Friend recommended Wirsbo (of course that is what they sell).  He indicated theirs is very flexible and easier to work with.  I am not yet sure on the quality side but I do know I want a quality product.  I can only imagine if China crap is floating around, how that might work out in 10 yrs..  Probably all made in China though. 

Also, another builder friend indicated he would not touch radiant heating because he has seen leaks and thinks it is inefficient.  He was unable to substantiate anything but I am kind of wondering if he was around some older, inferior installs with no slab insulation or joints in the tubing in the floor. 


I should mention that I am not asking about the "specs" or Oxy barrier, but rather the manufacturers to look for and stay away from.  I understand the cross linking of the PE is done 3 different ways and some manufacturers so list how theirs is made.  Of course that does not really tell you if they did it right our their quality is in check. 

Uponor(same as Wirsbro), Rehau, Watts Radiant and Heat-Link are all very good products. Proper installation is the key to longevity. Pressure testing and being present during the pour will eliminate 90% of the problems.

Actually there is a lot of PEX not made in china. Mr. Pex is a swedish pipe (to add to the list), and several of acwizard's options are not chinese as well. We are using more PE-RT in many applications as well which is very flexible and easy to work with.

Obviously leaking or inefficient systems were not done very well. that's an issue that varies with installation method and knowledge base of the involved parties. someone who knows what they are doing needs to be guiding the design/install.