1/2" Pre-Insulated AquaPEX Tubing - (100 ft. coil)
Fitting System Compatibility: | Expansion PEX PEX Compression Clamp Push Fit Crimp PEX Press |
---|---|
Linear Expansion Rate: | 1.10"/10°F (12°C)/100' |
Length (Feet): | 100' |
Size: | 1/2" |
Material: | PEX |
R-Value: | 3.9 |
Grade: | PEX-a |
Shape: | Coil |
Insulation Material: | Multi-layered Closed Cell Cross-linked Polyethylene Foam |
Heat Loss: | 6.1 BTU/h/ft2 (at 70° Delta T) |
Insulation Thickness: | 1/2" |
Outside Diameter: | 1.74" |
Coil Size (OD x Width): | 32.38" x 12.4" |
Tubing Type: | Non-Oxygen Barrier Pre-Insulated |
Max Temp (F): | 200°F |
Hydrostatic Ratings: | 200°F (93°C) at 80 psi, 180°F (82°C) at 100 psi, 73.4°F (23°C) at 160 psi |
Thermal Conductivity: | 0.250 Btu.in/sqft.h.degF |
Warranty: | 25 Year |
Application: | Plumbing |
This would be a great product to you for this application, however you should run this tubing underneath the insulation as well, even though it is pre-insulated.
Earth is an insulator in itself. I wouldn't buy the pre-insulated tubing. Yes ,you have to bury it below the frost line. This is the only sure way to prevent freeze up.
My recollection is that Pex is good down to -10F. We run 26 degree F glycol through ours. It's super durable and we've had no issues with leaks.
Don't know the exact spec but I'm sure it's good to well below 14 deg F.
I use one inch Pex with the foam covering down to well below zero Fahrenheit. Most of it is buried 5 feet underground, but a portion is wrapped in heat tape with an insulated wrapping. Once the power failed and the heat taped portion froze. It took about a month to thaw (at a mountain ranch), but the Pex was not damaged after it thawed and there were no broken pipes anywhere. Hope this helps. Ken
Dan, I don't think so. here in the Texas heat that foam would last about 10 minutes. If you need to protect it, run it inside some pvc. It's not good buried, either - pvc or galvanized would be better suited for underground application. But for in-wall or attic use, it's great stuff... If I had it to do over again, though, I wouldn't have gotten the pre-insulated. I would have gotten the plain pex, then bought some insulation from the local hardware store (with a slit on one side) & put it on afterwards. It was heck trying to drill a 2 1/2" hole in the joists to feed that insulated tubing through... -Mark
I have no idea. I used mine inside the house for hot water line. Maybe if it was outside in a vulnerable spot with sun exposure you could use a UV resistant tape to wrap the tubing or like a foil tape. Steve
yes it will but if very hot climate the outside insulation will deteriorate -otherwise even exposed will last long time. Algae may grow if exposed so better covered . Aluminum duct tape over the insulation to cover the short run reflects heat and stops deterioration. ----Gene at Beck's M & T
You can easily tear the insulation away but to do a neat job, a knife is better. Any knife will do----I used the short blade on my swiss army knife I always have in my pocket. If you are careful, you can use zip ties to reinstall the insulation over the sharkbite. For future ease, plan the runs so the connections are not in the crawlspace. The insulation is loose on the pipe. Re the freeze question, depends on how cold the crawl space is. Any insulation will help, but if it is really cold---keep the water circulating in the pipe using a temperature switch. Suggest putting the pipe on the warm side of the floor insulation.
The foam insulation will help to keep lines from freezing under house in crawl space. Further enhance the freeze protection if water line is also protected from direct wind contact. Insulation is easy to remove with knife or razor knife and could be pinched off with fingers if a pretty job is not required.
The key word is "help" - this insulation will help, but if it gets cold enough, for long enough, and the water inside the pipe isn't moving, it will freeze. Note that you need to insulate the entire run, and tape or glue the joints, to get the benefit of insulating the pex. If you leave one fitting exposed, it's more likely to freeze, which would make the insulation on the rest of the run pointless. There are too many variables to answer your question more specifically - how cold your neighborhood can get, how exposed the underside of your house is, how much insulation is between the conditioned space and the crawl space, how long the water sits in the pipe without moving, and so on. The insulation is a foam sleeve, not bonded to the pex. It will slide off the end of the pex once you've (carefully) cut the insulation to the length you want.
I don't know if it will freeze in a crawl space it depends on what your flow is and the temp. I used a standard tubing cutter and pushed the insulation back on the pipe to put on my connector. When you release the insulation it covers up your connector .you need to use a utility knife to cut the insulation but be careful not to cut the pipe.
The insulation will not protect against freezing. The purpose of the insulation is to keep the pipes from sweating. It is also used to keep the heat in the pipe on hot water lines. You can tear the insulation with your fingers but for looks its a good idea to use a knife
Pex will resist freezing better than gal or copper. Its built in memory will allow for a certain amount of expansion withyout breaking. The insulation on pex is not glued to the pipe. You just pull it back and make your connection and release to return.
RE freezing pipes.... I would first ask in what part of the country you would be installing. If you are in Minnesota and where the winters can get really cold, I would say No way. If you are in a more mild climate like North Carolina where winters drop below freezing, but not drastically, then I would say you may be OK. Also depends on what the application is. If it is for radiant heat, I would expect the heat loss to be high as the insulation is really not all that thick. Our application was using the pre-insulated pex for cooling brewery tanks. Glycol runs through the tubing at 28 degrees. This application worked just OK. RE the insulation: The insulation was easy to cut back. It is not bonded to the tubing, but rather just like the stuff you buy at the Home Depot that has a split down the middle. It just wraps around the tube as if you did it yourself. Nothing fancy. Not sure the added up charge is worth it for this product.
The insulation alone will not prevent freezing. You need a heat source of some kind. A heat tape or movement of water from a warmer area will do. Removing the insulation with your fingers is possible but it seems like the hard way and would leave a messy end. Use a knife.
The pre-installed insulation will HELP keep pipes from freezing but not PREVENT freezing. If the crawl space has thermostatically controlled vents (that open in moderate temperatures but close in high and low temperatures) OR if the crawlspace is sealed - then the pre-installed insulation should be sufficient in all but the coldest climates [the heat from the house moderates the temperature of the crawlspace to prevent freezing.] In open crawlspaces, this insulation would prevent freezing only in moderate-to-mild climates (temperatures don't stay significantly below freezing for days at a time). Another consideration: PEX pipes can normally withstand freezing/thawing with rupturing (not true for fittings or valves!!!!) Second question - it is VERY easy to remove/modify the insulation - it can be done with fingers but a neater, quicker job is accomplished with the careful use of a razor knife (box cutter) or even a kitchen knife (with your wife's permission.)
You will need to cut the insulation back to make a decent job of it,use a utility knife with the blade set out just far enough so as not to cut completely thru and nick the tube,the insulation will be weakened enough to peel it off with yer fingers,the stuff I worked with was not totally glued so it was not difficult to deal with the insulation. The tube is tough to cut,too soft for a wheel type tubing cutter and a real pig for a knife,an offical tool would be worth the $. There will be some benefit for freeze protection,you will need to reinsulate your fitting areas. If you are not doing long runs I would suggest using bare tube and the pipe insulation Home Depot carries,they have some closed cell stuff that I feel is better,comes in 6' lengths and has a glue strip for the seam. The right stuff (they carry 2 types)is softer and the higher priced. If you need serious freeze protection,consider a long wrap of heat tape under the insulation. Good luck
PEX tubing is only rated for use with propylene glycol antifreeze.
This product is approved for direct burial. You'll want to make sure it's below the frost line so that water doesn't freeze in the line.
PEX is approved for direct burial so that would be acceptable.
This PEX tubing is insulated with an attached, multi-layered closed cell cross-linked polyethylene foam. The R Value is 4.8.
Yes, PEX tubing is approved for direct burial.
Yes, you can. Pre-Insulated AquaPEX is also compatible with crimp/clamp and ProPEX expansion-style fittings.