User:JamesNY
From Chswiki
The role played by PEX tubing in radiant heating
Radiant heating is the top choice among homeowners for home heating systems and this method of residential heating is very effective in places, which face a very harsh winter. Radiant heating is not only cost effective, it conserves energy and it takes away the discomfort of putting your feet down on extremely cold floors first thing in the morning. The energy efficient radiant heating uniformly heats up the entire house and it is more health friendly in comparison to convection heating or any other kind of hydronic heating system[[1]].
One of the most important aspects of radiant heating, one that makes it so effective is the use of PEX tubing[[2]] for the purpose. Cross linked polyethylene or PEX pipes make sure that the home is snugly warm despite the freezing temperature outside. Radiant heating is all about using the floor heating to keep the entire room warm. Here the heat is generated from beneath or within the floor panels and then the warmth is allowed to rise in the room. If the quality of pipes used in floor heating is good then the heating effect will be excellent but the entire floor heating system will fall flat on it’s face if the quality of pipes used is inferior.
This is where PEX radiant pipes come into the picture and this is how they make radiant heating so successful. The cross linked polyethylene used in making the PEX tubes is very durable, it can last a while, it is flexible and can withstand high temperature for long periods of time. Plumbing supplies or PEX manifolds[[3]] should be used while installing a radiant heating system because the better the quality of the pipes used, the more effective the heating system will be. This is exactly why it is recommended to use good quality PEX pipes for floor heating rather that copper pipes. Pipes made from copper are expensive, they are not energy efficient and they are prone to corrosion. Corrosion is one problem you will never have to be bothered about if you make use of PEX radiant pipes. The PEX pipes can also be covered with concrete to make them last even longer. The real fact of the matter is that radiant heating is cost effective and it is energy efficient. It brings down the fuel cost by at least 15 to 20% and this is only because of the use of PEX piping[[4]].
Other Sources
Other useful sources in this context are the following:
PEX innovations in University of Kentucky [[5]]. PEX tubing project in University of Nebraska[[6]]. PEX pipe experiment from student of Cerro Coso Community College[[7]]. Hydronic heating tubing usage research from Columbia University[[8]]
