Initial questions about Uponor system

[Skip_Johnson]

Hi everyone, just bought into the Uponor system this week and hoping someone can help clarify a few questions.

Quick context; I needed to rearrange some rad lines for a kitchen overhaul but I was working with all 1" steel. I didn't want to use 3/4 hydronic because of the reduction in internal diameter. The 1" Zurn options that I used to use seem to no longer be available so the only option I could come up with was uponor.

Questions:
-can you take a heat gun and warm up a fitting to back it off without having to cut anything?

-how do you assemble a fitting in a tight space? The Milwaukee 12 volt tool I bought is fairly sizable and doesn't fit in areas where vertical lines have to turn horizontal (wall to ceiling turns). Do you have to pre-flare and then jam it through framing holes and then attach fittings?

- can a heat gun be applied to tubing to help make curves and better avoid crimping?

 

[breplum]

Check out the youtube videos showing heat gun to remove kinks in PEX.
Yes, if you are talking about carefully cutting a ring off and then using a heat gun to loosen the tubing to change a fitting, it can be done but it wouldn't give me the highest degree of confidence, even though the 'memory' feature of PEX is very well accepted.
No heating of tubing to avoid kinks. To make tight bends you use the Uponor bend supports, but they only go up to 3/4" A5250500 - Uponor (Wirsbo) A5250500 - 1/2" Plastic Bend Support


You need to allow enough slack to assemble. It is a matter of planning and having space.
PEX is not good in tight spaces.

 

[fixitron]

If I need to remove a fitting, I have just carefully cut through the ring and tubing enough to remove the tubing from the fitting. Then I cut back the tubing to a clean end. If I happen to have enough slack, I can re-do with a different fitting. Otherwise, if I have enough tubing to cut back more, I add a coupling and a new piece of tubing. Occasionally there are other fittings too close by that would make that method difficult. This does NOT work with plastic PEX fittings. I have encountered an occasional defective plastic fitting so I now primarily use brass fittings.
Besides being the only system that does not reduce the size of the piping, it is the only method that does not require getting a tool at the fitting to secure the tubing. As long as you are methodical and quick, I have had no problem expanding the tubing/ring with the Milwaukee tool and then quickly pushing it up behind that sink or whatever to get it on the fitting.
A heat gun might work but have you ever tried that with PVC or plastic water pipe and heated it a little too far?