Plumbing pipes in new concrete slab. Yes or no?
Fiddler110
| Posted in General Discussion on
I am about to start construction of a small (14′ x 16′) studio on a slab. There will be a kitchen and a bathroom. Obviously the toilet trap and the bath trap need to be in the concrete slab. I guess I’ll put the lav and the kitchen sink drains in there too. Now, for the water pipes I’ve put copper in a slab before but now PEX seems to be the way to go. Do they do well in concrete? What if there is a leak later?
Replies
Fiddler 110,
Are you referring to penetrating the pex through the slab for your water supply? If so, the pipe is usually sleeved so that it is not in direct contact with the concrete. In the case of the hot water supply line, it is usually wrapped with pipe insulation.
MR
Yes. Pipes in concrete. A sleeve? Like a 2" PVC pipe and then run the PEX through that? Like a conduit, I guess. Then if there is a leak it could be pulled and re-run. Is that how it's done nowadays?
The sleeve is merely intended to prevent the concrete from coming into direct contact with the pex pipe. It is not necessarily meant as a sleeve for eventual replacement.
Oh, I see. Thanks.