Pex from a crowded ceiling

[hdtvkeith]

About to re-pipe my home. half the pipe is in the basement ceiling with the copper hung form the ceiling joints with wire hangers holding it tight to the joists. I will be using Pex and I see Pex needs to be held every 36 inches and needs to be slack for expansion/contraction. Over the years with all the power and Cat 5 cables added the basement ceiling is a mess to run pipe the same way. If I build a sort of trough with 1x2 hanging every 32 inches and lay the pex in it, is that acceptable or I would still need to put a cable clamp to hold it in place on each trough?

 

[Geofd]

I had a pipe burst in my basement, so i had to re strap the ceiling with 1×3 wood was able to get 5 1/2" lines in the ceiling, is secured at each floor joist been made my own manifold so you could isolate by floor easily,also ran 2 heat lines for future use

 

[breplum]

The trough idea is fine, just keep it from falling out somehow, either cable ties or something that is not straight metal.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I use talon straps that have a built in nail.

I put a strap alternating direction every couple joists.

 

[hukre]

Remember that PEX is sold it rolls and it is not easy to straighten it out, that is why it need to be fastened to every other joist with either J-hooks or butterfly clamps, which are sold specifically for PEX.

 

[hdtvkeith]

I read enough options that I am ordering 20 ft sticks. In my layout there is not a run that would be 20 feet without a fitting other than the run up to the second floor and even that will curl a few feet into the basement and the second floor..one thing I think people miss is that the supported bend radius is doubled if you bend against the bend of the coil.

 

[hdtvkeith]

So what are people seeing for real world stresses on the pipe with expansion? I get 100' can expand 1.1" per 10F, but if I look at my scenario in winter my tap is 55F and I run 135-145F water out of the water heater. For 90F rise that is almost 10 inches of expansion per 100'. I am going to follow all the recommendations around S pattern in the wall and in ceilings, but with no segment longer than 20' wondering what the collective expansion will be.

 

[Twowaxhack]

So what are people seeing for real world stresses on the pipe with expansion? I get 100' can expand 1.1" per 10F, but if I look at my scenario in winter my tap is 55F and I run 135-145F water out of the water heater. For 90F rise that is almost 10 inches of expansion per 100'. I am going to follow all the recommendations around S pattern in the wall and in ceilings, but with no segment longer than 20' wondering what the collective expansion will be.

Don’t worry about that, just leave the pipe a little room to move. No need to do s patterns. You’re way over thinking this basic repipe

 

[hdtvkeith]

That is what I thought, support it ever 32 inch's and leave some slack in some areas.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I’ve done complete repipes where none of the pipe was strapped or supported.

It was all insulated and just laid in the attic.

Same for a house low to the ground, insulated and pushed through from room to room laying under the house, no straps at all.

These are still in service 20 yrs later.