Ipex Warmrite - Maintenance and Replacement

Beakster · December 2020

Hi all,

I bought a house with Ipex Warmrite hydronic flooring. Yes that means there are Kitec pipes in the concrete slab and I am too late to claim on the class action lawsuit settlement.

This is the first time I've had hydronic flooring so I'm trying to understand the system so I can figure out what to do with it. So far it appears to be working well. There are 8 zones run off 3 thermostats and it does seem to keep the place quite warm.

I've mapped out the system with a diagram. In terms of maintenance, the flow meters were unreadable and black inside. I took them off and cleaned the insides, but then a few of them started leaking. I seem to have fixed the leaks with PTFE tape around the black plastic bases.

The system seems to run at 130 degrees Fahrenheit and the pressure is about 30PSI cold and 50PSI hot. I believe this temperature and pressure should be good for the longevity of the kitec pipes.

I expect it makes sense to use the system while it works, but I need a plan in place for replacement for when it fails, so have a few questions:

1) As far as I can see you can no longer buy parts for Warmrite, is that correct?

2) Assuming the pipes in the concrete are good, how would I replace the rest of the system if it fails? I'm thinking manifolds and control module. Are there alternatives to Warmrite that I could attach to my existing pipes and boiler? Recommendations?

3) How would I go about testing the pipes to ensure they have no leaks?

4) The system is connected to my water supply (which comes direct from a well, no filters) Should I be concerned about the well water? Is it advised to buy distilled water to fill the system?

5) There is a fill and relief valve on the supply connection: https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/p/WWG4A822?cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA I'm a bit worried that if the pipes start leaking in the floor, this arrangement will just keep adding more water to replace what is lost and my foundation will end up eroded. Thoughts?

6) I've attached the diagram of the system I made. Is there anything I should be concerned about here? What preventative maintenance should I be doing?

7) Some of the flow meters stick and I need to remove the glass cover to unstick them, but they stick again as soon as they hit 2L/min. How can I fix these?

Thanks

JUGHNE · December 2020

I know little about your tubing system materials but;
most hydronic systems are set for 12-15 PSI with little rise in pressure when hot. Too high of a rise indicates possible too small of an expansion tank.
The pressure setting is only needed to insure the water will rise high enough above the boiler to fill the system. 12-15 is all that is needed for a 2 story house.

MikeySW · November 5

I know this is a very old post, but to the OP did you end up doing anything with the system? I have the same one and it works well and is still functioning for the 5 years I've lived in the house with it.

I am worried about replacement parts for the manifolds, but it is my understanding that replacing the entire manifolds, flow meters, actuators, etc. to the existing Kitec piping is no big deal and you can do it yourself for $300-$600 depending on how much the replacement manifolds are.

mattmia2 · November 5

is that a non-oxygen barrier tubing?

hot_rod · November 5

That tube a PAP, pex aluminum pex, didn’t fail often in hydronic system.

It was domestic water applications where the tube would bubble, delaminate, sometimes split.

But still a crap shoot as far as predicting your experience going forward 🤔

Yes you can still find fittings to build a new manifold

What manifold parts are you concerned about with, got a pic?

If the system is not zoned with actuators, Id be inclined to just use copper manifolds

mattmia2 · November 5

oh, it is pex-al-pex, that should be ok.

MikeySW · November 5

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1870952#Comment_1870952

Bob,

I'll post a picture of my manifold setups when I get home later. My main concern is with the flow meters. You'll see what I mean when I post the pics. They are so gunked up with stuff that I'm not sure they are even functional. I can sometimes see the indicator bouncing up and down when the zone is on.

I'm on a well. I think what's in the system has glycol too. It sure stinks like a chemical when I've experienced leaks. I've also noticed that the flow meters were installed on the return side. It seems like every picture I've seen of other systems the flowmeters are on the supply side and the actuators on the return. Mine is reversed.

I have 9 circuits on 5 zones I think? Everything works, but I always feel like that's on a wing and a prayer type of operation. The guy I purchased the house from did not use the radiant floor heat. He used the heat pump and the aux heat which is Dx coils from the boiler sitting on top of the blowers. Works great actually, but out of curiosity I opened up the valves at the manifolds and brought the floor system back to life. I have been using it ever since.

Come summer, I'd like to be able to take the flow meters off the manifold and clean them. I'd also like to flush the entirety of the floor system, and introduce a water/glycol mix, fresh. I have seen on other posts here that people do that routinely before heating season starts. I am guessing it has NEVER been done in my application in the 20 years of service.

To top it all off, my system is a IPEX Kitec (Warmrite) system, so I don't know what manifold parts are available, what things are sized in a universal manner (can I replace the current IPEX flow meter with another brand as long as the diameter and thread pitch are correct?), and what can be maintained. I had an actuator that would not fully close the manifold pin. The tech took it apart and we worked the pin assembly up and down and put a little lube on it. Seemed to fix it, but can I replace things like that if needed down the road?

It's all new to me. My boiler system is also tied to an indirect water heater so even in the summer if I shut the system down I still need the boiler. Each manifold has isolation valves so I'm thinking I can disassemble the manifolds and still have the water heater online.

Learn as I go I suppose, but would love more experienced folks input of course. Thanks!

hot_rod · November 5

the company I work for, Caleffi a brass manufacturer built the manifolds that Warmrite used towards the end. So if you have that vintage, parts are still around.

Really the flow meters are mainly used at first start up and balance, not much value after that

If all your rooms heat evenly, you may never need to view or adjust flow. It is almost impossible to to keep boiler water clear, so the meters will get cloudy again,

it is a Caleffi manifold the flowmeters don’t disassemble for cleaning. The pins that the actuator operate do stick due to bad system fluid, those can be replaced.

If it has glycol, check the ph. If it stinks, is dark colored, it may need to be flushed.

Not all systems benefit from from glycol. Do you leave the home unattended for long periods during the winter? Pipes on outside walls?

I would certainly keep the radiant going, when working properly it is the best heat in my experience

MikeySW · November 6

Bob,

Agree. It's been great heat in my experience too and my natural gas bills have been very low for my home when it's on.

I'm going to start another post so I don't hijack this post from the OP. I'll post pics of the IPEX/Warmrite manifolds I was talking about in that thread.

Thanks,

Michael

Ipex Warmrite - Maintenance and Replacement

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