 Pex (by Ken [NY]) Mar 7, 2025 5:17 PM
 Pex (by NE [PA]) Mar 7, 2025 5:35 PM
Pex (by DJ [VA]) Mar 7, 2025 5:40 PM
Pex (by DJ [VA]) Mar 7, 2025 5:42 PM
Pex (by Jason [VA]) Mar 7, 2025 5:45 PM
Pex (by 6x6 [TN]) Mar 7, 2025 5:51 PM
Pex (by DJ [VA]) Mar 7, 2025 6:15 PM
Pex (by MikeA [TX]) Mar 7, 2025 6:25 PM
Pex (by Riichard [MI]) Mar 7, 2025 6:37 PM
Pex (by 6x6 [TN]) Mar 7, 2025 7:37 PM
Pex (by don [PA]) Mar 7, 2025 9:49 PM
Pex (by zero [IN]) Mar 8, 2025 8:30 AM
Pex (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Mar 8, 2025 9:15 AM
Pex (by Sisco [MO]) Mar 8, 2025 11:57 AM
Pex (by Ken [NY]) Mar 8, 2025 12:05 PM
Pex (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Mar 9, 2025 12:56 AM
Pex (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Mar 9, 2025 9:02 AM
Pex (by T [IN]) Mar 9, 2025 9:58 AM
Pex (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Mar 9, 2025 6:42 PM
Pex (by Sisco [MO]) Mar 9, 2025 7:35 PM
Pex (by Small potatoes [NY]) Mar 9, 2025 11:00 PM
Pex (by zero [IN]) Mar 10, 2025 6:10 AM
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Pex (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 5:17 PM
Message:
I have a house being rehabbed and replacing all the supply side pipes with pex,we have to go into a crawl spake to get to the kitchen sink,not sure if it will freeze under there or not. Can i put heat tape on pex and will it work? --74.77.xx.xx |
Pex (by NE [PA]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 5:35 PM
Message:
I have lots of pex in crawlspaces. It should be OK. If you find that it freezes, you will have enough time to remedy it before it will pop. --174.249.xx.xxx |
Pex (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 5:40 PM
Message:
I recommend:
Cut the hole for the pipe just a bit bigger than it needs to be - to allow heated air from above to go through.
Insulate highly UNDER the pipes in the crawl space, not around them. Leave only air above the pipes - again so a little heat from above can get down there.
Heat tape probably would be fine, but I would double-check how hot the tape gets & compare it to max heat tolerance of the PEX you use. I would still insulate it as described above. --72.218.xx.xxx |
Pex (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 5:42 PM
Message:
That should be "insulate tightly" --72.218.xx.xxx |
Pex (by Jason [VA]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 5:45 PM
Message:
Pex is rated for 180 degF, so the answer is that it depends. If it's an enclosed crawl, I wouldn't worry about it. Pex shouldn't burst when frozen, it just expands. --73.147.xxx.xx |
Pex (by 6x6 [TN]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 5:51 PM
Message:
DJ, heat rises. --73.19.xxx.xx |
Pex (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 6:15 PM
Message:
Yes, 6x6, it does.
It also spreads to fill the space it has access to.
It won't get as warm as the house, but all it needs is to not freeze.
It works. It's exactly what I did with my last reno, which is now 2 MTRs --72.218.xx.xxx |
Pex (by MikeA [TX]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 6:25 PM
Message:
I would bet that the existing iron or copper lines ran through crawl space and didn't freeze so it's doubtful pex would. The water has to get from the street into the house, seems like the only way it can get there is through the crawl space.
Granted that we don't have the long cold winters you do but I have many houses that have copper lines in the crawl spaces and some with pex. I even have some that I've never gone back and sealed up the original crawl space vents and only ever had a problem on two of them one time when we had sub zero temperatures for 5 days straight. --209.205.xxx.xx |
Pex (by Riichard [MI]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 6:37 PM
Message:
I've had pretty good results by going to the store and buying those foam insulating tubes about 4 feet long that go around the pipes. Then I put it around the pex and, on trailers where the underside is not nearly as protected as in a regular house, I get a larger diameter foam tube and put it over the first tube and then tape it so the crack is closed. This gives about 2 inches plus of foam around the pex. I use plumber's tape (the metal band with holes in it) to keep it up against the bottom of the trailer and also zip ties where necessary.
Obviously you want to keep it protected but when it's sub zero and windy you don't want any drafts getting to it.
If the outgoing plumbing is in a crawl space, especially if it's a mobile home crawlspace, it's also a good idea to wrap the outgoing plumbing in fiberglass insulation, maybe a couple layers, and tape it up too.
You can disregard this if you live in the south (or coastal California, of course). --97.85.x.xx |
Pex (by 6x6 [TN]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 7:37 PM
Message:
Pex (by don [PA]) Posted on: Mar 7, 2025 9:49 PM
Message:
I have had places with crawl spaces at the NJ Shore. It is also important to block up any vents into the crawlspace from the outside come Winter. Wind whipping through the area will quickly remove any residual heat reaching the crawlspace from the living area. An easy fix is to cut 2" thick foam board into panels that fir snugly into the vent recesses of the foundation wall. --73.165.xxx.x |
Pex (by zero [IN]) Posted on: Mar 8, 2025 8:30 AM
Message:
I have never put heat tape on PEX. I always feared that the heat would case problems with it.
We get pretty cold here at times and I have had no issues with PEX in the crawlspace as long as it is not drafty by the pipes.
That being said I was working on a house for a realtor and had to run new lines for a shower. I used a sharkbite fitting because it is what I had. This was in the house proper.
Place was heated with a heat pump, had not been there long. Temps dropped a lot, emergency strips couldn't keep up and tripped a breaker. This was around Christmas. I was away from the project for a week or so.
When I got back I noticed the cold, figured out the breaker tripped and searched for problems.
The sharkbite actually broke. Never saw that happen before, but it sure did.
I still use them when necessary but I always remember that happening.
Off in the weeds again with my post, thanks for reading this far into it. --107.147.xx.xx |
Pex (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Posted on: Mar 8, 2025 9:15 AM
Message:
Pex is awesome and incredibly forgiving. The larger the size pipe, the colder it has to get to freeze. Like cooper lines, the areas most prone to freezing will those with drafts at the 90 degree turns. So in a case like yours, I would recommend you double out the crimping rings on those 90 degree fittings that are in teh crawl space.
The other thing you could do is run that Pex in conduit lines and just heat a small part of that entire system. You heat the Pex line with stagnate water sitting in it over night (tenants didn't let the facet drip at night) then water will warm up in a 20-foot run of heat tape and warm up the water beyond that 20 feet.
When it super cold this year for that four days, I had a trailer with frozen pipes coming up from the well. It took about 12 hours after turning on the heat tape to get them water --174.131.xxx.xxx |
Pex (by Sisco [MO]) Posted on: Mar 8, 2025 11:57 AM
Message:
Type A pex will withstand freezing undamaged. Standard pex will be damaged by freezing. I have heat tapes attached to water supply lines to my mobile homes , you have nothing to worry about with this application. --149.76.xxx.x |
Pex (by Ken [NY]) Posted on: Mar 8, 2025 12:05 PM
Message:
Thanks everyone, i wasnt sure if heat tape would work but apparantly it will,i will use 3/4 inch instead of 1/2 inch and put heat tape on it.I will be keeping this place 9 years or longer,i got seller finaning for9 years when i bought it so will keep it awhile. --74.77.xx.xx |
Pex (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Posted on: Mar 9, 2025 12:56 AM
Message:
Better to move all the pex pipe inside where with Uponor commercial pex can run a one 3/4’ for hot and cold water for a bathroom or kitchen then manifold to 1/2” where less piping along with joints as A type pex bends more easily. Requires a special expansion tool. --216.110.xxx.xxx |
Pex (by Ray-N-Pa [PA]) Posted on: Mar 9, 2025 9:02 AM
Message:
Sisco what other differences exist between Pex and Pex A? I know the sizes are different so the fitting are not interchangeable --174.131.xxx.xxx |
Pex (by T [IN]) Posted on: Mar 9, 2025 9:58 AM
Message:
Ray- Its just the fittings used mainly. One uses the crimps or cinch clamps (B), A uses the expansion tools. Supposedly A is more flexible and can expand (not burst) more than B. With that said, I have installed a lot of Pex B... never a burst. Even with the water line frozen (I'm knocking on some wood right now) --170.203.xxx.xx |
Pex (by Robert,OntarioCanada [ON]) Posted on: Mar 9, 2025 6:42 PM
Message:
Pex A is rated for commercial use where can be used in a commercial building as well residential. Pex A with proper expansion tool is easier to install along less likely to leak. Pex A is more flexible which means fewer joints speeding up installation. Pex A have no restrictions which means can manifolded where one 3/" line can be used for hot and cold water minimizing the amount of piping. Pex A can be used to install a sprinkler system for a house. Pex B fittings restrict water flow where the internal diameter of Pex A is the same diameter as pex A pipe. Again go into You Tube videos on the installation of Pex A and Pex B. Most building supply sell Pex B where commercial plumbing outlets sell Pex A to contractors as time is money. --216.110.xxx.xxx |
Pex (by Sisco [MO]) Posted on: Mar 9, 2025 7:35 PM
Message:
Ray, the method of connecting type a is done by slipping an expansion ring over the end of pipe, then inserting the expansion tool, remove the tool, insert your fitting before pipe and ring contract to normal size.
Standard pex would split and not make the water tight seal. I suspect the chemical makeup of type A, is quite different. --149.76.xxx.x |
Pex (by Small potatoes [NY]) Posted on: Mar 9, 2025 11:00 PM
Message:
Pex A can recover from being bent without a kink in the pipe causing a weak point. Think of a garden hose that gets a crease in it. --77.111.xxx.xx |
Pex (by zero [IN]) Posted on: Mar 10, 2025 6:10 AM
Message:
I purchased a PexA expansion tool but have yet to use it.
I still have a couple thousand dollars worth of PexB pipe and fittings.
Hopefully I will have them forever as that would mean no more plumbing work, but alas I realize that will not be the case.
The plan is to slowly use up the B stuff and then start running all A. --107.147.xx.xx |
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