Hello,
First post, I read the rules and I think I'm OK to post my question. I hope.
I'm building a house and my builder has pretty much taken the money and abandoned me. I'm trying to complete the project and there are some issues in the master bathroom that require breaking up the slab concrete to relocate sanitary and water supply lines. The slab has PEX radiant heating lines within it. I'm working with a local plumber and he hadn't ever done this and was unsure how advisable it was. I also asked the HVAC contractor that installed the radiant heating and he hadn't done it, but said "I suppose it's doable" - not exactly confidence inspiring!
I can locate the tubes in the slab using my Flir infrared camera.
The plan that is being floated around is to use a rotohammer to surgically break up the concrete and avoid the tubes as much as possible. After enough of the slab is removed to enable the required plumbing modifications, the remaining slab would be side doweled and new concrete poured to cover everything up.
These changes aren't critical, the issues they solve are enabling a curb-less shower (lowering the slab grade in the shower area) and the installation of a bathtub (sanitary and supply lines in completely wrong location). Point is, if breaking concrete around PEX tubing is a highly risky and ill-advised operation, I won't do it. Conversely, if this is often performed and the risk is low, then I'd like to give my wife the master bath she wants.
I hope this question abides by the rules. I'm not asking HOW to do this, but rather if you pros do it and what your thoughts are on it. If you want to offer tips or techniques, I'll gladly pass them along to my plumber.
Thanks for reading,
Steve
First post, I read the rules and I think I'm OK to post my question. I hope.
I'm building a house and my builder has pretty much taken the money and abandoned me. I'm trying to complete the project and there are some issues in the master bathroom that require breaking up the slab concrete to relocate sanitary and water supply lines. The slab has PEX radiant heating lines within it. I'm working with a local plumber and he hadn't ever done this and was unsure how advisable it was. I also asked the HVAC contractor that installed the radiant heating and he hadn't done it, but said "I suppose it's doable" - not exactly confidence inspiring!
I can locate the tubes in the slab using my Flir infrared camera.
The plan that is being floated around is to use a rotohammer to surgically break up the concrete and avoid the tubes as much as possible. After enough of the slab is removed to enable the required plumbing modifications, the remaining slab would be side doweled and new concrete poured to cover everything up.
These changes aren't critical, the issues they solve are enabling a curb-less shower (lowering the slab grade in the shower area) and the installation of a bathtub (sanitary and supply lines in completely wrong location). Point is, if breaking concrete around PEX tubing is a highly risky and ill-advised operation, I won't do it. Conversely, if this is often performed and the risk is low, then I'd like to give my wife the master bath she wants.
I hope this question abides by the rules. I'm not asking HOW to do this, but rather if you pros do it and what your thoughts are on it. If you want to offer tips or techniques, I'll gladly pass them along to my plumber.
Thanks for reading,
Steve
source https://hvac-talk.com/vbb/threads/2240474-Breaking-slab-concrete-with-radiant-heating-PEX-lines-acceptable-or-terrible-idea?goto=newpost
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