Categories
- PEX Tubing
- Elbows
- Tees
- Male Threaded Adapters
- Female Threaded Adapters
- Fitting Adapters (Male Sweat)
- Pipe Adapters (Female Sweat)
- Plugs
- Couplings
- Drop Ear Elbows
- Tools
- Copper Crimp Rings
- Stainless Cinch Clamps
- Copper Manifolds
- Copper PEX Stub Outs
- Installation Accessories
- PEX Valves
- PEX Design Information
Information
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What is PEX
PEX is one of the most flexible and easy to use plumbing and radiant heating systems on the market today. PEX can be used for Hot and cold water applications. PEX is flexible and can easily bend around corners, obstacles and through floor systems. PEX tubing is light weight and can with stand operating temperatures up to 200 F (93 C). PEX comes is sizes from 3/8" up to 2".
PEX or Cross-linked polyethylene, is a form of polyethylene that is Cross linked. It is formed into tubing, and is used in plumbing and hydronic radiant heating systems. PEX tubing ranges in size from 1/4-inch to 4-inch, but 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch are by far the most widely used. Although 1” through 2” are used in commercial appliations.
PEX is manufactured using three different manufacturing processes. They are as follows:
PEX A
Method employs a special extruder with a plunger action where peroxide is added to the base resin and through a combination of pressure and high temperature the cross-linking takes place as the tubing is produced.
PEX B
Method of PEX production involves grafting a reactive silane molecule to the backbone of the polyethylene. The tubing is produced by blending this grafted compound with a catalyst which can be done using either the Sioplas method or by using a special extruder it can be done using the Monosil method. After extrusion the tubing is exposed to either steam or hot water to induce the final cross-linking reaction in the tubing.
PEX C
Electron Beam crosslinking takes place when very high energy radiation is used to initiate molecular cross-linking in high density polyethylene. This product is extruded like normal HDPE then taken to an E-beam facility and routed under a beam or ray in the accelerator where it is dosed with a specific amount of radiation to release the hydrogen atoms and cause polymer cahins to bond or link to the open carbon sites.
The methods are not related to any type of rating system. All the resulting PEX tubing products perform similarly and are rated for performance by the ASTM, NSF and CSA standards for which they are tested and certified. The listings and certifications met by each product are printed on the tubing itself to ensure the product is used in the proper applications it was designed for.
