Insulating Pex Pipe Freezing

While pex does not ordinarily burst in the cold the water in the pipes can still freeze.

Insulating pex pipe freezing.

Click here for a video tour of one of the freeze proof systems i installed. Pex is flexible and made of cross linked polyethylene requiring no primer or cement to hold the joints in place. Because pex piping is flexible it is often used in angles loops or other non linear shapes which makes it imperative to have equally flexible insulation material. Pex is a type of plastic water pipe and one of the few options that won t crack if something goes wrong and the water it carries freezes.

So keeping these tubes wrapped in some kind of insulation just makes sense. But insulating pex pipes makes sense because although they are less likely to crack than other types of pipes they are still susceptible to ultraviolet light and freezing. Pex tubing is susceptible to cracking when it s exposed to freezing temperatures or ultraviolet light. These joints are either plastic or brass and are fitted to the pipes using crimp rings.

Foam is used most commonly and generally works well. Doe recommends pipe insulation with a minimum of 3 0 r value 3 8 thick insulation walls. Tips for insulating pex pipes. It is important to insulate pex pipe in an attic particularly in cold weather areas.

How to insulate pex. Insulate pex pipe exposed to freezing temperatures. Foam insulation tubing helps stop water pipes from freezing. Keep the tubing shielded from both hazards to increase its life.

Use pex pipe for your water line. One more tip and it s a big one. During spells of acutely cold weather allow indoor faucets to dribble to relieve damaging. Select localities colder climate zones recommend r value of 4 0 and above 5 8 walls.

It is important to choose the right insulation material. While pex is freeze resistant yes pex can freeze there are ways to defend against this though including strategic building design placement of tubing and the type of insulation.