How tough is PEX barrier pipe?

[WillB77]

I'm re-positioning a radiator in my attic. Rather than lift all the floorboards I only lifted a couple and fed the pipe under the floor from one end of the room to the other. It took a lot of wiggling and pushing in places but now its in, not yet connected to central heating.

I noticed quite a few scratches in it, not just general scuffs but a thick scratch. Can't seperate the pipe, nore can I see through to the black bit in the middle.

Do I need to replace the pipes and be a bit more careful or will it be Ok? I know I could connect it to the heating system and pressurise it, but the consequences aren't desirable. Any help much appreciated.

 

[WillB77]

Any ideas?

Ta

 

[lagunaglen]

scrathes should be ok, but you need to make sure you have a scratch free length where you connect up.

 

[WillB77]

Thanks. SOme of the scratches are quite bad, but I figure the black middle core is the tough stuff, the white outer is there to protect against such scratches. The ones I'm concerned about look like its been taken to with a stanley knife.

 

[lagunaglen]

Well if they are that deep i would not use it, pull more pipe through carefully,surface scratches wont hurt but deep ones will.

 

[cowboyplumber]

An 'o'ring seals push fit fittings, if there's a massive gouge on the outside the pipe, how the fook is it going to seal?

 

[lagunaglen]

you can also use compression fittings which dont have o rings.

 

[cowboyplumber]

And exactly the same thing will happen!!!
Olive replaces the O ring you nobber

 

[ChrisR]

DO it again and this time, wrap the end in pvc tape.

 

[Softus]

All bets are off with gouged pipe, especially if the system is a pressuriseed one.

Your notion that the barrier layer is the tough part is just wishful thinking.

If it's not possible to lift even one floorboard in the middle to help in 'cabling' the pipe, then I would feed conduit through first and then poke the pipe through it. You could pull the conduit through with a draw string/wire.

 

[WillB77]

Already wrapped the ends i tape to stop gunk going in the pipe.

I've got spare so I'll do it again, lift more floorboards and put lagging round it.

 

[Softus]

And exactly the same thing will happen

You are wrong.

Olive replaces the O ring

In position, perhaps, but not in performance. It's very easy to get an olive to seal on gouged pipe, simply by crimping it lightly - this will deform the plastic surface more than the depth of a commonplace gouge.

The biggest problem with gouges in plastic pipe is the effect of weakening. In a mains cold supply, or hot and cold domestic service, this might never be a problem, but I would never use a gouged pipe in a heating installation.

 

[cowboyplumber]

Sorry softus but you are wrong - had this very problem a couple of weeks ago...
Or did idream it?

 

[Softus]

Sorry softus but you are wrong - had this very problem a couple of weeks ago.

I didn't say that it wasn't possible to have the problem - I said that it's easy to not have it.

 

[doitall]

I got the impression the damage was the length of the pipe and not just the ends