Is PEX Tubing Safe To Be Used For A Compressed Air Supply Line?
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Leslie asks, “You say not to use PVC pipe for air lines. But what about the newer PEX hose? It is rated for 180 lbs.”
PEX tubing is fairly new tubing that came on the market about 15 years ago in the US home market. It was developed in the 1960s. However, PEX tubing has been used in European countries for years for their water supply lines.
PEX tubing is a cross-linked polyethylene plastic. PEX is not designed to be exposed to direct sun light. The ultraviolet light will break down the tubing. There are a few brands of PEX that are shielded so that they can be used outside and exposed to sun light. You will need to check with the manufacturer to find out if it is UV rated.
Most of the PEX available is designed for use in plumbing in delivering hot and cold water. Now the tubing has a wide range of pressure rating, some as high as 180 PSI.
I would not recommend using plumbing PEX for compressed air lines. Even if you can find the 180 PSI rated tubing, you are still using it outside of what it was designed and rated for.
However, there is a product called Duratec airline composite pipe that is especially designed for compressed air lines.
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