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1

Plumbing / Re: insulating pex

« on: November 03, 2012, 09:22:34 AM »

TRZ,

I have a hawken 2100 that been in operation for 6 years.  I have also had this boiler heating 2 houses (first house 4 years, 2nd 2 years) 

House #1 homebuilt underground lines, DHW, large 3k sqft old farm house.  I used 8-10 cords or wood with alot of variables (not-so-seasoned wood, heating DHW year round, underground lines etc.)  Overall I was OK with the amount of wood I used.

House #2.  2k sqft, not heating DHW, thermopex (70' run).  Last year I didn't touch a drop more than 4 cords.  This house seems to be well insulated although im heating the finished basement, with 3 walkout doors.

  I am also located in MI, Marshall area.

2

Plumbing / Best place to put pump ?

« on: April 13, 2009, 06:30:24 PM »

What's the best place that everyone has found to put their circ. pump ?

I have a hawken 2100, and i'm going to slowly buy parts and pieces and hook it up this summer.  I have read that some folks are putting their circ. pumps in their basement, where others are putting them on the back of their OWB. We all know we will have to change the pump eventually, i would like to stay dry, and most of all warm while changing the pump.

My boiler sits higher than the entrance point of my basement and is 120 feet away, is it ok to put the pump in the basement ?
I was thinking of using a Taco 0011 pump, anybody have a different opinion ??

Thanks
12vdzl

3

Plumbing / Re: what did you use for the feeder line

« on: April 12, 2009, 07:07:58 PM »

7" Sch. 80 pipe has a wall thickness of .500 inches, and will take a tememdous amount of weight.  The glue joint, on the other hand, is another story.  It will be the weakest link in the chain, you might say.  I would be sure to make the ditch as narrow as possible where vehicles are going to cross over.  With the pex insde a corrigated pipe before it goes inside the 7", it should be OK, but a little extra insurance would be comforting.

You say it is a gravel drive?  You might think about digging down and forming a 6" concrete "slab" below grade level, and spanning 18" - 24" on each side of the ditch, to support any excessive weight that is passing over.  Be sure it is wider than the widest vehicle to pass over.  Not a big expense for the piece of mind it will bring.  None of us want to do these twice.

I'm going all the way across my driveway, approx.  25 to 30 feet.  I'm hoping i'll be ok burrying the pipe the way i mentioned above, 5 feet deep, with sand all the way around.  The ditch will be 2 feet wide.  The amount of weight on a daily basis is about 8k (my truck) being the heaviest.  But if i have the trailer hooked and park it for the night or something, it could max out around 16K with a tripple axle trailer.

thanks for your response.   

4

Plumbing / Re: what did you use for the feeder line

« on: April 12, 2009, 12:33:55 AM »

pipe in the ground..i can think of no such thing as overkill!

my next underground lines will be pipe such as logstor...inside another tile with a drainage tile installed under that
plan to keep it dry and away from the dirt. my belief is if the insulated water pipes are inside another tile (sealed at both ends) that a layer of dead air between the insulated water pipes and the earth are much better

and a drainage tile below that will ensure they stay dry

Thank you 

5

Plumbing / Re: what did you use for the feeder line

« on: April 11, 2009, 07:59:37 PM »

I'm a residential contractor, and use the 100ft. - 500 ft. rolls of black 4" and 6" often. I have never had a problem with it cracking or leaking, but I use it for drainage, so I don't really have a way of checking it for leaks.  It is very tough though.    As for PVC, it is only as good as it's glue joints.  If you are using PVC in 10 or 20 ft. sections, you will need a really straight ditch.    With the price of Schedule 40 in 4" or 6", a person would be better off paying the price for the Thermopex. 

I used 1" oxygen barrier pex, with closed cell foam sleeves slid on from the end, not slit.  (I had to spray the pipe with silicone spray to get them on)  I then wrapped it in 3 wraps of HVAC foil backed bubble wrap.   I slid it inside a 6"  black corrigated pipe.  I can't imagine trying to get it inside a 4" pipe, especially if you have to go through a 45* or a 90*.   If I do get a leak, neither of these forms of insulation will absorb water, so there will be little chance of heat loss due to wet insulation.  As an added measure, I filled the ditch with sand around and to the top of the pipe for further protection, and cut 2" thick high density foam similiar to "Tuff-R" and laid on the sand before the dirt went in.  I feel very confident about my pipe installation.

I may have more money in mine than if I had purchased the prepared pipe, but I see posted often that heat loss equals firewood.  I plan on installing the pipe only once,,,,,,,,,,, firewood is every year. 

This is VERY similar to way i'm going to do mine also.  But 1 question.  I have to lay my pipe under my GRAVEL driveway, and will frequently get run over with ALOT  of weight.  I'm planning on running my pipe 5 feet in the ground with my pex/corrugated pipe running through 7 " schd 80 pvc pipe.  Under the pvc pipe with be around 1 foot of sand and around a foot of sand on top.   

Is my thinking way overkill??  I'd like to hear any and all suggestions and input.

Thank you
Curtis