PEX Condensation

[Snoonyb]

Have any of you folks had experience such as noted, or other solutions.

I have a question about PEX. My son is beginning and he installed a cold water line, in replacement of copper, in the utility room, which also contains the gas fired appliances, heat pump, H/W heater & the close dryer. This new cold water run has developed condensation, which is interesting, because the copper line the PEX replaced, didn't.

A PEX A, and a copper line, were replaced with PEX B, (against my advice), and there is now, condensation.

In the process of searching for answers, I found this link; Why Pipes Sweat: Causes and Solutions for Sweating Plumbing which discusses the issue.

Additionally, in conversations with two PEX dist., they suggested that the PEX needed to acclimate to the water being conducted, and that could take several hours.

Having spent my, "formative years", in the trades, in SO CA, I had only experienced, acclimation, with refrigerant systems.

I had apparently, straightened, a learning curve.

 

[Sparky617]

I have some PEX but my house is mostly copper. I haven't experienced any condensation on the PEX in my basement project, so I got nothing for you. I'd think PEX would be less likely to condensate than copper.

 

[Snoonyb]

Thanks, and it appears that the acclamation has done the trick.

 

[Sparky617]

Thanks, and it appears that the acclamation has done the trick.

That makes sense.

 

[Eddie_T]

What's the science behind PEX acclimation? Is it that initially the pipe was filled (and cooled) with a rush of cold water and with time a temperature gradient develops between ambient air and water in the pipe?

 

[Snoonyb]

In my conversation with the mfg. reps, the science was not a topic, just the suggestion of a solution. I would think that another factor would also Abe the locations relative humidity, which in this case, is nominally, 35%.