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Tnlavalley · 04-01-13, 01:46 PM

Greetings! I am installing hydronic heating in the ceiling of my unfinished basement to heat the main level of my home. Based on all the great information I have gleaned from this site I am using thinfin C heat transfer plates from Radiant Engineering and using 1/2" PEX and 8" on center for most of it. I have several questions but I will begin with which PEX product to use. I had a contractor install infloor heat over a slab in my family room (no basement underneath) 3 years ago and I thought they did a fine job. However, I wanted to do most of this job myself. They use PEX-b. it feels quite stiff and I am going to have to do lots of pulling PEX between joists (about 1000 sq ft + or -) and I think I would like a more flexible product. Right now I am leaning towards PEX-AL-PEX. Based on what I have read, it retains it's shape, allows for smaller radii bends and has a much smaller coefficient of expansion which should limit creaking. It sounds harder to connect to manifolds, however. Any other disadvantages with it?
Any recommendations? PEX-a, PEX-b, PEX-AL-PEX, RadiantPERT by Watts? Also, the prices on the Internet are all over the map. I am willing to pay more for a quality product but I don't want to throw my money away. How is one to know which PEX is quality and which isn't? Thanks in advance!

04-01-13, 01:46 PM	#1
Tnlavalley Lurking Renovator Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	What type of PEX for underfloor hydronic Greetings! I am installing hydronic heating in the ceiling of my unfinished basement to heat the main level of my home. Based on all the great information I have gleaned from this site I am using thinfin C heat transfer plates from Radiant Engineering and using 1/2" PEX and 8" on center for most of it. I have several questions but I will begin with which PEX product to use. I had a contractor install infloor heat over a slab in my family room (no basement underneath) 3 years ago and I thought they did a fine job. However, I wanted to do most of this job myself. They use PEX-b. it feels quite stiff and I am going to have to do lots of pulling PEX between joists (about 1000 sq ft + or -) and I think I would like a more flexible product. Right now I am leaning towards PEX-AL-PEX. Based on what I have read, it retains it's shape, allows for smaller radii bends and has a much smaller coefficient of expansion which should limit creaking. It sounds harder to connect to manifolds, however. Any other disadvantages with it? Any recommendations? PEX-a, PEX-b, PEX-AL-PEX, RadiantPERT by Watts? Also, the prices on the Internet are all over the map. I am willing to pay more for a quality product but I don't want to throw my money away. How is one to know which PEX is quality and which isn't? Thanks in advance!