MikeD74T
Veteran Member
One of the current best reasons for PEX is there's no reason for anyone to steal it from your house (to sell as scrap) while you're gone. MikeD74T
Dura-Pex vs copper pipe
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NY_Yankees_Fan
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If you are considering installing fire sprinklers in your home the PEX can be used with this product to provide fire protection, click on the pdf, interesting article.
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Dusty
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Larry....... can I get you to do some plumbing in my home? 
I looked around and found this ASTM standard for copper pipe.
B-42
This specification covers seamless copper pipe in all standard pipe sizes, both regular and extra—strong, suitable for use in plumbing, boiler feed lines, and for similar purposes. .
So, does PEX meet this B-42 standard??? If it does, then it might work just fine in a solar hot water heater setup??????? Any ASTM experts willing to comment?
Bob
B-42
This specification covers seamless copper pipe in all standard pipe sizes, both regular and extra—strong, suitable for use in plumbing, boiler feed lines, and for similar purposes. .
So, does PEX meet this B-42 standard??? If it does, then it might work just fine in a solar hot water heater setup??????? Any ASTM experts willing to comment?
Bob
I emailed the makers of dura-pex. This is the reply I got.
This is not a recommended use for the pipe for two reasons:
1) Although we put significant UV inhibitors in the pipe, it cannot be used with direct exposure to sunlight on a permanent basis
2) The temperatures of solar collectors can easily exceed the highest rating of the pipe at 220F.
My recommendation is to use copper on the exterior and transistion to pex inside the home at a place where the temperature of the fluid has dropped below 200. On the return, you could use pex right up to the inside of the roof.
-----Original Message-----
To: Tom Coe
Subject: Dura-pex vs copper in SDHW
Tom, I hope you are the right person to ask.
I want to install a roof mounted solar domestic hot water (SDHW) heating
system. Normally, the pipe carrying the propylene glycol in collectors is
copper. I would like to use Dura-pex (for many reasons).
Will Dura-pex replace the copper in this installation? The dura-pex would
connect to the collectors and penetrate the roof just like copper pipe
would, working down through the walls into the basement where the 80 gallon water tank would reside.
Thanks, Bob
This is not a recommended use for the pipe for two reasons:
1) Although we put significant UV inhibitors in the pipe, it cannot be used with direct exposure to sunlight on a permanent basis
2) The temperatures of solar collectors can easily exceed the highest rating of the pipe at 220F.
My recommendation is to use copper on the exterior and transistion to pex inside the home at a place where the temperature of the fluid has dropped below 200. On the return, you could use pex right up to the inside of the roof.
-----Original Message-----
To: Tom Coe
Subject: Dura-pex vs copper in SDHW
Tom, I hope you are the right person to ask.
I want to install a roof mounted solar domestic hot water (SDHW) heating
system. Normally, the pipe carrying the propylene glycol in collectors is
copper. I would like to use Dura-pex (for many reasons).
Will Dura-pex replace the copper in this installation? The dura-pex would
connect to the collectors and penetrate the roof just like copper pipe
would, working down through the walls into the basement where the 80 gallon water tank would reside.
Thanks, Bob
gordon21
Veteran Member
I never heard of the PEX system until I read this post. I hadn't done any PVC work with lines under 2" in a couple years. I went to several websites and visited Lowes to see the stuff in person. The clerk grabbed a fitting and a piece of pipe and assembled them in 2 seconds and handed it to me. He said it was done and watertight to about 80-100PSI. Needless to say I was amazed. He demonstrated the slip joint type fittings.
If this system REALLY works and doesn't leak, then it is well worth the $1-$5 per fitting. You can do LOTS of plumbing in one day by yourself and not even get high from the PVC cleaner. Time is money and I certainly wouldn't mind paying an extra $200 to be able to do a whole house in 2 days by myself.
Here's my question. There is also a PEX crimp series that appears to be more work, less foolproof and costs less. Is it worth bothering with? The slip joint fittings seem to be a miracle for the average homeowner. Run 20'-60' of continous pipe from the basement to the second floor and in two seconds have a fitting ready to connect to any standard faucet, toilet or other plumbing fitting.
If this system REALLY works and doesn't leak, then it is well worth the $1-$5 per fitting. You can do LOTS of plumbing in one day by yourself and not even get high from the PVC cleaner. Time is money and I certainly wouldn't mind paying an extra $200 to be able to do a whole house in 2 days by myself.
Here's my question. There is also a PEX crimp series that appears to be more work, less foolproof and costs less. Is it worth bothering with? The slip joint fittings seem to be a miracle for the average homeowner. Run 20'-60' of continous pipe from the basement to the second floor and in two seconds have a fitting ready to connect to any standard faucet, toilet or other plumbing fitting.
gordon,
I have only used crimp type fittings and "Flair-It" fittings. The crimping tool resembles a small (18") set of bolt cutters with the jaw being two semi-cylindrical half circles. The crimp ring is a solid copper ring that is "shrunk" by the crimping tool.
The crimp evolution is easy: cut PEX pipe to size, slide crimp ring onto PEX, insert barbed fitting, slide crimp ring up to fitting and squeeze with tool=Done.
The "Flair-It" process is just as easy: cut PEX, slide "Flair-It" threaded collar onto PEX, insert barbed "Flair-It" fitting, slide threaded collar back onto fitting and turn until tight=Done
I have only used crimp type fittings and "Flair-It" fittings. The crimping tool resembles a small (18") set of bolt cutters with the jaw being two semi-cylindrical half circles. The crimp ring is a solid copper ring that is "shrunk" by the crimping tool.
The crimp evolution is easy: cut PEX pipe to size, slide crimp ring onto PEX, insert barbed fitting, slide crimp ring up to fitting and squeeze with tool=Done.
The "Flair-It" process is just as easy: cut PEX, slide "Flair-It" threaded collar onto PEX, insert barbed "Flair-It" fitting, slide threaded collar back onto fitting and turn until tight=Done
gordon21
Veteran Member
Raddad: If they knew how much those slip fittings cost and that they could take them all apart in seconds without tools, they would be stealing them left and right.