Locating PEX in floor

[nate379]

Is there any easy way to locate PEX lines running in the floor?

I'd imagine an thermal imaging camera would do it, but without spending $5000 on one, is there anything else?

 

[69charged]

my buddy used a laser thermometer. the kind you buy at home depot. watched for the temp rise as he scrolled over the floor in the area he wanted to drill into.
clarence

 

[Garys Garage]

Wet the floor down and turn it on. You will find it.

 

[Cabby89]

Bit higher cost than a laser thermometer but Milwaukee Tools has a cordless detection tool that says it works for finding PEX. $350 though.


http://www.milwaukeetool.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=2290-21&CategoryName=Detection+Tools

 

[nate379]

I see that scanner will scan for rebar, but I think my slab has wire mesh and I have no idea how it's tied into that, if it is even.

Water on the floor will just make the floor wet. I know what your thinking, but it doesn't work that way. Where the pex runs and the surrounding slab doesn't have that much of a temp difference where you could see it with water.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Water on the floor will just make the floor wet. I know what your thinking, but it doesn't work that way.

It works exactly that way on my driveway, though I haven't tried it on the garage floor. The water on the driveway evaporates first above the PEX.

Mark

 

[nate379]

I do know the direction the pex runs because when I put the epoxy down on one section the heat was on and it showed then, but the heat wasn't one when I did the rest of the floor.

I need to run some Tapcons into the slab for a wall and I have no idea if the pex is in that area or not.