Leak in radiant floor, ideas?

I just finished installing the wood floor over radiant and went to do the pressure test, only to find a leak. I can actually hear the rough area where the leak is coming from (if I lay down on the floor).

I'm not excited about the idea of ripping up part of the new floor to get at this area, and to make matters worse I don't know how I would repair the PEX in that location (not enough room for putting in couplings, etc.).

HELP! Any ideas?

Thanks, Matt

is this a stadler snap in pex application, or is the pexa

staple up retro fit between joist bays underneath ?

the guy that put the hole in the pipe should pull up the flooring in that area.

Do you know this person?

Pinhole leak

Toolaholic - it's a grooved subfloor installation with bamboo on top. I am the person who installed it (so I'll need to fit it) but I swear there are no nails/staples within 6 inches of PEX at any place. I was insanely careful about it, and in one or two places actually have a little more spring in the floor than I would want from fewer fasteners.

Obviously it's possible that I mismarked the area and did hit it, but could it be a kink in the tubing or something else?

Thanks, Matt

Why wouldn't you pressure-test before laying the floor? (Not trying to be a smart*ss, just curious.)

how did this mistake happen??

is this new pex or old pex?????

surely their isnt a joint in the floor


how long has this pex been in the floor????

lots of pex has warranties on it........


it this a new house that has never been tested????

I am interested in hearing the story too....

test, and test again...

I appreciate the feedback/responses. As for why not test before laying the floor, I did. I tested it to 50PSI, and it appeared to be fine. I even left it under pressure when putting down the floor (maybe a bad idea, but I thought it would alert me to a leak ASAP and I could deal with it at the time.

As for how long, the PEX has been in about a month. I've had it ready to go for about a year, sitting in the shipping materials in the basement.

The install is on a slab (so no access from below) and in a custom made radiant floor sandwhich (like the warmboard material).

I'm begging to wonder it perhaps there was shifting or something related to recent heavy rains here on the east coast that might have caused swelling in the flooring materials and my expansion gaps weren't sufficient?

Anyhow, the plan is to take up four or the boards, cut the damaged section, install a coupling and route the sandwhich material to accomodate the coupling. Then test it and glue down the replacement bamboo

Matt