Before you can install a hydronic piping system, you have to choose which material to use for your pipes. While you can use traditional metal piping here, like copper or steel pipes, plastic is a viable alternative.

For example, PEX pipes are made from flexible polyethylene. They have a range of useful benefits that might make them your best first choice. Why?

Get a Quicker Build

Installing a metal-based hydronic piping system can take time. If you have to shape pipes in your configuration, then you'll have to cut and connect them together. You might need to use welding to connect some areas as well as standard fixings.

If you use PEX piping, then things speed up. These pipes are made from flexible plastic; they aren't rigid like metal pipes.

So, you can create straight, curved and turned configurations from a single stretch of pipe. You simply put the piping in the right places. You don't need to cut and connect, and the pipes don't need as many connecting fittings.

While there might be times when you need to connect two pipes in the system, this is also a lot easier. These pipes often have push-to-connect fittings which are a lot quicker and simpler to apply.

Get More Robust Pipes

While metal pipes are strong, they can run into problems over the years. They might corrode, get gummed up with scale or spring leaks. These problems can be hard to fix if your system is hidden away under a floor, sits in an HVAC system or is located at a height.

Plus, you might need to run a mix of chemicals through the system to protect the pipes from internal changes and damage. If you don't, the pipes might suffer from internal corrosion as they age.

PEX pipes retain their strength for longer. They are flexible enough to deal with movement; however, they are strong enough to support a hydronic system. They won't crack or break.

Also, PEX doesn't corrode. So, the pipes won't spring pinhole leaks, suffer from eroded connections or break. You don't need to flush the system with chemicals to prevent internal damage.

These pipes won't build up scale, so they won't clog up and lose their flow capacity. Substances like chlorine that might cause problems for other plastics and metals won't affect PEX materials.

To find out more about the benefits of using PEX, contact hydronic piping specialists.

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