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[church]

My description of my installation. Approximately 65' from stove to entry of basement at 40+ inches below grade. Entry into basement then vertical rise w/ 90 to floor joist ( 48" with pump install in this rise ).  Then converted to use of copper, 14' horizontal to mechanical room entry w/ 8' to heat exchanger. The lateral movement in the insulated Pex w/ water temperature @140 is approximately 5", the movement seems to be  putting a lot of torque on the copper lines. How are others controlling / compensating for this movement? Should I attempt to install a piece of Pex in a radius between the entry and pump location or use another shark bite in the horizontal run and allow movement there? I have searched the gallery for other install pictures, but I could have over looked them.
Thanks for any info that you could give me regarding this situation.
Church

[mikenc]

if you are concerned you can put a expansion loop in piping to take up movement. Takes four ells for each line.  Just make a u in piping. I have room for expansion the way my piping is installed.

     

[church]

Thanks Mikenc,
Do you think I am being to concerned about the movement? I could rework my plumbing and raise the pump to give more room for that type of installation, I have about 14" to the pump now from the 90 on the pex entrance.

[RSI]

I would try just making a loop in the pex instead on adding elbows. Elbows are bad for head pressure loss and should only be used when necessary.
What type of insulated pipe do you have? Usually the curves in the pipe underground can take up the expansion. Have you tried clamping the pex and see if you can keep the expansion outside?

[church]

RSI,
Not sure of the brand of pipe right off, I purchased the triple wrapped 4 pipe system. I have thought about trying to control the movement by securing it in the basement, but concern is what is it going to do at / to the boiler plumbing? It is a very straight install from house to boiler, there are very few if any curves / offsets on install. I do have some piping left that I could install the radius with.
Thanks for your reply.
Church

[tulenutn2o]

In my set-up. pex has room to move, due to sharkbite 90's. After pex comes thru wall, it goes up to and across through floor trusses to mech. room, down thru side arm, then up through heat exchanger, and back out. Mine does move, but doesn't seem to be a problem.

[mikenc]

Thanks Mikenc,
Do you think I am being to concerned about the movement? I could rework my plumbing and raise the pump to give more room for that type of installation, I have about 14" to the pump now from the 90 on the pex entrance.

As long as it is not putting excessive strain on piping you will be ok as is.

[willieG]

i jammed galvinized hose barbs in my pex in the house and used reinforced rad hoses to allow for some stretch

i warmed the pex up with my propane torch and that allowed me to introduce the hose barbs without damage

[RSI]

Why not use real pex fittings and put hose on the pex barb?

[willieG]

im not close to a dealer and barbs at the hardware store are 79 cents. and our hardware store is just now gettting into any type of pex..i sont know much about pex but i was told i would need to rent a crimper too...warm the pex up a little shove the cheap barb in and a hose clamp and never have  had a leak.