PEX & PPSU Piping
The absolute apex of radiant heating and potable water dynamics. IFAN cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) paired with aerospace-grade PPSU fittings creates an indestructible, hyper-flexible nervous system for modern buildings.
The
PEX Standard.
Every component is engineered to outlast industry benchmarks. Manufactured from 100% virgin-grade raw materials under rigorous ISO 9001 standards.
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Signature Component
30+ Years
Manufacturing Excellence
100% Quality
Rigorous ISO 9001 Testing
50-Year
Lifespan Guarantee
Global Scale
Exporting to 120+ Countries
Hyper-Flexible Thermal Dominance.
Our manufacturing process ensures every component exceeds international pressure, thermal, and chemical resistance standards.
100% Virgin Raw Materials
Zero recycled impurities. Every batch uses globally-verified, premium-grade polymers and alloys with full traceability.
Real-Time Factory QA
CNAS-certified lab testing on every production batch. Hydrostatic, thermal, and impact tests before any shipment leaves our facility.
Thermal Memory & Extreme Flexibility
PEX's unique cross-linked molecular structure allows it to expand without shattering during freezes and bend aggressively around structural obstacles without compromising flow rate. Paired with our PPSU fittings, this system is future-proof.
The Core of Radiant Comfort
The premium standard for immersive underfloor heating manifolds, complex potable water manifolds, and retrofitting historical buildings where rigid pipes cannot operate.
PEX
Showcase.
PEX and PE-RT: What IFAN Manufactures
Underfloor heating is unforgiving of supply-chain shortcuts. The pipe is buried in screed, so a joint that weeps is a floor that comes up. And because the pipe and the fitting have to match dimensionally to a fraction of a millimetre, buying them from two suppliers is the single most reliable way to create that problem.
IFAN produces PE-RT, PEX and PEX-AL-PEX floor-heating coils in 16, 20, 25 and 32 mm, together with the press and sliding-sleeve fittings that go with them, from one factory. Mixed-size containers ship with certificates per shipment, so a project can take every circuit size it needs in one delivery with one set of documents.
The plant runs at 120,000 m² in Zhejiang, operating since 1993 under ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, with resin bought from Borealis, Hyosung and LG Chem rather than on the spot market.
PEX-a, PEX-b, PE-RT and PEX-AL-PEX: Choosing the Right One
The suffix on PEX names the cross-linking method, not a quality ranking. PEX-a is cross-linked with peroxide during extrusion and reaches the highest degree of cross-linking, which gives it the thermal memory that expansion-fitting systems depend on. PEX-b is silane cross-linked after extrusion. PEX-c is irradiated. Correctly manufactured, all three meet the same pipe standards.
PE-RT is a different material entirely — a polyethylene of raised temperature resistance that is not cross-linked at all. Because it stays thermoplastic it can be heat-fused, which PEX cannot, and it is easier to coil and uncoil in cold weather. It suits floor heating well but has a lower ceiling on continuous operating temperature than PEX.
PEX-AL-PEX adds an aluminium core between two PEX layers. That core does two jobs: it forms a complete oxygen barrier, and it makes the pipe hold whatever shape it is bent into instead of springing back. On a manifold run with many tight bends, that is the difference between clipping every 300 mm and routing the pipe once by hand.
Why Pipe and Fitting Have to Come From the Same Source
Nominal size is not a guarantee of fit. A 16 mm PEX pipe from two manufacturers can differ in wall thickness and insert diameter within their respective tolerances, and a press fitting sized for one will make a marginal seal on the other. Marginal seals hold at test pressure and fail under thermal cycling months later.
The failure is expensive precisely because it is delayed. By the time a screed-embedded joint weeps, the floor finish is down and the cost of access is many times the cost of the fitting.
IFAN manufactures the pipe and the matching press and sliding-sleeve fittings, so the dimensional pairing is controlled in one place rather than assumed across two purchase orders. If you are already buying pipe elsewhere, buy the fittings from the same maker as the pipe — not from us.
IFAN PEX and PE-RT Specification
Confirmed manufacturing and supply specification. Rows awaiting a verified figure are not published.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Materials produced | PEX, PE-RT, PEX-AL-PEX |
| Floor-heating coil sizes | 16 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 32 mm |
| Matching fittings | Press and sliding-sleeve, dimensionally matched to the pipe |
| Resin suppliers | Borealis, Hyosung, LG ChemBatch documentation available per production run |
| Supply form | Coils; mixed-size containers |
| Documentation | Certificates issued per shipment |
| Manufacturing site | 120,000 m² facility, Zhuji, Zhejiang, ChinaIn operation since 1993; Chinese National High-Tech Enterprise |
| Quality systems | ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 |
| Conformity marking | CE marked; SGS third-party tested |
| In-house testing | CNAS-accredited laboratory |
| Standard lead time | 45 days from order confirmation |
| Channel | B2B wholesale only — no direct-to-consumer sales |
Tell us the fitting system you have standardised on — expansion, press or sliding sleeve — and we will quote the pipe that matches it.
PEX vs PE-RT vs PEX-AL-PEX for Underfloor Heating
IFAN manufactures all three, so this is about which suits the circuit.
| Criterion | IFAN | PE-RT / PEX-AL-PEX |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | PEX: cross-linked polyethylene, single layer | PE-RT: not cross-linked · PEX-AL-PEX: aluminium core between PEX layers |
| Oxygen barrier | PEX: needs an EVOH barrier layer for closed circuits | PE-RT: needs EVOH · PEX-AL-PEX: aluminium core is a full barrier |
| Shape retention | PEX: springs back; needs clipping on bends | PEX-AL-PEX: holds the bend as routed |
| Jointing | PEX: press, crimp or expansion — cannot be heat-fused | PE-RT: can be heat-fused as well as pressed |
| Cold-weather handling | PEX-a: recovers after freeze expansion | PE-RT: stays flexible and easy to uncoil in cold conditions |
Where IFAN PEX and PE-RT Are Specified
Underfloor heating circuits
16–32 mm coils run continuously from the manifold with no buried joints, which is the whole point of coil supply on a screed floor.
Manifold and distribution
Matched to our brass manifolds and isolation valves, so the pipe, the fitting and the manifold body come from one maker with one set of tolerances.
Potable-water plumbing
Tight-radius hot and cold runs where a flexible pipe removes elbows — each elbow avoided is a joint that cannot leak.
Cold-climate installations
PEX-a's thermal memory lets the pipe expand around freezing water and recover, rather than splitting the wall.
Certifications and Testing
Only certifications currently held are listed. Product-specific potable-water approvals are published once confirmed per market.
- ISO 9001:2015
- Quality management system
- ISO 14001:2015
- Environmental management system
- ISO 45001:2018
- Occupational health and safety management
- CE
- European conformity marking
- SGS
- Third-party inspection and testing
- CNAS
- In-house laboratory accreditation
- WRAS
- UK Water Regulations Advisory Scheme — potable water
PEX Sourcing FAQ
The letter names the cross-linking method, not the quality grade. PEX-a is peroxide cross-linked during extrusion and reaches the highest degree of cross-linking with strong thermal memory. PEX-b is silane cross-linked after extrusion. PEX-c is irradiated. All three meet the same pipe standards when correctly made.
PEX-a can be expanded and will return to its original diameter when heated, which is what expansion-fitting systems rely on. It also lets the pipe swell if water freezes inside and recover afterwards, instead of splitting — the main reason PEX-a is specified in cold climates.
IFAN produces PE-RT, PEX and PEX-AL-PEX floor-heating coils in 16, 20, 25 and 32 mm from one factory, supplied in mixed-size containers with certificates per shipment. The matching press and sliding-sleeve fittings come from the same source, so pipe and fitting are dimensionally matched.
PEX-AL-PEX is a multilayer pipe with an aluminium core between two PEX layers. The aluminium gives a full oxygen barrier and lets the pipe hold its shape when bent, so it stays where it is routed. Plain PEX needs clips to hold a bend and needs an EVOH barrier layer for closed heating circuits.
Oxygen diffusing through a bare polymer wall corrodes the steel components in a closed circuit — the boiler heat exchanger, pumps and manifold bodies. A barrier layer, whether aluminium or EVOH, is what keeps that corrosion out of a system that will run for decades.
Yes, where the pipe carries a potable-water approval for your market. The approvals to look for are the ones your inspector recognises — WRAS in the UK, ACS in France, NSF in North America — plus the material certificate showing the compound used.
Expansion fittings suit PEX-a because they exploit its thermal memory: the pipe is expanded, the fitting inserted, and the pipe shrinks back onto it. Crimp and press systems work across PEX types and need no waiting time. Choose the system first, then buy the pipe and fittings that match it.
It is the most common cause of leaking PEX joints. Insert diameters and sleeve tolerances vary between manufacturers even at the same nominal size. IFAN supplies the pipe and the matching press and sliding-sleeve fittings together so the dimensional pairing is guaranteed.
PEX Technical Guides
- PEX Pipe: Complete GuideTypes, sizing and specification
- PEX-a vs PEX-bWhat the cross-linking method actually changes
- Underfloor Heating Pipe GuideChoosing between PE-RT, PEX and PEX-AL-PEX
- Crimp vs Expansion FittingsPicking the jointing system first
- PEX Pipe SizesMetric coil sizes and matched fittings
- PEX Manifold GuideCircuit layout and balancing
- Is PEX Safe for Drinking Water?Approvals to look for by market
- PEX vs CopperWhere each still wins
PEX Products in the IFAN Catalogue
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