Pex for Tubing?

[delivron]

I have seen some recent posts referring to Pex for maple tubing. Most pex is supplied with limited UV protection primary for storage in open supply house yards and building sites during installation. How is the life expectancy of Pex expected to hold up for 5 to 15 years in the sugarbush? I assume that only the Pex rated for potable water is used? What are the perceived advantages of Pex.

[motowbrowne]

I bought a roll of pex at home depot two years ago for 49$. It is 3/4. Has been in the woods ever since. I bought it because it is on sale from $200. Tried to use it for pumping but its not really big enough for what I need. Works well for a gravity line on our dump stations. It was cheaper than food grade poly at the time but if its more expensive I wouldn't butty but it. You're supposed to use crimp fittings, which take a special tool.

[spud]

I have seen some recent posts referring to Pex for maple tubing. Most pex is supplied with limited UV protection primary for storage in open supply house yards and building sites during installation. How is the life expectancy of Pex expected to hold up for 5 to 15 years in the sugarbush? I assume that only the Pex rated for potable water is used? What are the perceived advantages of Pex.

There are no perceived advantages to using pex in a sugar woods. For the price of 3/4 pex you could buy 1 1/2 inch black pipe. Pex is used for in floor heat and/or water lines (inside). You would be better off using real sugaring supplies and doing the job right.

Spud

[BreezyHill]

Pex has a supper low stretch factor so the theory is it will not leak as much on saddles, due to the low likelihood of oblongation of the mains.
I would fear that the trade off of the low stretch factor is that it will not stand up to falling trees or limbs due to the low stretch. It has no ability to come back after that shock.
Sap tubing does. Yes PEX can be cheaper; but the trade offs after a dying hurricane blows thru the bush is a bunch of work and possible need to retube sections of mains.
I had a problem with PEX on a furnace srinking in cold weather...it pulled off of the back of the furnace and was 3' shorter on a 125' run. I had not stretched it but I was a week long well below zero temps and the cold under concrete was too much.
If you have an abundance of labor then it is a gamble that could be rationalized. For me to risky.

[PerryFamily]

Although this doesn't happen a lot, I agree with Spud on this one.
With the exception of black pipe and a few other things , going maple specific is the best practice. Not to say other items can't be used for other purposes. It would really suck to go through all the work to put pex in the woods to find out it only lasts a year or saddles leak from the different OD of the pipe.
Setting up a tubing system properly is a big investment. Its best not to skimp. Not to mention expensive. I bought a 300'a roll of 1/2"or heat pex and it was almost $275. Way too expensive.
Now pex in the sugarhouse is different. I plan on plumbing up the new RO room with it.

Kinda on the same lines of this subject, how about the 3/16 fittings people are using from say mcmaster carr or something like that, are they ( dare I say ) Food grade? Or are they just like an air line fitting? I dont want ti hijack the thread just curious.

[Drew Pond Maple]

I've used Pex fittings from lowes in black water pipe. 3/4" pex fits 1/2" black pipe and 1" pex fits 3/4" black pipe.
They go on a little hard but have a larger ID than plastic fittings.

[spud]

Although this doesn't happen a lot, I agree with Spud on this one.
With the exception of black pipe and a few other things , going maple specific is the best practice. Not to say other items can't be used for other purposes. It would really suck to go through all the work to put pex in the woods to find out it only lasts a year or saddles leak from the different OD of the pipe.
Setting up a tubing system properly is a big investment. Its best not to skimp. Not to mention expensive. I bought a 300'a roll of 1/2"or heat pex and it was almost $275. Way too expensive.
Now pex in the sugarhouse is different. I plan on plumbing up the new RO room with it.

Kinda on the same lines of this subject, how about the 3/16 fittings people are using from say mcmaster carr or something like that, are they ( dare I say ) Food grade? Or are they just like an air line fitting? I dont want ti hijack the thread just curious.

That is funny. Am I that bad of a guy? I love you man.:)

Spud

[PerryFamily]

Spud- Absolutely not do I think you are a bad guy, couldn't be further from the truth. It is just a difference of opinion sometimes. Don't take any offense please. Even though we are in Vermont, I refuse to say I love you, but please keep the informative and often super funny info coming!!