Bend Support for 1" PEX

[Gsmith22]

Using Uponor 1" PEX for the main branch line (logic plumbing layout). I'm finding bending the 1" pipe at a corner to be quite difficult if not impossible. The only bend supports from Uponor I can find are the 1.5"PVC sleeves, although these appear to be made for the PEX to exit a concrete slab. They are quite heavy and supporting them on a stud or from a joist isn't the easiest. Metal and/or plastic bend supports from Uponor are widely available for 1/2 and 3/4 sizes but nothing for 1". The only plastic bend support for 1" pex that I can find is made by Viega but their bend radius (5xOD) is tighter than what Uponor recommeds (6xOD). Has anyone used these successfully with the Uponor 1" PEX? If I bend the pipe and it doesn't kink in this bend support at installation, any chance it could kink in the future? How is everyone getting the 1" PEX to bend - heat it up to soften the material or just brute strength? Thanks in advance.

 

[Reach4]

https://www.pexsuperstore.com/pex-a...pcs-1-heavy-duty-steel-tube-bend-support.html from https://terrylove.com/forums/index....op-after-new-install.82521/page-2#post-595456

However I suspect that the Viega 51060 bend radius support may not be as tight as you infer, but I am not sure.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gsmith22]

I saw those metal bend supports but I couldn't determine the bend radius. Do you (or anyone) know what the bend radius is for the metal supports from pexsuperstore for 1" PEX?

I bought both the 1.5" PVC sleeves (Uponor product) as well as the Viega 51060 bend supports for 1" PEX from supplyhouse and I can confirm via a ruler that the bend radius for the Viega support is very nearly 5.6" (5xOD for Viega PEX). Uponor lists their min bend radius as 6.75" (6xOD for Uponor PEX). Have you (or anyone) successfully used the Viega bend supports with Uponor pex and not kinked the tubing?

 

[Reach4]

I saw those metal bend supports but I couldn't determine the bend radius. Do you (or anyone) know what the bend radius is for the metal supports from pexsuperstore for 1" pex?

The listing says

• Compatible with: PEX-A, PEX-B, and PEX-C
• Length from end to end : approx 12 inches
• Diameter: 1-1/2" inch

Since PEX-C and PEX-B requires a bigger radius (8 x OD), then the radius would be bigger that the minimum for Uponor Aquapex.

 

[Gsmith22]

I should point out too that the 1.5" PVC sleeve from Uponor is very nearly 6.75" bend radius, again determined via ruler

 

[Gsmith22]

So I called Pexuniverse and had them measure the inside radius - its about 5.5" (very similar to the Viega bend support). guy on the phone said that it is supposed to work with a bend radius of 5xOD (which is what Viega lists in their literature). Is Uponor just being conservative with the 6OD bend radius?

 

[Reach4]

Interesting. https://www.pexuniverse.com/types-of-pex-tubing says "A lower bending radius in PEX-A (6 times the OD vs. 8 times the OD for PEX-B & C) is helpful, but offers little practical advantage in most cases."

 

[wwhitney]

FWIW, a standard 1-1/4" PVC conduit elbow has a 7.25" bend radius:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-1-4-in-90-Degree-Plain-End-Elbow-R5121056/202043323

In case securing the 1-1/4" PVC elbow would be easier than the 1-1/2" PVC elbow. Not sure if the 1-1/4" diameter elbow would provide too much friction to push the 1-1/8" OD PEX through.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Gsmith22]

just to clarify, I'm talking about supported bends (with a bend support plastic/metal/sleeve/etc.) and not unsupported bends. I think the part you quoted is discussing unsupported bends. But that also brings up another question - Viega literature lists supported bends as 5xOD and unsupported/free bends as 8xOD but Uponor just lists 6xOD for bends (no supported vs unsupported distinction). I'm thinking Uponor's literature is mirroring what you posted above and is in regards to free bends. That would mean a tighter supported bend is probably okay. especially is PEX-A is more flexible than PEX-B or PEX-C and the tighter supports for 1" PEX supposedly work for all PEX variants

 

[Gsmith22]

besides the fact that the PVC elbow/sleeves are bigger/heavier, i was having a lot of trouble pushing the 1" PEX through the 1.5" PVC sleeve. do you heat the PEX up to make this go better or just grin and bear it?

 

[Reach4]

o I called Pexuniverse and had them measure the inside radius - its about 5.5" (very similar to the Viega bend support). guy on the phone said that it is supposed to work with a bend radius of 5xOD (which is what Viega lists in their literature). Is Uponor just being conservative with the 6OD bend radius?

Did you call pexsuperstore.com or did you call about this one? https://www.pexuniverse.com/1-pex-bend-support-with-ear

 

[Gsmith22]

sorry, pexsuperstore.com - the metal one that you linked. I must have been looking at pexuniverse when I typed that. The plastic one at pexuniverse looks identical (even same mold markings) to the Viega one that I got from supplyhouse.

 

[Reach4]

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Holdrite-708-E-3-4-to-2-In-Slab-Pex-Conduit-Bend-Support says it is a "3/4" to 2" In-Slab Pex/Conduit Bend Support".

I wonder if "in-slab" indicates it is only promised to be strong enough to last until after the concrete sets.

 

[Gsmith22]

I think that is exactly its intention so I was avoiding it. If you read the review(s) someone wasn't too happy with it either for even that purpose.

I think I have convinced myself to use the "viega" plastic bend supports that I got from supplyhouse. its just so hard to bend the pipe in, I didn't want to kink it and I figured I would come here and see what others were doing/had done. The PVC sleeves could work but they are big and bulky (even using the 1.25" sleeve; thanks for the link wwhitney) and more importantly, if you have a bend in the middle of a run, you have to pull all that pipe through the sleeve -its a nightmare. at least with the plastic (or metal) bend support, you can place it where you want and then bend the pipe in. I think I'm going to heat up the PEX where I want to bend it in just to make it more bendable. Nothing like where you heat it until clear to remove a kink but higher than ambient temp or else I'm going to end up with Popeye forearms

 

[Gsmith22]

For anyone following this thread
If this video from Uponor is to be believed, their pipe can be bent as tight as 3xOD:

 

[Rossn]

This is an old thread, but for posterity, wanted to provide a Uponor reference that indicates with hot bending and bend support, AquaPex may be bent to 5x. Assuming the above information is accurate about viega's bend radius being 5x and the bend support 51060 radius is at 5.6", it should work for the Aquapex.

From Uponor's document: "Uponor Aqua PEX piping system Technical Information":

 

[kybob]

This is an old thread, but for posterity, wanted to provide a Uponor reference that indicates with hot bending and bend support, AquaPex may be bent to 5x. Assuming the above information is accurate about viega's bend radius being 5x and the bend support 51060 radius is at 5.6", it should work for the Aquapex.

From Uponor's document: "Uponor Aqua PEX piping system Technical Information":

View attachment 100444

Good find. Uponor seems to always be changing documentation even when the product stays the same.