pex pipe question

xlogger · February 12, 2012, 09:10:26 AM

I'll be getting my CB OWB this week. So I'm off the Home Depot today to get wire and other things I might need to get it going. Question on the insulated pex pipe. I'm going to be running it under a dirt drive to my home. I'll hopefully going to get it down a few feet if I don't hit big rocks. I'm planning on putting the part that goes under the drive into a pcv pipe. Will a 6" pcv be big enough for me to feed the pex through?

Holmes · February 12, 2012, 09:18:58 AM

6" should be large enough.. Look up Dean186's installation of his pex pipe . He did a great job. Please do not use uninsulated pipe or you will be putting as many btu,s into the ground as you will be putting into your house. 1 cord for ground warming 1 cord to heat the house. ;)

Texas Ranger · February 12, 2012, 09:20:12 AM

Probably, I have run a little of the stuff, and turning corners is the hard part. It will also degrade in ultraviolet light.

thecfarm · February 12, 2012, 09:27:00 AM

Should go down at least a few feet,but what ever you can do. I know what rocks are. Use sand to back fill with. Probably only talking about 12 feet wide? Seal up the ends real good too. Keep the water out of the pvc pipe. What I used would go through,but have no idea what you have for size or type.

mrwood · February 12, 2012, 03:27:38 PM

If you are talking about running the thermopex inside of PVC. 6" would be enough. The entire diameter of thermopex is 4.5"

xlogger · February 12, 2012, 06:35:28 PM

Yes that is what I was talking about. Going to have to go to plumbing outlet. Home depot didn't have it they only when to 4". I level my area where the stove is going, ready for it now and all the work that goes with it. The dealer said it would be $2000 installed. I figure I can put it in a few days. So that means a week or more. At my age I can figure I can do something in a day but it takes 2 or more.

DeerMeadowFarm · February 13, 2012, 11:48:53 AM

Make sure you dig a little deeper at the ends where you plan to bend it up to 90°; that stuff does not like to bend and you need (or it certainly helps) to have it go down 4' or more (say from a 2' trench depth) at the end to make the radius for the bend.

Just went through this myself.....good luck! ;)

sawdustandmud · February 13, 2012, 10:13:25 PM

According to my CB dealer the PEX insulated pipe is suited to run under the driveway as long as its packed in sand. I have installed 3 CB OW Furnaces and have never run it in a conduit. I had a piece of Thermal Pex left over and i wanted to see for my self just how tough it was. We have a Long 460 tractor weighing probably 4000 lbs, drove over the pex laying on top of the ground, the tractor had no effect on the thermal Pex a tall. dig a trench 2'6", lay 6" of sand put thermal Pex in and cover with 14" of sand then gravel, dirt ect and you will never have a problem. If you choose the conduit will be a cheap insurance policy and some piece of mind, go for it, Its only a few more bucks , keep in mind Pex is tough to work with in colder temps .. .John