Please bare with me on what I have been seeing as the best tube size/spacing recommended in the 20+ yrs I have been following hydronic radiant flooring which I planned hopefully to use in my last major retirement home project. 3/4" pex on 12"cc was very popular, and even 7/8" is out there for in slab. I see and understand that there is great variability in details of maximizing performance in how radiant floor is being applied now. I understand also a contractors desire to stick with what they know and is proven for them, some innovate more readily than others, but almost all believe the knowledge they are working with is sound. So am I understanding that the present direction of maximizing the evenness and efficiency of the floor loops is minimizing the tube spacing? Like with insulation generally more is better. Is the tube dia. a major factor or disadvantage beyond the minimum bending ability of it? In other words in my case could I use 5/8 ID pex as if it was 1/2 in a 8-9" spacing if I can work out the return bends(which I can do as I have room to mushroom out 180's to 12" if needed) in a goal to do low temp heating in a high mass slab(which will be very well insulated)?
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