# pex balloon



## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

Never seen this happen before and no idea why it did


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

bct p&h said:


> Never seen this happen before and no idea why it did


I've got 2 words for you...

Heat & Pressure


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

In a part of the city I work in, the water company accidentally sent a buttload of pressure into their system. I got a few calls for water heaters and leaks today from it. Mostly busted up cpvc. 

I can see this happening with a lot of heat and pressure.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Seen it on when well pressure switch after the illegal check valve stuck closed.. sch 80 pvc above the submuriable pump melt and swelled.. yes the pump got hot and water above the pump was turning into steam...


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## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

This was on the return heat loop. Even if it was at 180 there had to be less than 30psi in it.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

bct p&h said:


> This was on the return heat loop. Even if it was at 180 there had to be less than 30psi in it.


Could there have been an external heat source?


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## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

Nothing else is in the bay except a 2" pvc drain line. It was in an outside wall with who knows how old glycol in it. I'm wondering if the glycol may have weakened the pex and may have frozen because the glycol was so old it lost its antifreeze capabilities.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

That's not damage caused by freezing...

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy06osti/39664.pdf


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## dannyoung85 (Oct 8, 2013)

I showed this picture to my local uponor rep and he swears up and down that if that balloon would be heated up with a heat gun, it would shrink back down to normal size. I think he may be stretching "salesman mode" a little too far!


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

dannyoung85 said:


> I showed this picture to my local uponor rep and he swears up and down that if that balloon would be heated up with a heat gun, it would shrink back down to normal size. I think he may be stretching "salesman mode" a little too far!


Get that in writing lol


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## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

Redwood said:


> That's not damage caused by freezing...
> 
> http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy06osti/39664.pdf


I'm just thinking out loud here. There is nothing in the wall that could have caused it. The only variables here are the glycol and it being on am outside wall that it could have froze.


There is no way that is going back to normal with a little heat. The balloon section is paper thin and brittle. There is also a small slit in it. Not sure if that happened before or after it swelled like that.


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## Audidriver19 (Jul 27, 2013)

I have seen something like this before as well. Although it was alumapex and it had not stretched nearly as bad. Pretty crazy..


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