cold water PEX condensing when watering?

[minnesotahusker]

I've got PEX running through the ceiling in my lower level and the mrs noticed that there were water drips on the floor, this of course is due to the PEX condensing with the cold water. My question is, when we finish the basement we plan on insulating the whole thing and I'm wondering if it will stop for the most part or will it be a mold issue in the future with the tube condensing against the insulation/dripping on the sheetrock?

[jentz]

Double insulate it now, with that black pipe insulation,then a wrap.Watch it close till your satisfied no condensation is forming.Then when your ready to finish the area you'll know you will be safe.

[amateurfishing]

I have pex all over my basement and never a leak, are you sure it is actual condensation or an actual leak that is possibly starting at a connection?

[minnesotahusker]

It's just condensing throughout the whole tube. We're on a well so the water coming out is a bit cold and it's condensing after 30 minutes or so.

I guess I'm wondering if this will stop or if I'm going to have an issue with it in the future once the ceiling is insulated and finished. OR maybe I should just put in a sprinkler system to rid myself of any future issues????

[randerson]

I just installed a 3/4" pex line to a watering spigot and i was a bit concerned of this as well I ran my water for over a hour on sunday and didn't notice any of this either but it was on a city water line

[schmoe147]

Yes pex waterlines will sweat, you don't see much of a issue besides outside spigot lines as they tend to run for long Periods of time. Insulate the line and do a good job with the seam being up and you will be fine.

[Genofish]

not to hijack the thread but did you run the PEX threw the floor joists or attatch with brackets?

[CAMAN]

not to hijack the thread but did you run the PEX threw the floor joists or attatch with brackets?

If you ever plan or think someone in the future may finish the ceiling with drywall then definitely run through the joists. It's about the same amount of work either way, maybe even easier not having to fiddle with the brackets.

Just be sure to drill the holes in the middle 1/3rd of the joists.

[Down Deep]

What is happening is that warm humid air of the house is surrounding the cold water line and condensing. The only way to stop that is to keep the air away from the pipe with insulation.

[minnesotahusker]

The PEX was run through the trusses and held on with brackets where needed. I did wrap the pipe where accessible with pipe insulation and that has stopped the dripping. We do plan on insulating the ceiling and sheetrocking it, so I wanted to make sure the problem was fixed before we do all of that.

[Genofish]

That will be me project soon, a few questions. You run 3/4" correct?

and blue or red hose, does it matter?

Thanks

[minnesotahusker]

I'm not a plumber by any means but have gotten advice from my neighbor who is, anything you have going to its' final destination needed to come off from 3/4". That was downsized to 1/2" but it needed to come from 3/4". The plumbers that did my house didn't use blue or red hose, they just taped each end with blue or red tape from they roughed the lines in so they knew what tube was for what terminal.

[WWW]

If its condensing water this time of year is there a lot of humidity in the home? This would seem to be more of a summer time issues when homes get humid. Water lines will do this if a faucet is running for a long time. Toilet leaks are very knows to cause sweating pipes.

Insulating it should take care of it. Like the idea of doing it now to make sure you didnt miss any spots. It will cause you staining and mold issues if not done right. See many a basement floor with a green line across it from the years of the water main sweating on it.

Make sure and do the hot to hold the heat in that line. Insulated hot water lines i hear is coming out in the new code.

Forget the red and blue pipes. They look like heck. Just run white. If you like colors put up a painting. Do not over size your hot water pipe or you will be waiting for hot water at the fixture.

[minnesotahusker]

WWW, this was an issue at the end of July when I was running the sprinkler for awhile. Since wrapping the pipes in pipe insulation, the problem has been taken care of. Not sure why this topic got revived this time of year but sometimes when you see a thread about something, it triggers your mind and you realize you had an issue with the same thing.