Regular pex in an OWB set-up????

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shawntitan

Member
Hearth Supporter
Dec 7, 2007
77
NJ
What's up guys? Need some advice for a friend. He's in the middle of installing a traditional OWB and is in the process of shopping for pex. I did a bunch of reading and couldn't get a definitive answer. He wants to know if he can use regular blue and red pex (like the water pipe kind) for his lines. I know you need oxygen barrier pex for a closed system, and you don't for an open system, but is this the kind of stuff you can use? Thanks in advance.
 
Well, I've heard conflicting results on the use of potable pex with OWB's.... In addition to the O2 barrier issue (not really an issue with open systems anyway) I've heard of it melting under hi temperature quicker than heating pex...
 
When I put in my OWB 7 years ago I used 3/4 inch pex that didn't have the O2 barrier as I knew that it was a open system. Only 7 years later I'm now using a closed system, I wish I would have gone bigger and O2 barrier. My advise to anyone putting in pipe is use the right stuff now as its not that more expensive and you don't know what system changes a few years will bring. New laws - new technology or even new heating requirements
 
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