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DIY with Rehau?

Shane_Mulligan
Shane_Mulligan Member Posts: 2
edited September 2020 in THE MAIN WALL
Hello, this is my first post. I ran a couple of home runs of Rehau 1/2" in a reno awhile back, for the attic rad and bathroom towel rack I am going to put in one day. The co. that sold me the pipe was going to come back to do the connections, but time passed and they've disappeared. Now I need to reconnect another main rad, and I'd like to do a couple of other runs, bit by bit, and am looking for tools and fittings and not having much luck. (Location Kitchener Ontario Canada.) I heard in another post that one needs to be licensed to purchase Rehau. Is that a fact? If so I might want to have someone connect all the lines until I can afford the rads - and then I'm wondering what I should cap with so I can finish the connections myself once rads arrive. I appreciate your insights.

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,170
    You may need a license in Ontario. I wouldn't know -- but check with your building people. You wouldn't in the US for your own work. Tools are available on Amazon, and I surely would try standard PEX fittings for a start anyway.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Shane_Mulligan
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    You will need to start by determining which product is installed.
    My guess is that it is this "Pex-A" Product with an O2 barrier. https://www.rehau.com/us-en/raupex-pipe

    If this is the case, pretty much all pex fitting systems are compatible. If you have a different tubing, like pex-al-pex or non barrier tubing, that would be a different conversation.
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
    Shane_Mulligan
  • Shane_Mulligan
    Shane_Mulligan Member Posts: 2
    Thanks gents. Pretty sure I have the PaxA O2 (red). I have tried hand fitting standard pex fittings and they don't seem to fit (either M or F) - just too tight. Am I just not trying hard enough or do I need an expander, like in the Rehau Everloc system? It sounds like you are suggesting I can use standard plumbing pex fittings & tools, such as Zurn. Is that right?
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,576
    Check the dimensions, but a hand tool to use Propex expansion fittings is relatively inexpensive and they should be compatible with any pex-a as long as the dimensions match, check both ID and OD since there is an expandable pex-a sleeve that needs to fit over the outside to make the connection.
    Shane_Mulligan
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,367
    You can use standard crimp fittings, but you need to keep them to the bare minimum since they're very restrictive to flow in a hydronic system. The Rehau is always a little tight on these, but it is an approved fitting that will work. The Uponor (1960) cold expansion fitting will also work with their sleeve, but the expansion tool is needed.

    We've run miles and miles of Rehau and have both the Everloc and Everloc + tools and fittings, but you'll find them very expensive if you can even find them available.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    Shane_Mulligan
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,576
    I bought a cheap knockoff propex tool without the heads then i bought milwaukee heads in the sizes i needed.
    Shane_Mulligan
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,367
    edited September 2020
    Be careful of what you buy: the Everloc tool and fitting are brass; the Everloc + is for the composit fittings and the tools/system are not interchangeable. The Everloc + adapters are brass but they are different from the Everloc brass adapters.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.