Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: kc on October 24, 2012, 08:47:20 PM

Title: basic underground pex question
Post by: kc on October 24, 2012, 08:47:20 PM
Trying to get my head around my first OWB install and today laid out my pad, wood shed, and the insulated pex path to the house.   60' through the driveway and my wife's cobblestone walkway and on to the back corner of the house.   I live in northern KY so I am shooting for a 2' deep trench.   But my question is entry into the house.   Is it best to stay underground when coming into the house with the insulated pex lines or do most enter above ground?   The obvious thought is breaching the foundation below ground could cause a foundation leak but staying underground would preserve the ground's insulation.  What do you guys think?

kc
Title: Re: basic underground pex question
Post by: jerkash on October 25, 2012, 04:05:27 AM
stay underground - It was a little more digging but in the end it was worth it!!
Title: Re: basic underground pex question
Post by: Bull on October 25, 2012, 05:38:58 AM
If you don't have a drain tile ran with your pex you will most likely have ground water follow the pex into your basement or crawl space if you go through the wall.
Title: Re: basic underground pex question
Post by: phonetech430 on October 25, 2012, 06:15:04 AM
If you have guttering on your house I think you will be fine. Patch all of your penetrations with hydraulic cement you will be fine. Good luck.
Title: Re: basic underground pex question
Post by: Michael on October 25, 2012, 02:02:18 PM
When I get a lot of rain my water table is high and the ground water will follow the pex tile into the crawspace. I dug under the footings  on a three block crawspace. I also used some sand around the tile which helps the water to travel. I also have other water issues in so I am used to it.
Title: Re: basic underground pex question
Post by: kc on October 25, 2012, 08:30:06 PM
I think I am leaning toward staying underground mainly because I think it will be more straight forward to just come straight in with the pex instead of coming up out of the ground plus in my case I am bringing my lines in to my attached garage foundation.   If ground water follows the lines in it will be on the concrete garage floor which isn't nearly as bad as in a basement or crawl space in my book.   Plus I am sure it will be better insulated in the ground...

kc