We are enlarging a utility room which contains a boiler and a water heater. The piping for hot and cold water travels along a wall and then goes into a concrete slab which provides water to the rest of the house. The wall along which the piping runs is being removed and the underground pex has to be extended to another wall. I am concerned about joining two sections of pex where the fitting will be encased in concrete. Is there a preferred method of joining two sections of pex in concrete so that there is no deterioration of the fitting from interaction with concrete? Doing a “home run” is not an option without tearing up living space, as the house is constructed on a slab. Thanks.
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Replies
As far as I know there is no preferred Pex fitting for your situation. If you must use one under concrete be sure to isolate the Pex from the concrete with insulation or something else. Make sure you make a accurate drawing of where it is located in case you have any future problems, luck.
You can use what you want to insulate the under concrete pex, pipe insulation, duct tape, polyethylene, etc., it dosen't matter as long as you cover the pipe and fitting so the concrete dosen't cover it. I don't have any opinion on the Lowes' fittings.
The only
in slab connection for PEX that I would trust is the pressed brass version by Reahu. Insulating the connection with something like the rubbery electrical wrap insulaion intended for large buried conductors is recommended as well.