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Can Pex Be Buried? (All You Need to Know)

Pex tubing has been used in different sorts of plumbing works such as hot and cold water transfer through pex, snow, and ice melting systems, heating services, water service, etc.

Most of the plumbing works require that the pex pipe need to be buried under soil or concrete, and therefore, most people become doubtful whether pex can be buried. However, in this article, we have cleared all the confusion regarding the burying of pex pipes.

Can pex be buried?

Pex tubing is made in a robust way so that it can bear high pressure as well as can be buried under solid ground such as concrete or hard soil. Because of its flexibility and long coils, it can tolerate any sort of temperature, and also it needs fewer mounting materials.

Is it OK to use PEX underground?

Yes, it’s completely fine to use pex underground, and it will be much better if it’s mounted below the frost line, although it will be best if you bury it under sand or hard stone dust. It is because of their flexibility these pipes can bear any sort of pressure or temperature.

Also, it is one of the main choices for the plumbers whenever they want to mount pipes under hard concrete or stone dust.

Can pex fittings be buried?

Pex fittings can be buried without any doubt because the fittings are also made with the same robust material as the pipes. Therefore, these fittings have the ability to tolerate high pressure and can survive invariance of temperature.

However, you have to make sure that the fittings are mounted just by following manufacturer instructions because without being properly mounted, these fittings can lose or be damaged in harsh environments.

Can Uponor pex be buried?

Yes, Uponor pex can be buried under the soil or concrete; however, the Uponor pex can burst if the water freezes in the line. Uponor pex is a flexible and rust-resistant product which makes it more suitable for plumbing systems.

The embedded pex protects it from the hard particles in the soil. Pex-a tubing of Uppnor is the best type of pex in the market.

What type of PEX can be buried?

This tube is commonly used for household or construction planned maintenance, thermal structures, and electrical circuit insulation. PEX tubing is rapidly displacing conventional copper and coated steel pipes as an excellent subterranean pipeline choice.

So let’s look at PEX tubing and fittings and see which ones operate best underground.

PEX-B:

Because of its greater bursting strength and fewer concerns with extracted compounds, PEX-B is the best option for burying.

Because the PEX tubing is buried in this instance, UV radiation will not destroy it as much as it is not exposed to sunlight prior to installation.

PEX-A:

PEX-A is by far the most adaptable and lightest PEX piping choice, also with the largest formation of the deepest chemical bond.  After PEX-B, this really is the second-best PEX tube for burials.

But even so, PEX-A tubing is far more inclined than PEX-B tubing to absorb contaminants from the production process into the water system; therefore, be aware that somehow this product definitely carries a certain threat.

While PEX-B piping is less elastic than PEX-A, this has a stronger breaking power, which indicates it will tolerate the low temperatures without bursting.

PEX-C:

PEX-C is made by irradiation and is hence unsuitable for burying. Because of its stiffness, it’s indeed perhaps the most challenging PEX tubing to deal with.

Whenever it is exposed to freezing temperatures, this causes the piping to bend and shatter relatively easily.

Finally, it can be said that PEX-A is by far the most flexible, as it can be secured by frozen extension, enabling the tip to be twisted before the fittings are inserted. PEX B is indeed not extendable; thus, the ends of a PEX – B tube shouldn’t be expanded.

PEX – A does have the highest bend resistance, while PEX – B has the least.

How deep does pex have to be buried?

Basically, how deep you will have your pex to be buried depends on the type of material used to make your pex tubing.

However, it is recommended from the pex tubing manufacturers that you will need to bury your pex tube below the frost line or deep about 42 inches because the pex pipe can burst if the water freezes in the line.

Nevertheless having the quality to resist freezing or have the ability to expand.

How to bury pex underground?

Burying the pex is certainly a difficult task; however, you can follow the steps noted below in order to bury your pex through a metal rod underground.

Finalize the location:

You will need to pick a place for the ground rods, mostly outside of the house. The power supply should preferably be on the same side of the property as that one. Then it should be in a spot where automobiles or leaf blowers are less likely to harm those rods directly. 

Set the rod onto the ground:

Position the very first pole vertically inside the spot where you want it to go. With both the connecting rod driver, push the pole into the earth. To establish an electrical connection, allow two to three inches of pole revealed just above the soil.

Measurement of the rod:

With a measuring tape, you will need to mark 7 feet from the very first rod. By utilizing the ground pole driver, push the next pole into this spot.

Secure all the ends with cables:

Undo the copper pipe clamps’ bolts and fasten them across the grounding poles’ tops. Then fasten the nuts to the rods, screw them up. Remove all cable connections from the copper clamps and free them.

Link the two poles in sequence with the ground wire. You will need to secure the ends after inserting the cable.

Can pex be buried in concrete?

Pex tubing is made so flexible enough so that it can be buried in any sort of surface. PEX is composed of strong polyethylene, which can withstand getting placed under concrete. PEX tubing is most commonly utilized in radiant heating systems installed beneath concrete floors.

In fact, based on the composition of the material utilized, there can be variations. We advise that you should speak with your plumbing expert about the issue.

Can pex pipe be buried in concrete?

Yes, pex pipes can be buried under concrete because of the composition of higher density polyethylene, which makes the pipe flexible enough to bear high amounts of pressure under concrete.

Also, the long coils make the pipe to be manufactured more robustly, which is why it doesn’t need any sort of fittings whenever you use it under concrete.

It has become the main plumbing option for the plumber for its durability under concrete, as well as it’s comparatively cheaper than PVC or copper.

How long does PEX last underground?

PEX tubing seems to have a life expectancy of 25-50 years, depending on how often it is used, the purity of the flow, as well as the water temperature.

Several variables like the exposure of the tube to the sunlight or exposing it to water temperatures that are higher than those tested can seriously harm tubing and shorten its lifespan. The majority of PEX tubing available now comes with a 20-year warranty.

Although, the research and long-term tests show that it can last in the underground for more than one hundred years. However, due to corrosions or leaks, the copper materials need to be replaced every few years, but a pex tubing can last ten times longer than another tubing.

Also, the composition of polyethylene makes the tubing to be more flexible and durable, making it serve its duty for decades.

Final Thoughts:

Pex tubing, as well as the pipes, can be used in high temperatures to high pressure, and also polyethylene makes the pex much suitable for underground plumbing works. However, in certain cases, the material of pex tubing can degrade, but it will serve its purpose for more than a hundred years.