Rolled PEX-A

[Cscjjd]

Hi,

I have a 100 ft. roll of 1" PEX-A. I am going to cut off a 30 foot section. I will need to unroll and straighten the 30' section so it will be as straight as possible with no curves left in it. (I will have a few days after cutting it before I will need to use it.)

Does anyone know any tricks or tips to get the curves out?

Thanks!

 

[Terry]

I'm never able to get it perfectly straight. Are there plumbers here that can?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Breplum]

No tricks work suitably aside from a day in direct hot sun or a superheated attic. Even then it won't be straight.
We buy 1" in twenty ft. straight lengths.

 

[John Gayewski]

Yeah you could return the roll and buy a straight length or two and a coupling.

 

[JohnCT]

Hi,

I have a 100 ft. roll of 1" PEX-A. I am going to cut off a 30 foot section. I will need to unroll and straighten the 30' section so it will be as straight as possible with no curves left in it. (I will have a few days after cutting it before I will need to use it.)

Does anyone know any tricks or tips to get the curves out?

Thanks!

Just cut it and let it relax on its own. You can put the 30' section on a warm driveway but if you do, cover it with something so UV doesn't get to it. I don't think it will ever become completely straight.

John

 

[Reach4]

In my limited PEX use, I would unroll a section, and bend it by hand the other way to try to take it take a reverse set.

You need to use pipe hangers at least every 32 inches. So a few undulations in the path will not be bad.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Stretch out a few feet more than you need and straighten the 30 feet in the middle.

Most of the above methods will work, but also running hot water through it while its straight will help it become more maleable.

 

[Cscjjd]

Wow, thanks for the replies and tips for straightening the rolled Pex-A (I am not able to use straight lengths because I am dealing with very tight space tolerances which will allow a straight length through but not a coupling).

 

[Reach4]

If you have straight line access, consider temporarily putting a rigid rod/pipe thru the PEX during the threading. That will help keep the PEX straight as you push.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Piece together sections of over size with couplings PVC and then stuff the PEX in through the conduit. to get across a room or something if trying to avoid opening a floor or lid , never done it just an idea see no reason it wouldn't work wouldn't be able to strap it

 

[Fitter30]

Have a basement open floor joists nail each end as you pull it tight.

 

[Cscjjd]

If you have straight line access, consider temporarily putting a rigid rod/pipe thru the PEX during the threading. That will help keep the PEX straight as you push.

I hadn't thought of straightening from the inside - thanks!

 

[Cscjjd]

Piece together sections of over size w couplings pvc and then suff the pex in through the conduit. to get across a room or something if trying to avoid opening a floor or lid , never done it just an idea see no reason it wouldnt work wouldnt be able to strap it

Hi Jeff, I'm not sure what you're suggesting in the first half of the first sentence?

 

[Cscjjd]

Have a basement open floor joists nail each end as you pull it tight.

Thanks Fitter30.

 

[wwhitney]

Hi Jeff, I'm not sure what you're suggesting in the first half of the first sentence?

I think he's saying that if you want to have, say, a crawl space, with access at both ends but don't want to crawl the middle, and your PEX isn't straight enough to just fish/stab across between access points, you could use a rigid sleeve (eg PVC) that you can push across between access points. And then push your PEX through the sleeve to get between access points.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Cscjjd]

I think he's saying that if you want to have, say, a crawl space, with access at both ends but don't want to crawl the middle, and your PEX isn't straight enough to just fish/stab across between access points, you could use a rigid sleeve (eg PVC) that you can push across between access points. And then push your PEX through the sleeve to get between access points.

Cheers, Wayne

OK, thanks both, I see.

 

[Cscjjd]

I notice that nobody suggested using a heat gun or hair dryer to soften it before attempting to straighten it-- would that be a problem with PEX?

 

[John Gayewski]

I notice that nobody suggested using a heat gun or hair dryer to soften it before attempting to straighten it-- would that be a problem with Pex?

Heat gun is fine.

 

[JohnCT]

I notice that nobody suggested using a heat gun or hair dryer to soften it before attempting to straighten it-- would that be a problem with PEX?

It would take a while to get enough heat into the pipe to have much effect, and there's always the possibility of hot-spotting a section and damaging it. PEX A is supposed to be safe to heat as long as you don't actually burn it.

John

 

[Cscjjd]

Heat gun is fine.