Passenger car freeze ups

[blue_streak_1]

This winter has shown the inability of passenger cars especially Horizon and Amfleet cars to avoid water line and other freeze ups.

someone who knows the plumbing routing of these cars can elaborate.

Does anyone know if the use of PEX ( cross linked HDPE [ high density polyethylene] ) plumbing tubing been considered? This tubing is very resistant to freezing breaks as it will expand and then return to its original shape when thawing. ( connectors are not as fortunate but separating them allows for freeze expansion in sections of PEX ). Working with PEX does not take as many connections as it will bend without kinking 90 degrees about 8 times its outside diameter. and comes in lengths as long as 500 ft. Further it can be easily replaced if it is installed inside a dry pipe conduit.

It would appear that if these lines were in steel conduit and the conduit was warmed by a car’s HVAC then almost no freeze ups would occur whenever the HVAC is operational.

Normal household sizes only go to 1" however larger sizes are probably available for waste plumbing ?

After working with Cast iron, Iron pipe ( steel ), PVC, & copper have found PEX faster for both repair and new installations.

Here is a link about PEX

http://www.pexinfo.com/

[NorthWest]

IIRC, Amtrak was outfitting the Amfleet and Horizon cars with heated insulation over the pipes. Anyone have any more information?

[South_Texas]

The codes I am familiar with don’t allow any kind of plastic to be used for sanitary waste because sewer gases can attack the material over time.

[oltmannd]

This winter has shown the inability of passenger cars especially Horizon and Amfleet cars to avoid water line and other freeze ups.

someone who knows the plumbing routing of these cars can elaborate.

Does anyone know if the use of PEX ( cross linked HDPE [ high density polyethylene] ) plumbing tubing been considered? This tubing is very resistant to freezing breaks as it will expand and then return to its original shape when thawing. ( connectors are not as fortunate but separating them allows for freeze expansion in sections of PEX ). Working with PEX does not take as many connections as it will bend without kinking 90 degrees about 8 times its outside diameter. and comes in lengths as long as 500 ft. Further it can be easily replaced if it is installed inside a dry pipe conduit.

It would appear that if these lines were in steel conduit and the conduit was warmed by a car’s HVAC then almost no freeze ups would occur whenever the HVAC is operational.

Normal household sizes only go to 1" however larger sizes are probably available for waste plumbing ?

After working with Cast iron, Iron pipe ( steel ), PVC, & copper have found PEX faster for both repair and new installations.

Here is a link about PEX

http://www.pexinfo.com/

It’s pretty much the standard for potable water lines on RVs. You can bust it up pretty well if it freezes, though.

[blue_streak_1]

Don if you were thinking of PB ( polybutylene ) that is a piece of junk. The cross linked PEX is much better. All plastics are not equal.

Heat tape. even in home installations has not proved very reliable. Cannot imagine what the shaking, rattling, and rolling would do /?

[oltmannd]

Don if you were thinking of PB ( polybutylene ) that is a piece of junk. The cross linked PEX is much better. All plastics are not equal.

Heat tape. even in home installations has not proved very reliable. Cannot imagine what the shaking, rattling, and rolling would do /?

I’m pretty sure it’s PEX. PB is the junk they used to put in homes - would crack from chlorine… PEX is translucent tubing - usually installed with metal crimp fittings?