Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest PEX Question?
ThumbBanger
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
Been following the recent discussion re expensive PEX tools and fittings. I’m a persistent DIYer thinking outside the box all the time and thinking about baseboard heat for the summer cabin I’m building. So. . . tell me why it is a bad idea to make PEX-to-nipple connections on baseboard units with good old SS hose clamps? The stress would seem to be no greater than under the hood of my car. All connections could be accessible from below in an unfinished basement.
Stop me before I kill again. . . .
Replies
Buy the tool on ebay and sell it back when you are done!
Just guessing, but you won't get the uniform squish with a hose clamp that the ring provides.
Rubber automotive how has a thicker wall, that flat spot on the clamp isn't a problem there, but it will be with PEX.
Best guess from this 12 year old girl/internet PEX expert.
Joe H
Rent/borrow/buy & return (or just keep) the tool. Its that good.
Persistent DIYers will need it again.
sure, go ahead it wont be a problem, tell us how it works out, Its your house.
Thumb,
Make some pex joints up w a crimper,,,,,,, get a feel for what is going on,,,,,,, take few joints apart,,,,,,,,, try to rip apart a few joints by hand. After this you won't be thinking about hose clamps.
Harry
My Wirsbo PEX Expander was stolen a couple of weeks ago along with other tools. The problem is the PEX product's have their own tools to make the fittings. If there are 10 different PEX manufacturers then there are 10 different attachment tools.
If you are a plumber and have to do a repair, which is accessible or not, then you have to have that tool for that PEX.
The thief probably won't get much for the PEX tool and it probably won't get used again. Not like I used it more than once every other year, but it did come in handy when I added a new line in house.
BTW, I'm a DIY'er, not a plumber or any other tradesman.
Try and borrow the tool, best of luck, Woodnuck
First, PEX for baseboard... not my favorite. lots of expansion at higher water temperatures. use a PEX-AL-PEX.
that won't squish much. I'd use a real compression or crimp fitting.
-=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
Radiant Design, Consultation, Parts Supply
http://www.NRTradiant.com
First, PEX for baseboard... not my favorite. lots of expansion at higher water temperatures. use a PEX-AL-PEX.
Just curious, where does the expansion pose a problem? The expansion=movement itself? Or is it that so much cycling of expansion/contraction at high temps is a problem to the pex material?
What if the design water temps for the baseboard hotwater are low temp 130* versus 180* (typical of baseboard HW systems)?
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
Noise, primarily. I suppose wear and tear could be a problem if it's rubbing an edge somewhere.it's 1.1" per 10 degree rise per 100'. You can do the math for whatever your installation is. However, with baseboard, who knows what temperature someone will run it at now or later. I would use PAP to cover myself.. price isn't much different. Holds shape better too.-------------------------------------
-=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
Radiant Design, Consultation, Parts Supply
http://www.NRTradiant.com
If the price isn't much more, I agree using Pex-Al-Pex.
If the "regular" pex layout is done a certain way the expansion doesn't HAVE to be a noise issue.
Related Q: When feeding Cu fintube baseboard with Pex (any type), does it mater if the pex is the "riser" thru the floor (with a pex-by-Cu elbow to the baseboard)? Or should the riser be a Cu stub with the pex-Cu connector be below?
I could see the pex riser absorb more of the copper expansion (noise) from the fintube.
Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
well if you use expansion loops and let the tubing move, no, it doesn't have to be a problem. But, given a choice between accomodating expansion, and eliminating it, I'll opt for elimination every time. You can also use a reset temperature to reduce expansion frequency and intensity.If you use expansion loops in the tubing, whether it's a riser or not makes no difference, though it does give you a convenient place to put an expansion loop, it also would generally mean that you have exposed pex.. and copper generally looks a little better, IMHO. I would do the transition in the floor/wall if possible.as long as you are transitioning to pex, and that copper stub can move a little with the fin tube you're doing fine.-------------------------------------
-=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
Radiant Design, Consultation, Parts Supply
http://www.NRTradiant.com
you'll never be able to tighten them enough to get a good seal. I thought about the same thing one time. Trust me, it won't work.
If you're referring to pex to IPS threaded nipple with a hose clamp, then you're in big trouble.
You will never get the pex to fill in the void groove, even if you could squeeze it down that much you would be cutting into the pex piping.
If your work is real soon, buy the Uponor¯ expansion tool then sell it to Boats234 so I don't have to send him one.
“When politicians and journalists declare that the science of global warming is settled, they show a regrettable ignorance about how science works.” Nigel Calder, editor of New Scientist
I'm doing my baseboard heat this week in PEX. I'm using the same crimping tool I used to do my whole bathroom. It cost me a whopping ninty bucks at my plumbing supply house with no discount to speak of. Big deal!
You know, not to generalize, but the 29% of people who still support President Bush are the ones who love to pronounce themselves more patriotic than the rest of us. But just saying you're patriotic is like saying you have a big one. If you have to say it, chances are it's not true.
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