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[hrc200x]

Hope to install a OWB next spring. Here is the general layout of the house. The whole house has a crawl space except the boiler/furnace room off the north end of house which is on a slab.

Lines from the OWB will be 1" pex in Insul-seal pipe. Do you suggest running the pex all the way to the water heater in the crawl space or should I convert over to 1" copper a foot or two inside the block wall. The water heater is on the main living floor so I will need to come through the floor probably in the corner by it. Are unions a good idea on the 1" line for future water heater replacment, if so brass or copper unions?

Anyone familiar with the push style connectors for pex that menards carries? http://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/rough-plumbing/pipe-tubing-fittings/fittings/quick-connect-fittings/1-cts-quick-connect-female-adapter/p-1713741-c-12709.htm If I go with copper down the length of the hallway I'm going to need two of these types of fittings to connect the two lines from the OWB.

[juddspaintballs]

There is no reason to immediately convert to copper once you punch through the cinder block.  PEX is cheaper, rated for the task, and a continuous run with no joints to ever break or leak.  Whatever pipe you use in the crawl space, I'd suggest insulating it's entire length while inside of the crawl space. 

If the water heater and boiler system in the house are all you ever plan on using the wood boiler to heat, then I'd do a similar setup like you show except I'd heat your house first and the water heater contents second (don't forget a HX on the water heater).  That way if your boiler, or pipe size, or pump size is under sized for your heat load on a particularly cold day, your house heats first and domestic water second.  You can keep the water heater turned on and it will cycle and heat the tank contents if the boiler water can't. 

[slimjim]

You are already off on the wrong foot in my opinion so I'll let those who don't use Logstor reply to this one.

[hrc200x]

Dealer for Logstor? This is the first I've heard of the stuff.  What does it cost per foot?

[cantoo]

slim, do you know something about insul seal or just because it's not what you use? I used Logstor and it's what I would use if the situation made it necessary however not all circumstances require it.

[slimjim]

I simply like to use a product that I trust on my installs, it has a perfect track record with me, I promote what I believe in, I recieved a PM today asking pricing in the midwest, I responded by saying that I don't ship it so I certainly am not after the sale, I only sell locally!

[hrc200x]

What does it sell for per foot locally? The insul seal pipe if i recall has 2 inches all the way around the pipe of closed cell foam, the other drain tile styles appear to have the Pex 1/2" to 1" away from the outside. insul looks time consuming to hook it all up, but I'm hoping for better R value, plus you should be able to pull your pex through if for some reason a pipe was cut to short, leeking, or need to move boiler. Still havn't determined if going through the wall with the insul seal pipe or end that at the block and only come through with the PEX.

[cantoo]

Isn't the insul seal pipe foamed in place? I don't think you can pull the lines out, each pipe is glued together. At least the pictures I seen online.

[hrc200x]

http://www.insulseal.com/installation.html foam comes on it with a plastic over it. If you had to run new Pex through the lines you could attach the new pex to the old and pull, should thread right through. They make insulated 45 degree elbows too.

[Woodboiler]

I am with slim on this one.  I was a dealer for Wood Doctor and ALL of my installs were done with Logstor.  If the customer wanted to save money by buying a cheaper or inferior product, I would not do the install.  I have seen too may failures in the field with home built 3 wrap and similar brands as Insul-seal fail.  I would not want all those joints in my system especially in the ground.

[cantoo]

Hmm, not sure what I was thinking. I thought each one was a separate line and the water ran thru the PVC. I would think this would be as good as foaming lines on the ground. But I spend a lot of money on insurance so if water is even a small concern I would go with logstor again.

[hoardac]

I will second the rave reviews of logstor just installed a run this fall and it is awesome. It is rugged as hell, very little heat loss and true one inch inside diameter.