# SolaRoll



## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

Anyone in the upstate NY area (or anywhere but stuff was manufactured in NY) seen or repaired this crap before? I need to remake a header.. My plan is 1/4 od tubing brazed into a 1" copper pipe Then slide the EDPM rubber runs over the copper and clamp them.. Sounds crude but has to be better than what is there.. 

View attachment 33213


View attachment 33214


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

Note that the first pic is upside down..

Sorry.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Is it leaking? The rubber tubing looks brittle although it's difficult to tell in the picture.


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

Yes two runs are leaking right at the connection to the header. Here is how I found it when I walked in (Pic 1. Access panel opened like the hood on a car) and then once I lifted the access panel all the way it started to leak worse. The wires are new so that panel has been off recently. Which is likely what created the leak.

This stuff is brittle but not unworkable. The pic that you can read the brand on is a different header that is not leaking on the 2nd floor. But you can see how a couple of the loops were tied together or bypassed because they leaked out in the loop somewhere. Since they are short loops ( -100' ) the house probably heats okay with out them. 

Also note this is a new account and I haven't seen or worked on this type of tubing before.

The way they connect to the copper is with a 1" piece of plastic straw (reinforcement sleeve) and just pressed in to the holes in the copper.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

In my opinion, it all needs to be re-done. Use the uponor {PEX} that is rated for hot water. I don't know if PEX is rated for near-boiling water or not, but that garbage has to all be replaced.


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## Plumbworker (Oct 23, 2008)

what the heck is that..? some type of funky infloor radiant?


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> In my opinion, it all needs to be re-done. Use the uponor {PEX} that is rated for hot water. I don't know if PEX is rated for near-boiling water or not, but that garbage has to all be replaced.



Yeah it does and it's only a matter of time.. Home owner knows it too.
However since this is in an accessible location if I can get paid to fix it for now I'm going to. It'll get me back there time and time again until it gets replaced. I'll be the first one they call when the time comes. At least that's my perspective.

Each feed from the boiler is on a mixing valve to each header so that tubing doesn't see hotter water than about 115*


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

Plumbworker said:


> what the heck is that..? some type of funky infloor radiant?


Yeah it is a system from the 80's

The tubes are 3/16 and made of a rubber material. 

This whole house is funky. It is post and beam then concrete on the subfloor with tile on that. The house was not built (at all) for the added concrete. All the beams are split and popped it's actually kinda scary when you look around..


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## pianoplumber (Apr 19, 2014)

Don't do a damn thing for this ****! This was a failed experiment. It will leak faster than you can fix it. Tell the home owner this is garbage, give up on it , and think of an alternative. Seriously, whatever you think you "fix", you will be called a year later to fix 2 inches past. eventually,...


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

Again this is before.. For anyone that was interested...











Here are the two headers that we made (helper and I ) 





















And mission accomplished


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## Catlin987987 (Nov 12, 2010)

Kinda of looks like watts onix
http://www.wattsradiant.com/products/onix/


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## mrjasontgreek (May 21, 2014)

Just came across this stuff for the first time today. Heard them talking about it in the office and I remembered reading about it here. They separated it from the boiler with a plate exchanger, because the stuff was letting air in and rotting out boilers up here. Now the plate exchanger is plugged and they can't get any heat. Only one leak so far, and it was because they over pressurized it. It's still a ticking time bomb


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