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[WoodMOJoe]

I am trying to help eliminate some 90s on my hx hookups in the basement and was wondering if it is ok to use a hair dryer or heat gun to help bend the pex into shape?

[Scott7m]

The 90's aren't a huge deal if your pump is sized right, each 90 is the Same as 10ft of pex

But u can heat it, I just don't like to make things look bad to save a few 90's

[WoodMOJoe]

Cool, thanks Scott.

[Divernut]

I used a heat gun on some of my pex pipe when trying to fit the tubing around my furnace and making some tight radius's for various connections.  It works great, no issues.  I also used it on a leaking connection.  You could tell it was under some stress and slightly crooked on the barbed connection.  I heated it up and massaged it so it was straight, then crimped it in place.  It has been that way for 2 years no with no issues.  I am not sure about a 90 degree connection.  It's worth a try and won't cost you anything but a little bit of time to find out.

[WoodMOJoe]

Thanks Divernut...I wasn't needing to make a full 90, just wanting to makes some tighter bends than what the pipe want to give me.  I added 1 brass 90 to that line and it worked great.

[RSI]

If you use a pex bend support you will get almost as tight bends as using 90's.

[WoodMOJoe]

If you use a pex bend support you will get almost as tight bends as using 90's.

thanks RSI.  I didn't even know what a pex bend support was until yesterday, saw them at a supply house.

I really only had one run where the bend was an issue and I did put a 90 there, I can make all the other bends with my pex and think they will look pretty good when done.

[smitty33]

I was able to make tighter bends in my pex when I started circulating my 180 degree water then just fastened the lines down, becomes pretty flexible with hot water flowing. 

[LittleJohn]

Right on SMITTY, pex definately loses some rigidity when you pump 180f water thru it.  It gets easier to work with but you have to work faster 180f hurt hands

[smitty33]

yeah I wore gloves too hot for bare hands!!!