Al Letellier_9

snow melt failure

Sounds like the oxygen barrier failed for some reason if that's the type of tubing you used. If I were in your shoes, the first person I would talk to is the manufacturer or his rep. Any of the big players in that market should jump all over a problem like this to find a solution for you. Everyone else here would be giving educated guesses unless they had the same problem with the same tubing in the same material and environment. Use your rep...he should be your best friend in a situation like this.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Fred Campbell

Manufacturer

Good call, Al. I was gonna say the same thing. Pictures or a sample to a rep or the factory will go along way in a situation like this. I can understand delamination of the O2 barrier in exposed tube, I've seen it though it's not supposed to happen. Blister and burst in an imbedded slab is something for the engineers.

Good luck, TG

Paul Rohrs_4

Pex-Al-Pex

Was this standard Pex or Pex-Al-Pex?

Regards,

PR

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"