Scott K
11-18-2006, 06:06 PM
Do any of you guys work regularly with Kitec? Is Kitec catching on in your area? By Kitec I'm talking about two versions. The PE-AL-PE pipe which is domestic hot/cold water use which is Polyethylene with a thin layer of aluminum sandwiched in the middle, and the Heating stuff, which is PEX-AL-PEX (You can figure this out). The stuff I've been using for this one job as it is part of the specs, is made by Ipex. We've had to use them in the radiant infloor heating lines which isn't as bad, but we also have to use it for the domestic water lines as well. I've had to hang it with Microfix clamps which seems to be the best option as we can't have straight metal touching the pipe (Microfix clamps are a metal/steel clamp like a split ring hanger with a rubber insert inside to isolate the pipe from the metal.). Our code requires hangers every 3 feet if hung horizontrally for Kitec and 6 feet vertically. The 1/2" stuff isn't bad, but the 3/4" and especially the 1" stuff is a royal pain in the arse. Try straightening some of it out, it's like wrestling with an Anaconda - you ain't going to win. I swear 1" soft Copper would be easier to work with! Try unrolling some and pulling it through about 100 feet worth of Wilson Joists. Not gonna happen. And yet that's what I"ll be doing on Monday for a Hose Bib line. The stuff just does not go straight, period. There is always a sway to it. You push it trying to straighten it, and somewhere down the line it bends somewhere else. And dont' even talk about kinking it. I haven't kinked any yet, but if you kink it, the pipe is toast, period. You gotta either couple it, or replace the entire run i.e. if you're doing infloor heating where fittings aren't allowed in slab, you gotta replace the entire coil. Yeah you can be careful, but if you use just straight Pex made for heating, you kink it, out comes the heat gun. Also, while running it vertically in walls, I don't know of a suspension clamp that will truely work for it. For example I ordered some 3/4" Mickey mouse clips to run it veritally in a wall in some steel studs. I made some steel backing that I screwed from stud to stud, and the 3/4" mickey mouse clips, for 3/4" kitec, are just slightly small and you gotta wrestle the plastic clip into a position to screw it down. I tried a 1" Mickey Mouse clip for 3/4" Kitec and it is clearly too large and the 3/4" Kitec is swimming in the clip! Because of the nature of 3 layers of pipe in the pipe, the OD is larger that traditioanl 3/4" copper or 3/4" Pex/Wirsbo/Rayhau, etc.
Overall, virtually none of our suppliers carry this stuff. It's impossible to find, and yet we have to use it on this job. I am wondering where this pipe will ever fit in. I'm also curious, since I don't know, what it's price is per foot compared to the same equivilent Type L Copper? And compared to Pex?
Will this stuff ever replace Copper? Does it have a future? What do you do to better work with it? I swear I need a pressure bender, and you gotta wear gloves or your hands will be raw at the end of the day from trying to stuff fittings into it.
I await your suggestions.
Overall, virtually none of our suppliers carry this stuff. It's impossible to find, and yet we have to use it on this job. I am wondering where this pipe will ever fit in. I'm also curious, since I don't know, what it's price is per foot compared to the same equivilent Type L Copper? And compared to Pex?
Will this stuff ever replace Copper? Does it have a future? What do you do to better work with it? I swear I need a pressure bender, and you gotta wear gloves or your hands will be raw at the end of the day from trying to stuff fittings into it.
I await your suggestions.