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Radiant heat tubing leaks:

What causes leaks in tubing or piping used for radiant heat in floor slabs and what repair options make sense when the radiant heat system is leaking?

This series article discusses the suitability of various tubing materials for radiant heated concrete floor slabs, and choices of heat conducting fluids for radiant floors.

Our page top photograph shows polyethylene tubing being installed in a new concrete floor slab for radiant heat in a Two Harbors Minnesota building.

We also provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need.

Radiant Floor Slab Tubing Leak Causes & Remedies

Reader Question: what can you tell me about Entran II leak-risk radiant heat tubing and how can I recognize it in a home?

I have heard that Entran radiant heat tubing is a problem. Is that correct?

Reply:

Early Entran™ Tubing marked Entran or Entran II is at risk of leakage and failure where it is installed, particularly if the tubing was subjected to high temperatures. Entran-3 tubing does not have the same leak complaint history.

Our photo (left) illustrates Entran-3 radiant heat tubing - not the leak-prone product discussed here.

Entran radiant heat tubing, produced by Goodyear Tire & Rubber and was distributed by Heatway Systems between 1989 and 1994 and has been estimated to have been installed in about 10,000 homes in the U.S. and possibly in Canada.

Specifically Entran-II was a rubber tubing product installed for radiant heat floors. It was also installed in driveway or sidewalk snow and ice melting systems.

The defect of concern with Entran-II tubing is that a plasticizer added for flexibility was found to leach out of the rubber if it was exposed to high temperatures.

The loss of the plasticizer was associated with odor and smell complaints and ultimately with leaks in the tubing as with loss of plasticizer the tubing will crack.

We encountered this product first as part of an investigation into an odor complaint in a new home with radiant heat tubing stapled under hardwood floors.

The installer, hoping to 'drive out' the odor, ran the heating system at higher-than-recommended operating temperatures, leading to a double fault: the flooring was damaged (gapping) from the excessive temperature and ultimately the tubing leaked.

You may identify Heatway Entran II tubing by noting its orange color and imprinted markings where you see radiant heat tubing at the supply and return radiant tubing manifolds that are usually close to the heating boiler.

If the tubing was stapled-up beneath a wood floor and subfloor, by moving insulation (you may have to also remove ceiling coverings) you can also inspect the tubing and its condition.

In our OPINION unless you already see visible leaks, cracks, or damage, it is not easy to determine the remaining life of the Heatway Entran-II tubing.

If the tubing was never subjected to high temperatures (which should have been the case with a properly installed and operated radiant heat floor system) the remaining life could be good.

If you suspect that the tubing is already leaking (leaks may not be visible if tubing is embedded in a concrete slab) a pressure test or infra-red scanning and thermography can not only detect the leak but can detect where it is occurring.

Of course if the tubing has leaked in a finished ceiling you'll probably see water stains.

Class Action Settlement May Offer Financial Relief to Homeowners where Entran II Tubing Was Installed

Only for homeowners who filed a claim prior to 19 November 2009, a financial settlement offered limited damage payments for homeowners in two categories, depending on the actual extent of leak damages that occurred due to Entran-II tubing.

The product names involved included Twintran, Nytrace, Entran II Trace, Entran II Wire, Entran 2, Entran 2 Trace, and Entran 2 Wire. Details were at www.entraniisettlement.com or could be obtained by calling 800/254-9222. A follow-up check of these contacts in 2012 lead nowhere.

Details about PEX tubing and other plastic tubing choices are at

Question: how to fix leaks in radiant heat tubing in a slab

Jan 1, 2017 Anonymous [by private email) wrote:

I have had radiant heat in a concrete slab for a little over 10 years now it was wonderful ,but six months ago it started leaking we found the leak and busted the concrete and found a pin hole in the hose. spliced the hose fix and check had no leak. in the last six months have had 3 other leaks, all in different places. had to replace the laminate floor twice.

I shut the valves and blowed out the lines, but the floor is now too cold for my wife. was wondering if it would be possible to install a smaller hose inside the7/8 PEX hose with maybe a1/2 inch hose? i have two zones with open system ,app 190 ft total - Anonymous 2017/01/02

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Reply: options for re-lining or repairing leaky radiant heat tubing in a slab?

Interesting idea and not one I've seen before. There are pipe relining systems for larger diameters, principally for drains. I worry that your piping re liner won't push past connectors even if otherwise you could shove it through the tubing.

There are other relining options such as using a cured in place piping repair (CIPP) or an internal coating, epoxy or something else.

CIPP is described at TRENCHLESS PIPE REPAIRS where we also list some vendors of that system.

NuFlow provides an expoxy relining system: http://www.nuflowtechnologies.com/products/epoxy-lining/ intended for re-lining by coating copper or galvanized pipe. I'm not sure it's rated for plastic piping (assuming that's what you have) in part because plastic flexes. But you might ask the company how their system would work on flexible tubing encased in a concrete floor.

Question: special product seals leaks in radiant heat tubing

We may have a leak in the plastic lines in the basement floor. Not sure what material the lines are, but they're grey and the house is 30 years old. Is there a 'stop leak' type of product that might work for this application?

I was hoping not to open the floor up. I did find a product from C-Tec called CT1 that claims to seal plastic pipe. Even has a video, but anything can claim to work. Ever hear of them? - Anonymous by private email 2018/02/27

Reply:

The leak fixes I've found for various plastic pipes are externally-applied patches or repairs, clamp-ons or epoxies.

I looked at C-tec, fhttp://www.ct1ltd.com/ - I don't see a product that would be successfully run through PEX type plastic tubing or water pipes to seal it; You should talk directly with the company - let me know what you're told.

[As of 2018/04/11 we were unable to load any of this company's web pages. You may have success contacting the company directly - Ed.]

If your plastic lines are a heating system you'd also be worried that the sealant goops up control valves or other components.

• C-Tec N.I Limited - Head Office. Unit 6. Ashtree Enterprise Park Newry Co Down Northern Ireland BT34 1BY. T:028 3083 4892. F:028 3026 4444. Email: info@ct1ltd.com

Reader follow-up:

I still have to do some testing to determine if the pressure loss is truly in one of the basement floor loops. The carpet has a small stain, but not damp. Still winter here, so testing may have to wait. Found a couple products last night, and I’ll call them today.

It looks like they’ve had success with Poly B in a closed loop system. The only issue may be the heat

. The system runs at 180F+ @ 30psi, but never over 200F. The relief valve limits pressure to 30psi, so the system runs just below that. I would think that a geothermal system handles pretty hot water, although I’m not sure the temp.

I did another test last night with the make up water shut off, and after 6 hrs, the system didn’t lose any pressure. I’ll continue testing this weekend.

Karen at Hood Chemical in Milton Ontario assisted in this research. She reported:

FINALLY they called me back. They said they have had no issued with Poly-B products. $ 60 for 8 oz bottle, not including shipping.

It is marketed as GEO LOOP and FIX A LEAK, it is the same product.

• Hood Chemical, FIX A LEAK [PDF] product data sheet, Hood Chemical, 295 Alliance Rd. Unit #14, Milton, Ontario L9T 4W8 tel: 905-876-0707 800-567-9791 Fax: 905-876-0695 Website: www.hoodchemical.com
• Hood Chemical, GEO LOOP LEAK SEAL & CONDITIONER INSTRUCTIONS [PDF]
• Special thanks to Karen ( karen@hoodchemical.com ) at Hood Chemical for assistance with investigating the usability of Fix A Leak in radiant heat flooring tubing.

Epoxy Water Pipe Relining Systems

• Nu Flow North America, 1313 Boundary Road, Oshawa, ON L1J6Z7 Tel: +1 (905) 433-5510

Watch out: there is some question of the efficacy of re-lining pipes. Questions include

1. One cannot inspect the pipe interior to see where the lining material adhered or didn't adhere so you could be spending a wasted sum with an unpredictable life far less than the typically-claimed 60 years
2. Adhesion of these liners may not work at all on plastic piping such as PEX
3. If the pipe is already corroded, thinned or leaking, then the 'repair' is itself very thin at that location - that is there's only the liner, no pipe material. Under pressure and temperature such a repair may be short-lived.

Research on Epoxy Water Pipe Relining System Effectiveness & Life

• Robles, Dan, 'What the Insurance Industry Needs to Know about Epoxy Water Pipe Liner', (2013), retrieved 2017/01/02, web article, original source: http://insurancethoughtleadership.com/what-the-insurance-industry-needs-to-know-about-epoxy-water-pipe-liner/
  and in that article citations of
• Impact of an Epoxy Pipe Lining Material on Distribution System Water Quality by Ryan Price and supervised by Andrea M. Dietrich, PhD., Chair, Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
  http://harrisonwest.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/THESIS_Revised1.pdf
• PUBLIC WORKS TECHNICAL BULLETIN 420-49-35 15 June 2001 IN-SITU EPOXY COATING FOR METALLIC PIPE; Department of The Army; U.S. Army Corp or Engineers.
  http://harrisonwest.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Military-Application-Epoxy-Standard.pdf
• Layman's Guide to Epoxy Paint / Coating Failures.
  http://www.epoxyproducts.com/fail4u.html
• ASTM F2831 – 12: Standard Practice for Internal Non Structural Epoxy Barrier Coating Material Used In Rehabilitation of Metallic Pressurized Piping Systems.
  2014 Pipe Relining Guide - http://www.trenchlessonline.com/pdfs/2014-pipe-relining-guide.pdf

If you can, send me photos of the floor, the tubing, the opening you cut, the hole you found, and the repair. That will let me comment in a way that at least *sounds* smarter. <g>

Other questions about change in heat transfer through a double-thickness of pipe make assessment of the effectiveness tricky too. You might think about increasing water velocity and temperature but that, in turn, risks exceeding the temperature rating of the tubing.

See RADIANT HEAT TEMPERATURES

Finally, where did the leaks occur? What can we say about cause? Were pinholes in the tubing or in brass connectors?

If leaks are being found at the connectors used in your radiant heat piping,

see PEX BRASS CONNECTOR LEAKS

Reader Comments & Q&A

Question: how to find, cut, move radiant heat tubing to permit moving a toilet

2020/01/02 Anonyous asked:

I am planning a remodel of my bathroom, and changing the position of the shower and toilet. As a result, I will need to go through my hydronic radiant slab to get to the plumbing below.

I am finding it difficult to track down literature on this process. Im not sure if I’ll need to cut my hydronic tubing or if its possible to chip away the concrete and move the tubing out of the way.

Does your website cover this topic at all? Ive tried searching with no luck.

- by private email - in Arizona

Reply: proceed carefully including by hand when cutting concrete slab to find radiant heat tubing

I have in fact run into exactly this problem myself and have taken some photographs but I haven't published the details.

What I did was to chip carefully and slowly into the slab until I found the tubing and then I carefully broke the concrete around it taken care not to damage the tubing.

If you clear a big enough area you should be able to push it to one side and leave it uncut Which is far better than risking leaks later on.

I look forward to seeing photos of your own job and that may allow me to offer further suggestions.

Reader follow-up:

When you did this, did you just cut the insulation out below the slab and cut a piece to fit back in after plumbing changes were made?

Seems quite involved!

I want to follow up on my previous situation 'the unknown history of a radiant slab'. We've been in our house now going on 4 months, and the gas bills are starting to roll in. With two 20 year old water heaters, I'm seeing gas bills around $100. Not too bad, but the wife wants it warmer.

We go to bed with it at 70º and wake it up to it at 65. I've been eyeing boiler system and fancy hot water heaters to lower those bills.

That bathroom I want to remodel? Frigid. My toddler's room? Also frigid.

I recently got a cheap thermal camera and started scoping things out. One obvious culprit is the perimeter wall - it's uninsulated, above grade and in someplaces nearly 6' tall. Just so happens that the most exposed spot is my daughter's room outside wall. 4' of uninsulated foundation, and she's on the corner of the house. The thermal camera also picked up some big sections of outside walls that are losing heat.

Bringing it all back around - the remodel of the bathroom might also tell me what's happening under the slab as well. If its uninsulated, I wonder what is more cost effect - above-grade perimeter insulation, or insulating the slab from the conditioned space and installing a gas fired furnace?

Moderator reply:

Our Plumbing modification was abandoned over a code issue. But if I had had to continue I would have snipped the wire mesh that we uncovered in the course of breaking up the concrete and then excavated to whatever depth I needed to install what was required.

In our case it would have been a bathroom drain system that would have gone down through the slab and out below a footing. The object was to work carefully enough that we can preserve the radiant tubing lines and not have to put in connectors that risk a leak down the road.

For scanning and making thermal images to pinpoint the location of the PEX tubing that provides heat in your radiant slab

see THERMAL IMAGING, THERMOGRAPHY

Following up on this, how have you progressed?

Did you try insulating the accessible heat loss points like the above grade perimeter?

Reader follow-up:

Feb 10, 2020, 5:03 PM

No movement yet. Lots of back and forth with my wife about “do we really want to do this?”

No matter what we come up with, it always ends in the desire to move the toilet, and to move it at all is going to require getting under that slab.

Currently my only Plan-B would be to try a side approach - break the slab in the area without radiant PEX, dig under the slab (6” tops) to get access to the toilet flange and plumbing, then use a flowable fill when putting it all back together.

I know where the PEX line is at least.

The cabinet in the foreground on the right doesnt have any tubing under it so it could be a decent access point - its also where the toilet will be moved to.

I’ll let you know when we get moving on it!

Moderator reply:

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Thanks for the update, I look forward to hearing how this progresses - photos and notes may help others with similar problems.

Also your thermographic photo is particularly helpful; I'd like to see more of these and perhaps to plug a couple of such images into our articles on thermography and on radiant heat slab troubleshooting and repair.

Reader follow-up: best way to expose, without damage, Pex in Slab?

Im back to working on my bathroom remodel project and getting closer to the key element of the project: replacing a toilet flange with a shower trap, and adding a new toilet drain line.

Luckily, I think only one of my hydronic lines in the slab will be disturbed by this work.

Have you heard much about the best way to expose, without damage, Pex in Slab?

I know where the line is (within 6”), but Im not sure how to get to it.

Uphonor recommends cutting a relief line, then working towards the line with a chisel (manual, air, rotary hammer?) to expose it.

They also have no concerns with approved Pex repair options. Id prefer not to need to repair the line, haha!

Any suggestions on method and tools to expose pex in slab?

Moderator reply: power tools then hand tools to expose PEX tubing in a concrete slab

I recently chopped open a slab to expose some PEX lines and I was able to get down to it without damaging the pics. But of course once it's exposed it's not at all difficult to patch in a section if you need to you could even use shark bites.

I use the combination of a jackhammer for the initial work but very quickly switch to a rotary impact drill. I took care of course. You drill into the floor slab near the tubing.

Watch out: when nearing the PEX or similar radiant heat tubing in a slab slow down and work by hand so as not to damage the tubing unnecessarily.

It's pretty durable. You can chop pretty close to it without breaking it.

Reader follow-up:

I talked with Uphonor and they suggested not using power tools to expose the Pex if I wanted to avoid damage.

They prefer the “get close then use manual tools to expose it.”

Moderator reply:

I agree with proceeding carefully.

Once I got close enough to be good to see where the tubing was exactly I use a Pneumatic hammer drill to break up the surrounding material. There are photos of that process at InspectApedia.com

I have to add though that working for several days with a hammer drill.

And then by hand with a cold chisel and mallet - just about killed my wrist and hand.

Reader comment:

Is there any way to better show the process of how you got down to the tubing without damaging it?

Another thing Ive been thinking about is how a poorly installed in-slab hydronic system might be able to be converted to a Warm Board setup. It might be ugly until all floors are the same height but it would prevent someone with an expensive boiler setup from losing all those costs. Any thoughts on that?

Moderator reply:

The sequence wont' fit your case exactly but in essence

1. a worker used an electric jackhammer to break up most of the concrete floor over the work area. We knew the approximate depth of tubing in the slab from photos taken when the radiant-heat slab was first built.
RADIANT HEAT MISTAKES has a couple of those images of the original work and further on the page, the tubing after I had exposed it completely - down to the pink foam on which the tubing was (improperly) pinned.

PEX tubing is really quite strong. The original jackhammering was done by a subcontractor - I was not in the building when he did that work - and I don't think he was being particularly careful at the time. But he got right down to some tubing without breaking it, though I found some of the tubing surface had been roughed up a bit.

2. Because the tubing at this project was pinned to thick styrofoam insulation, its underside was somewhat cushioned against impact from above.

That styrofoam also meant that we could use a small mallet to break up concrete between tubing runs and just lift it out.

If your tubing is actually encased in cement I am so sorry to say your job is tougher than mine (and mine was horrible). You'll need to work very carefully to get down close to the tubing and then work by hand to expose it.

3. In areas where there was thick concrete remaining that I needed to remove, AND knowing within a couple of inches where the tubing was (as it was exposed in some areas already) I used a heavy-duty electric impact/hammer-drill and an large bit (I think it was 3/8') to drill successive holes until it was easy to break out concrete exactly where I needed to do so.

For your case if you know how the tubing was laid out originally if you can get close to one bit of tubing you can know where to drill or hammer and then drill to expose more of it, follow it, as needed.

Thanks for the Warmboard idea - I'm not familiar with that system but will take a look at it.

https://www.warmboard.com

is what I found. If you have a different source let me know.

On 2019-12-20 by Jay - How do you FIND the leak in radiant slab tubing?

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How do you FIND the leak in radiant slab tubing?

On 2018-07-27 6 - by (mod) - avoid earthquake damage in a concrete slab with radiant heat tubing

Great question. I'm uncertain that it's possible with tubing itself to avoid earthquake damage in a concrete slab, since even a flexible tubing, once set in concrete, is likely to be damaged if the concrete heaves and cracks.
BUT if you use the level of reinforcement that you see in New Zealand new floor slabs after their recent earthquakes you will minimize damage.
In NZ the builders use a larger size re-bar at a closer spacing and with plenty of wire ties, compared to what we see in -- well you didn't give your country and city.
This is an article on beams but it'll give some idea and resources

Brooke, Nicholas James, and J. M. Ingham. 'The effect of reinforcement strength on the overstrength factor for reinforced concrete beams.' [PDF] In Proceedings of the 9th Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Building an Earthquake-Resilient Society, Auckland, New Zealand. 2011.
In some images I'll post here you will see the use of heavy re-bar and extensive tying during foundation and slab construction in Christchurch when I took these photos in September 2014.

Here is a closer detail. This was of course the foundation at the perimeter of the slab;

On 2018-07-27 by Daryl Prindle

What suggestions do you have for limiting earthquake issues with Pex in a slab? I haven't poured it yet. 16' x 24'

On 2018-02-28 - by (mod) - a product that would be successfully run through PEX type plastic tubing or water pipes to seal it;

I looked at www.ct1ltd.com - I don't see a product that would be successfully run through PEX type plastic tubing or water pipes to seal it;
If your plastic lines are a heating system you'd also be worried that the sealant goops up control valves or other components.
Keep me posted, I'll also look further, and perhaps other readers will have a suggestion.

On 2018-02-28 by Possible floor leak

We may have a leak in the plastic lines in the basement floor. Not sure what material the lines are, but they're grey and the house is 30 years old. Is there a 'stop leak' type of product that might work for this application? - anonymous by private email
follow-up email:
I was hoping not to open the floor up. I did find a product from C-Tec called CT1 that claims to seal plastic pipe. Even has a video, but anything can claim to work. Ever hear of them?

...

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Technical Reviewers & References

• Solar Age Magazine was the official publication of the American Solar Energy Society. The contemporary solar energy magazine associated with the Society is Solar Today. 'Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. We advance education, research and policy. Leading for more than 50 years. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. We publish the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, organize and present the ASES National Solar Conference and lead the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world.'
• Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com
  Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com
• J. Boucher, 'Radiant Subfloor Panels,' Journal of Light Construction, (18:7), pp. 75-81, April 2000.
• Portland Cement Association: www.concretethinker.com/Papers.aspx?DocId=8 indicates that
  - tubing for radiant heat in a concrete slab is installed UP TO two inches below the surface of the slab
  - the slab is insulated from the ground at all sides to direct heat upwards to the living space [this is our preferred design for a cold northern climate]
• Radiant Panel Association, P.O. Box 717, 1433 West 29th Street, Loveland, CO 80539
  Phone: (970) 613-0100 or (800) 660-7187, Email: info@rpa-info.com, Website: rpa-info.com
  www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1 offers design guidelines at http://www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=115 including these insulation R-value and coverage details:
  Application#, Minimum R-Value, and Insulation Coverage
  The following insulation alternatives are given for Slab on Grade construction:
  Alternate #1 [(Ti-To)x0.125)=R-value, with coverage from perimeter to below frost line ['Ti-To' means we calculate the necessary R-value as (Ratio of indoor to outdoor temperature) x 0.125]
  Alternate #2 R-value=5, with coverage 4' horizontal or vertical at perimeter
  Alternate #3 R-value=5, with coverage under entire slab and slab edge [this is our preferred design for a cold northern climate]
  The Radiant Panel Association offers education and publications in radiant heat design. See radiantpanelassociation.org
• R. Groff, 'Mixing Forced-Air and Boiler Heat,' Fine Home Building, (No. 85) pp. 86-87, January 1994.
• Heatway Corporation, 'Radiant Heat Installation', Heatway Corporation, 3131 W. Chestnut Expwy, Springfield MO 65802, Tel: 417-864-8161
• Hydronic Radiant Heating Division, The Hydronics Institute, P.O. Box 218,. Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
  Phone: (908) 464-8200
• Dan Holohan, Hydronic Radiant Heating: A Practical Guide for the Nonengineer Installer, 1998. Dan Holohan Associates, Inc., 63 North Oakdale Avenue, Bethpage, NY, 11714; Phone: (800) 853-8882; $20.00.
• J. Siegenthaler, Modern Hydronic Heating, Delmar Publishers. 1995. Available from Delmar/Thomson Learning, Order Fulfillment, P.O. Box 6904, Florence, KY 41022; Tel: 800-347-7707. ISBN: 0-8273-6595-0.
• J. Siegenthaler, 'Hydronic Radiant Heat for Wood-Framed Floors,'The Journal of Light Construction, (11:11) pp. 34-37, August 1993.
• J. Siegenthaler, 'Radiant Slab Techniques,'The Journal of Light Construction, (10:11) pp. 21-24, August 1992.
• J. Siegenthaler, 'Radiant Slab on a Tight Budget,' The Journal of Light Construction, (13:10) pp. 47-50, July 1995
• Olsen, B. & Lidelt, D., Existing Knowledge on Possibilities and Limitations of Radiant Floor Cooling- #4014, , 1996. Part of the January 25-29, 1997 ASHRAE Winter Meeting Technical Program. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), 1791 Tullie Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30329; Phone: (800) 527-4723; website: www.ashrae.org
• J. Truini, 'Adding Radiant-Floor Heating,' Home Mechanix, (91:792) pp. 56-61, Feb 1995.
• N. Nisson, 'Can Radiant Floor Cooling Succeed Despite Design Limitation?'Energy Design Update, (17:5) pp. 5-8, May 1997.
• 'Canadian Study Details the Impact of Carpets on Radiant Floor Heating,' Energy Design Update, (18:11) pp. 12-13, November 1998.
• B. Kaercher, Jr. , 'Electric-Radiant Floors,'Fine Home Building, (No. 75) pp. 68-72, June/July 1992.
• Heatway, Goodyear Square Off in Court Over Radiant System Failures,' Energy Design Update, (18:10) pp. 2-4, October 1998.
• Ohio Jury Says Goodyear’s Entran 2 Hosing Was Not Defective,' Energy Design Update, (20:4) pp. 5-7, April 2000.
• C. Wardell,'Radiant Floor Systems,'Custom Builder, (10:6) pp. 26-30, Sept/Oct 1995..
• Takagi radiant heat systems: Takagi offers pre-assembled radiant heating system installation packages including for do-it-yourself'ers, and including systems that combine radiant heat flooring with domestic hot water production using a gas-fired tankless water heater. See takagi.com for more information. 'The T-KJr model (gas inputs up to 140,000 BTU per hour) is the smallest unit in the Takagi line-up. The T-KJr is perfect for light residential (i.e. small apartment units) and radiant heating applications.' Also see Tankless Water Heaters.
• Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume I, the Passive Solar Handbook Introduction to Passive Solar Concepts, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v1.pdf
• Passive Solar Design Handbook Volume II, the Passive Solar Handbook Comprehensive Planning Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v2.pdf [This is a large PDF file that can take a while to load]
• Passive Solar Handbook Volume III, the Passive Solar Handbook Programming Guide, in a version used by the U.S. Air Force - online version available at this link and from the USAF also at wbdg.org/ccb/AF/AFH/pshbk_v3.pdf
• The Passive Solar Design and Construction Handbook, Steven Winter Associates (Author), Michael J. Crosbie (Editor), Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-047118382 or 0471183083
• 'Passive Solar Home Design', U.S. Department of Energy, describes using a home's windows, walls, and floors to collect and store solar energy for winter heating and also rejecting solar heat in warm weather.
• 'Solar Water Heaters', U.S. Department of Energy article on solar domestic water heaters to generate domestic hot water in buildings, explains how solar water heaters work. Solar heat for swimming pools is also discussed.
• 'Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heating Systems', U.S. DOE describes the types of solar water heater heat exchange methods between the sun and the building's hot water supply
• 'Heat-Transfer Fluids for Solar Water Heating Systems', U.S. DOE, describes the types of fluids selected to transfer heat between the solar collector and the hot water in storage tanks in a building. These include air, water, water with glycol antifreeze mixtures (needed when using solar hot water systems in freezing climates), hydrocarbon oils, and refrigerants or silicones for heat transfer.
• 'Solar Water Heating System Maintenance and Repair', U.S. DOE
• 'Solar Water Heating System Freeze Protection', U.S. DOE,using antifreeze mixture in solar water heaters (or other freeze-resistant heat transfer fluids), as well as piping to permit draining the solar collector and piping system.
• 'Scaling and Corrosion in Solar Water Heating Systems', U.S. DOE
• www.energysavers.gov/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12850 is the base U.S. DOE website for these articles
• 'Active Solar Heating Systems', U.S. Department of Energy, including
• 'Radiant Heating Systems' U.S. DOE
• 'Absorption Heat Pumps & Coolers', U.S. DOE
• 'Solar Air Heating' U.S. DOE also referred to as 'Ventilation Preheating' in which solar systems use air for absorbing and transferring solar energy or heat to a building
• 'Solar Liquid Heating' U.S. DOE, systems using liquid (typically water) in flat plate solar collectors to collect solar energy in the form of heat for transfer into a building for space heating or hot water heating. The term 'solar liquid' is used for accuracy, rather than 'solar water' because the water may contain an antifreeze or other chemicals.
• [3] PB (polybutylene with mechanical fittings) Piping leaks: especially in mobile homes and in the U.S. South, for example trailers and double-wides throughout Florida that were piped with this material - per M Cramer. See 'Polybutylene Piping: Time Bomb?' Daniel Friedman, Journal of Light Construction, August 1996 [Technical Q&A].
• [5] Polybutylene Plumbing (plastic pipes): gray plastic water supply piping cracked, leaked, and resulted in a class action and settlement.
• Eric Galow, Galow Homes, Lagrangeville, NY. Mr. Galow can be reached by email: ericgalow@gmail.com or by telephone: 914-474-6613. Mr. Galow specializes in residential construction including both new homes and repairs, renovations, and additions.
• [7] PB Technology Center (information about PB Pipes) Tel: 800-338-7732, also see the 1990 PB Pipe recommendations published by the Polybutylene Product Line Committee of the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association.
• Polybutylene Plumbing Failures: Spencer Class settlement. 10% of replacement cost/damages, only for acetal (plastic)fittings
• [12] Zurn Manufacturing, Zurn Pex, Inc., Highway 11 East, Commerce, TX 75428, Tel: (903) 886-2580 provides information about installing and using PEX piping including Type b PEX through their website. Quoting from the company's website
  Zurn was founded in 1900 in Erie, PA. It originally manufactured a patented backwater valve, and it now manufactures and distributes one of the largest plumbing products packages in the world! Zurn includes: the Specification Drainage Operation, AquaFlush flush valves, AquaSense sensor-operated plumbing products, AquaSpec commercial faucets, Wilkins, Zurn Light Commercial, Flo-Thru, the Chemical Drainage Systems, Zurn PEX Plumbing Systems and Zurn Radiant Heat.
• [13] Zurn PEX Plumbing Design and Application Guide (PDF) - web search 12/23/2010, original source http://www.zurn.com/operations/pexrh/pdfs/installation/PEXDesApplGuide.pdf
• [14] Zurn Pex Plumbing Products Liability Litigation, United States Court of Appeals FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT, No. 10-2267, Filed 6 July 2011, Quoting:
  Minnesota homeowners brought this action1 against Zurn Pex, Inc. and Zurn Industries, Inc (Zurn) alleging that brass fittings used in the company's cross linked polyethylene (PEX) plumbing systems are inherently defective. In pretrial motions the homeowners sought class certification for their consumer protection, warranty, and negligence claims, and Zurn moved to strike the testimony of two of the homeowners’ experts. After denying Zurn's motion to strike the expert testimony, the district court2 granted the homeowner requests for class certification for their warranty and negligence claims, but denied it for their consumer protection claims. Zurn appeals from the district court's certification order. We affirm.
  Web search 4/12/12, original source: www.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/11/07/102267P.pdf
• [18] Chemax, 'Cross-Linked Polyethylene Tubing and Water Contamination', retrieved 2/17/2013, original source: http://www.chemaxx.com/polytube1.htm [copy on file as [Water Contamination chemical investigation.pdf]
• [19] Ingun Skjevrak, Anne Due, Karl Olav Gjerstad, Hallgeir Herikstad 'Volatile organic components migrating from plastic pipes (HDPE, PEX and PVC) into drinking water', Water Research Volume 37, Issue 8, April 2003, Pages 1912–1920
  Abstract: High-density polyethylene pipes (HDPE), crossbonded polyethylene pipes (PEX) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes for drinking water were tested with respect to migration of volatile organic components (VOC) to water. The odour of water in contact with plastic pipes was assessed according to the quantitative threshold odour number (TON) concept. A major migrating component from HDPE pipes was 2,4-di-tert-butyl-phenol (2,4-DTBP) which is a known degradation product from antioxidants such as Irgafos 168®. In addition, a range of esters, aldehydes, ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons and terpenoids were identified as migration products from HDPE pipes. Water in contact with HDPE pipes was assessed with respect to TON, and values ⩾4 were determined for five out of seven brands of HDPE pipes. The total amount of VOC released to water during three successive test periods were fairly constant for the HDPE pipes. Corresponding migration tests carried out for PEX pipes showed that VOC migrated in significant amounts into the test water, and TON ⩾5 of the test water were observed in all tests. Several of the migrated VOC were not identified. Oxygenates predominated the identified VOC in the test water from PEX pipes. Migration tests of PVC pipes revealed few volatile migrants in the test samples and no significant odour of the test water.
• [20] Andrew J. Whelton, Ph.D., M.ASCE; Andrea M. Dietrich, Ph.D., Aff.ASCE; and Daniel L. Gallagher, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, ”Contaminant Diffusion, Solubility, and Material Property Differences between HDPE and PEX Potable Water Pipes.” J. Environ. Eng., 136(2), 227–237. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000147
  Abstract: the objectives of this work were to identify differences between the composition, bulk properties, contaminant diffusivity and solubility for new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe and crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) pipe, as well as determine which contaminant and polymer properties are useful for predicting contaminant fate in water pipe. Variations in PE pipe density (0.9371–0.9547 g/cm3) , crystallinity (69–72%), crosslinking (60 and 76%), and oxidative induction time (33 to >295 min .) were detected. While numerically these differences seem minor, results show that slight material differences have a notable effect on contaminant diffusivity and solubility. Nonpolar contaminant diffusivity and solubility were best predicted by bulk density. Polar contaminants were more soluble and diffused faster through PEX than HDPE pipes because PEX pipes contained a greater amount of oxygen. For all materials, dipole moment and Log Kow were good predictors of contaminant fate and molecular volume was only useful for predicting diffusivity and solubility values for haloalkane and nonpolar aromatic contaminants.
• [22] Andrew J. Whelton, Andrea M. Dietrich, and Daniel L. Gallagher. (2011) Impact of Chlorinated Water Exposure on Contaminant Transport and Surface and Bulk Properties of High-Density Polyethylene and Cross-Linked Polyethylene Potable Water Pipes. Journal of Environmental Engineering 137:7, 559-568 Online publication date: 1-Jul-2011. Abstract:
  The aim of this work was to determine if the aging of polyethylene (HDPE, PEX-A and PEX-B) water pipes by exposure to chlorinated water altered polar and nonpolar contaminant diffusivity and solubility by analyzing new, laboratory-aged, and exhumed water-distribution system polyethylene (PE) pipes. After 141 days of aging in pH 6.5 water with 45 mg/L free chlorine, the surface chemistry and bulk properties of PEX-A pipe were unaffected. Carbonyl bonds (σ=1,713 cm−1) were detected on the surfaces of HDPE and PEX-B pipe, and these oxygenated surfaces became more hydrophilic, resulting in statistically significant increases in diffusion rates. All 10 contaminant and four pipe material combinations had diffusivity increases on average of 50% for polar contaminants and 5% for nonpolar contaminants. Contaminant solubility was slightly increased for aged PEX-A and slightly decreased for PEX-B pipes. Toluene and trichloromethane diffusivity and solubility values for 7- to 25-year-old buried water utility pipes were similar to values for new and laboratory-aged HDPE-based materials. Because chlorinated water exposure alters how polar contaminants interact with aged PE pipes, results of this work should be considered in future health risk assessments, water quality modeling, pipe performance, and service-life considerations.
• [25] Website: GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, 'PEX vs Copper', retrieved 2/18/2013, original source: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/ community/forum/green-products-and-materials/ 16256/pex-vs-copper [copy on file as PEX vs Copper _ GreenBuildingAdvisor.pdf]
• [26] Website: GreenBuildingAdvisor.com,' How Safe is PEX tubing?', retrieved 2/18/2013, original source: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/ blogs/dept/qa-spotlight /how-safe-pex-tubing [copy on file as How Safe is PEX tubing_GreenBuildingAdvisor.pdf]
• [27] Lauren Hunter, 'California’s PEX Battle Continues', Remodeling Magazine, June 2010, Website: Builderonline.com, 'x', retrieved 2/18/2013, original souirce: http://www.builderonline.com/legislation/californias-pex-battle-continues.aspx [copy on file as California’s PEX Battle Continues - Plumbing, Legal Issues, Legislation - Builder Magazine.pd]
• [28] Contractor Magazine, 'California approves PEX for plumbing — again- Contractor Magazine.pdf', retrieved 2/18/2013, original source: http://contractormag.com/news/ california-pex-plumbing-1234 [copy on file as California approves PEX for plumbing — again- Contractor Magazine.pdf]

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• ...

• Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional HOME INSPECTION SERVICES and also extensive HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION and home inspection-related PUBLICATIONS. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
  Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material.
  The ILLUSTRATED HOME illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Illustrated Home purchased as a single order Enter INSPECTAILL in the order payment page 'Promo/Redemption' space.
  TECHNICAL REFERENCE GUIDE to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment, useful for determining the age of heating boilers, furnaces, water heaters is provided by Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates
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• The HOME REFERENCE BOOK - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
  Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page 'Promo/Redemption' space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
  Or choose the The HOME REFERENCE eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones.
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page 'Promo/Redemption' space.
  
• Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd
  COMMERCIAL BUILDING INSPECTION COURSES - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
  HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURESES (Canada)
  HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (USA) including home study & live classes at eleven colleges & universities.
  HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES - ASHI@Home Training 10-course program.
  Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on these courses: Enter INSPECTAHITP in the order payment page 'Promo/Redemption' space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
  
• The Horizon Software System manages business operations,scheduling, & inspection report writing using Carson Dunlop's knowledge base & color images. The Horizon system runs on always-available cloud-based software for office computers, laptops, tablets, iPad, Android, & other smartphones