Bending PEX

All PEX can flex into very tight spaces. The smaller the PEX tubing, the tighter it will fit. Half inch PEX bends to between 5" - 7" and three quarter inch PEX bends to between 8" - 10".

PEX of all sizes including Radiant Heat PEX and Plumbing PEX can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

How to detect a silent leak

If you know there's a leak in your radiant heat tubing, here's a trick to find the source. Spray all of your connections and pipe with soapy water and look for the soapy water to bubble up.

PEX Pipe, PEX Fittings and other PEX Connections can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Installation position of heating pumps

Never install a pump with the can pointing up. Most Taco pumps and Grudfos pumps are water lubricated and most pressures in residential heating systems will never overcome the 20 psi constant to lubricate the cartridge. This can make the pump seize forcing you to replace the cartridge earlier than under normal operation.

Taco pumps, Grundfos pumps, and many other pumps and flanges can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Make your boiler more energy efficient

Hook up a boiler reset control such as the Taco PC700. Your boiler is designed for worst-case scenario heat loss, but a PC700 will modulate the boiler to true outdoor conditions. This quick fix can save you between 18% - 35% on your fuel bill.

Boilers & heaters, and Taco controls such as the PC700 can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

When to pressure test your radiant heat system

After you've laid out your PEX tubing for a radiant heat system, make sure to pressure test BEFORE you pour your slab to make sure that nothing has punctured or disconnected. You should pressure again DURING the slab pour and then once more AFTER the pour, just to make sure that everything is working properly before you need to rely on that system for heat. The more you pressure test, the more sure you'll be that your radiant heat will keep your home comfortable all winter long.

Pressure test kits as well as PEX Tubing and a variety of other supplies for radiant heat can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

What is Hercules Block?

Hercules Block is a greenish-blue paste, insoluble in water. Applying this paste onto the threaded ends of fittings will seal the grooves to the pipe and prevent leaks.

Hercules Block, as well as many other plumbing supplies, plumbing chemicals and plumbing compounds can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

How to add heat with a little kick

If you are looking to add some extra heat to your hydronic heating system (without it costing your first-born!), installing a kick space heater will do the trick. These heaters can be installed in many different configurations- underneath the floor, wall mount, floor mounted or even in a toe kick.

Kick space heaters as well as other Beacon Morris products and heating supplies can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Why use a full port zone valve?

A full port zone valve is true to it's pipe size. A 3/4" zone valve full port is true 3/4" throughout the bore, therefore the CV value the valve can handle is higher than a valve that is not full port. In other words, the pressure drop through a full port valve is a lot less than with a valve that is not full port.

Zone valves including Taco zone valves, Honeywell zone valves and full port zone valves can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Don't push through that valve, pull through it.

Always put your circulation pump after your Taco mixing valve. Never push water through a mixing valve- this can damage the valve. Putting the mixing valve first will allow it to function properly for years to come.

Circulation pumps, mixing valves and other heating supplies can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

How to bleed a radiant manifold

Radiant heat manifolds should be bled one loop at a time. While you might think that bleeding everything at once will make the job go faster, this will actually add several hours! The fastest, most efficient way to bleed a system is one loop at a time.

Radiant Heat Supplies including Radiant Heat Manifolds, Radiant Heat Tubing and Radiant Heat Panels can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

How a thermostatic radiator valve works

There is a dial built into the thermostatic radiator valve. The more that you turn the dial closing the valve, the less heat is emitted. This valve works as a thermostat and a valve built into one.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves, and a large variety of valves and thermostats can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Having trouble making fittings in tight spaces?

The ProPEX AutoRotation Adapter enables you to make a connection with very limited space. This head lets the tool do all of the twisting, meaning that you can make a fitting anywhere and taking potential human error out of the equation.

ProPEX tools, including the ProPEX AutoRotation Adapter, and ProPEX fittings can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

A step not to forget

Repairing or replacing an appliance with a gas line? Don't forget to shut off the gas! A Gas Ball Valve, or Gas Cock, is one easy step to shut off the gas just to that one appliance instead of a whole room or house. Turning off the gas will keep your house safe and avoid potential explosions from an open gas line.

Gas Ball Valves, Ball Valves, and other products by Matco-Norca can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

How strong is Engineered Plastic (EP)?

To give you an idea of its strength, Engineered Plastic is what they use to make artificial hearts. Besides choosing EP for the lower cost, you might want to consider EP fittings to go under concrete slabs in radiant heat applications. Concrete can sometimes eat away at metal if it's completely covered. Swapping the brass for EP will keep your fittings safe and sound.

ProPEX EP Elbows, ProPEX EP Couplings, ProPEX EP Tees and many other Wirsbo ProPEX fittings and valves can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

The Taco D'Mand System

Waiting for hot water at your sink or your shower is an easy fix with Taco's D'Mand re-circulation pump. This pump boosts the water pressure so that water reaches your fixtures faster, eliminating wait times and wasted water. These pumps can be also be installed right underneath the sink for added convenience.

Circulation pumps and re-circulation pumps including the Taco D'Mand System can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Features and Benefits of the Grundfos SU25 Pump

Grundfos SU25 Pumps are corrosion resistant, lightweight, impact resistant, and continue operating regularly even when fully submerged.


A variety of sump pumps can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Laying out your Wirsbo (Uponor) QuikTrak

If you are installing wood floors over your radiant heat Wirsbo (Uponor) QuikTrak floor, lay the tracks perpendicular to your finished floor. This way, you can see the tubing when nailing the floor in place and won't accidentally puncture the tubing.

Radiant Heat Tubing, Panels, and Accessories can be found online at www.supplyhouse.com

Don't skimp on supply riser length

When choosing a supply riser, select a connector of adequate length and bend gradually. A sharp bend or riser that is too short in length may put a kink in the tube, causing it to fail prematurely.

Supply risers can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Make your boiler room look like a pro did the install

A boiler header makes installing your pumps for your zones much easier and prevents possible leaks in the future. The header is a seamless fitting which replaces having multiple tees tied together.

Boiler headers, and everything else for your boiler room, can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Firomatic valves shutting off in the fire

Firomatic oil valves operate using a spring-loaded plunger. In the case of a fire in the boiler room, the handle (made of a special alloy that melts at a low temperature) melts off the shaft which shuts off the oil flow to the burner. Oil flow can also be manually shut off by turning the handle on the valve clockwise.

Firomatic valves as well as a variety of other valves can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Connecting PEX Tubing to a Water Heater

When you are trying to attach PEX tubing to a gas/oil fired heater, you will need a Water Heater Adapter. The flue on the heater gets very hot (260-480 degrees) and can damage the tubing if an adapter is not used.

PEX tubing and ProPEX Water Heater Adapters can be found at www.supplyhouse.com