Water Tubing

[John Allingham]

This is a thread I started over at "Canadian Inspectors"
http://www.nachi.org/forum/f48/water-tubing-28085/

There were some valuable opinions posted there, but it appeared that no one had actually come across an installation like this so I'm still not sure if it was OK or not. Hoping some of our friends south of the border can add more.

[Michael R. Boyett]

John, I ran across something very similar a week ago that I couldn't identify. This material did not have any mfg labeling on it other than something like "Crosslinked with oxygenated something, Made in Germany". The 'crosslink' reference led me to think some brand of PEX but I'm just not sure.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by mboyett

John, I ran across something very similar a week ago that I couldn't identify. This material did not have any mfg labeling on it other than something like "Crosslinked with oxygenated something, Made in Germany". The 'crosslink' reference led me to think some brand of PEX but I'm just not sure.

Attachment 20605

PEX is crosslinked polyethylene .
An Oxygen barrier is used to prevent migration of Oxygen into the the water and if not used will corrode cast iron boilers and reduce their usually long service life.

[Michael R. Boyett]

Originally Posted by mlarson

PEX is crosslinked polyethylene .
An Oxygen barrier is used to prevent migration of Oxygen into the the water and if not used with corrode cast iron boilers and reduce there usually long service life.

Correct...like I said, that's what led me to think PEX but I could find no markings on it to confirm that. The term used on the pipe was 'oxygenated ??? but it didn't say 'barrier'. Since I didn't write that down nor get a good photo of it then that clue is pretty meaningless.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by mboyett

Correct...like I said, that's what led me to think PEX but I could find no markings on it to confirm that. The term used on the pipe was 'oxygenated ??? but it didn't say 'barrier'. Since I didn't write that down nor get a good photo of it then that clue is pretty meaningless.

I have no idea what "Oxygenated" could possibly be.
I thought that term was for gasoline and detergent.

[Michael R. Boyett]

The material I saw was maybe: http://www.flexalpex.com/ . That site does talk about "PE-Xa is cross-linked with the peroxide method, PE-Xb is cross-linked with the silane method and PE-Xc is cross-linked by electron beam irradiation." Maybe that is what I saw.