We carry  PEXa and  PEX-AL-PEX  in all diameters and lengths

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NO MATTER WHO YOU BUY YOUR PEX FROM, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COMPLETE SYSTEM DESIGN BEHIND YOUR PURCHASE

We have lots of customers call us to purchase radiant heating system components after they have already purchased and installed their radiant heat PEX tubing.  Typically they got a "good deal" from someone.  Too often the tubing is installed without regard to how it will fit with the rest of the system and the end result is a system that is less efficient and effective than it otherwise might have been - or something worse.

PEX tubing comes mostly in diameters ranging from 3/8" to 1".  That said, the majority of PEX for radiant floor heating systems installed in residential and light commercial applications today is 1/2".  When designed correctly and paired with the appropriate distribution system, 1/2" provides the basis for an effective, efficient  system that is easy to install and distributes heat evenly througout the space.  Some companies will tout the value of larger diameter tubing because its bigger surface area will distribute more Btu's per foot.  While that is true (all other things being equal) except for thick slabs and snow melt applications, it isn't necessarily important or even desirable.  That said, if you have need of 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4", 7/8" or 1" PEX for radiant floor heating we can provide it for you in varying lengths.

Our PEX is a PEXa manufactured using the Engel method, the best quality (see details below).  We only carry PEX with an oxygen barrier.  While not absolutely necessary in all situations, many boiler/water heater manufacturers require it and it insures no ill affects from any ferrous metals that may be introduced into the radiant heating system initially or in the future.

PEX-AL-PEX contains an added aluminum layer which provides an oxygen barrier and yields a PEX that keeps it shape when bent.  This can be useful in some situations (and painful in others).  Projects using Warmboard will require a PEX-AL-PEX.  We carry a Warmboard approved PEX-AL-PEX.

                      

Hannel RadiantDirect PEX

 Hannel RadiantDirect PEXa is among the most Hannel-RadiantDirectflexible in the world.  It bends to a 4-inch diameter.  Many brands can't bend tighter than 9 inches without kinking.  The adjacent picture shows Hannel-RadiantDirect radiant heat tubing being bent to a 4-inch diameter. The tight bending radius insures a much easier installation for you, especially when working in tight spaces like joist cavities.  Larger diameter tubing is not very flexible. In some applications, a larger diameter tubing can be made to work. However, in most of the projects we design, larger diameter tubing poses installation and design complications. We want your radiant floor heating installation to be simple and as easy as possible. The more flexible the radiant heat tubing the easier it is to install!  That's why we use 1/2" PEX in most of our designs.

Hannel-RadiantDirect radiant floor heat tubing is much easier to work with and install in cold weather. It is much more resistant to kinking or damage. Made in Sweden,

Factory link http://www.lkpex.se

our PEX holds NSF International certification, comforming with the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 14 and ASTM F876/F8777/8.  Hannel-RadiantDirect PEXa radiant heat tubing will withstand more heat and pressure than any other type of PEX.

Hannel-RadiantDirect Tubing Manufacturing Process

Hannel-RadiantDirect radiant floor heat tubing is cross linked using peroxide cross linking, a PEX-a process. The Hannel-RadiantDirect Radiant Heat Tubing process starts with a raw material with a density of around 0.940 kg/m 3 and the final product has a density of around 0.930 kg/m 3 !! This is considerably less than other PEX process, and results in a very flexible tubing. How is it possible that a material with this low density still exceeds the ASTM requirements for PEX? The reason is that inventors of this process have succeeded in aligning most molecular chains AROUND the tubing circumference! Traditional extrusion processes do not provide any orientation of molecules, rather their orientation is random. By having the molecules aligned around the radiant heat tubing they are ready to absorb the stress caused by inside pressure. So, in spite of lower density this tubing can actually resist a higher inside pressure than traditional PEX tubing! At the same time, since few molecules are stretched along the radiant floor heat tubing, the flexibility is even better than what is explained by the density alone! You are welcome to test the pressure resistance. Just hook up our tubing in series with a competitor's tube and increase the pressure until one of them bursts ---- IT WON"T BE THE HANNEL RADIANT DIRECT TUBING!!!

The facts are:

  • The 1/2" PEXa radiant heat tubing manufactured by LK for Hannel-RadiantDirect is the finest PEX tubing manufactured in the world today.
  • It is made by the Engel method and the cross-linking is done in a radial pattern giving it the highest temperature and pressure ratings.

Property Comparisons

PropertyHannel-RadiantDirect Tubing Traditional PEX-a
Flexibility Considerably more flexible than any other PEX tubing meeting ASTM Somewhat better flexibility than Radiation and Silane crosslinked tubing.
Strength Withstands higher inside pressures than other PEX Tubing Meets ASTM
Homogeneity Excellent Not very good. Worse than Radiation & Silane
Thermal Memory Excellent Good. Better than Radiation & Silane.
Repairability Excellent Excellent
Kinking resistance Excellent Fair. Better than Radiation and Silane
Barrier property 25 times less than DIN 4726 Meets DIN 4726
Thermo Stability Excellent Better than ASTM requirements
Memory effect of being coiled Little. Easy to bend in any direction. Fair. Better than Radiation and Silane.
Minimum bending radius Narrower than any other PEX tubing, two inch radius Fair. Better than Radiation and Silane

 

 

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Radiant Direct is the premier provider of radiant heat systems and specializes in designing complete Pre- Plumbed and Pre-Wired radiant floor heating packages with simple and complete installation instructions including custom tubing layouts.

We offer affordable, high-quality radiant heating systems that are simple, easy to install, trouble-free and very efficient.

Earlier this year we finished our custom built dream home here in Mount Vernon, WA. We spent months researching the best products for our home and decided to use www.RadiantDirect.com for our radiant heat system. I am writing to let you know that the combination of our hot water radiant heat system, energy efficient windows, and Corbond insulation has created a wonderfully comfortable and energy efficient home. Most days, our heat only comes on twice in 24 hours. Because we think that other people will want to know what we learned in building our dream home, we are just finishing a book about the entire process. In our book, we have featured pictures of our RadiantDirect system being installed by us. And we devoted an entire chapter as to why we chose radiant heat and RadiantDirect.

Rod N.