Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Heatmor => Topic started by: tinfoilhat2020 on July 29, 2015, 07:46:00 AM

Title: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: tinfoilhat2020 on July 29, 2015, 07:46:00 AM
Hey guys,

first off thank for all your advice thus far, it has been greatly appreciated. I have just purchased a new 400. It should be there within a week or two. I do have a question regarding the plumbing hook ups in the back...i see that it looks to be only 1 supply and return port, but they look to be about 1-1/2 ports to me....I am going to have 2 pumps hooked up(larger pump for house and smaller pump for shop). What is the best way to hook up the two pumps???? Brass??? Black Pipe??? Copper??? i have considered them all and figured i would seek advice from owners whom may have experience on set-ups that have worked well for them.

Any advice, pics or suggestions would be helpful!!!

Thanks again!!
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: mlappin on July 29, 2015, 07:47:45 AM
I’d hate to price out brass pipe fittings in that size.

Galvanized would work nicely, as long as you keep your water treated black pipe would work and is cheaper yet.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: RSI on July 29, 2015, 09:42:06 PM
I would check the manual. I have seen other brands with 409SS that required the first fitting on the boiler to be brass.

You should not use copper.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: mlappin on July 29, 2015, 11:16:53 PM
I would check the manual. I have seen other brands with 409SS that required the first fitting on the boiler to be brass.

You should not use copper.

Really? First one brass then whatever after that? A brass 1 1/2” tee would have to make ones nether regions pucker up.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: tinfoilhat2020 on July 30, 2015, 07:44:54 AM
yes the manual syas that the fitting into the stove has to be brass....i priced out gong all brass and also going brass to copper....its about the same. I guess if i want it done right the first tim going to have to just spend the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ LOL
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: slimjim on July 30, 2015, 12:04:53 PM
Do you mean like this manifold we started the other day
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: mlappin on July 30, 2015, 02:32:15 PM
Um dude, your plywood is upside down, better start over.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: RSI on July 30, 2015, 03:16:00 PM
I would check the manual. I have seen other brands with 409SS that required the first fitting on the boiler to be brass.

You should not use copper.

Really? First one brass then whatever after that? A brass 1 1/2” tee would have to make ones nether regions pucker up.
You can get 1-1/2" brass tees from ebay for around $12.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: slimjim on July 30, 2015, 03:20:42 PM
Oh Dan! We've got a problem!
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: mlappin on July 30, 2015, 07:59:42 PM
I would check the manual. I have seen other brands with 409SS that required the first fitting on the boiler to be brass.

You should not use copper.

Really? First one brass then whatever after that? A brass 1 1/2” tee would have to make ones nether regions pucker up.
You can get 1-1/2" brass tees from ebay for around $12.

Really? How good are they? Local hardware store carries brass fittings made in the gold ole USA, very salty to say the least.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: RSI on July 30, 2015, 10:48:32 PM
I have no idea how good they are.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: LittleJohn on July 31, 2015, 01:37:52 PM
Do you mean like this manifold we started the other day

Who cares about copper, look at all the $$$ in pumps you have hanging on the wall  :o.  I heat 4000sf of inslab and only have 1 pump, so by my count you have a WICKED huge house, or are doing SNOWMELT  ;D
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: slimjim on July 31, 2015, 06:17:44 PM
No snowmelt and only about 2800 feet but the customer is young, this is his fifth and personal home, he wants total control of his heating, master bedroom at  maybe 55 and master bath at 70 and all with radiant Ultra Fin
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: mlappin on August 01, 2015, 07:55:48 AM
No snowmelt and only about 2800 feet but the customer is young, this is his fifth and personal home, he wants total control of his heating, master bedroom at  maybe 55 and master bath at 70 and all with radiant Ultra Fin

 :post:

That was my first guess with the lack of a tempering valve(s) in the picture.

Large ranch style house I take it?
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: slimjim on August 02, 2015, 05:31:46 AM
Actually it's a cape with additions on both ends with a daylight basement on one end, both new ends have radiant in slab, I still need to add one more mixing valve, we will be back on site toward the end of this week.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: mlappin on August 02, 2015, 11:23:05 AM
I keep thinking about radiant, maybe a few rooms at a time, would love it upstairs but keep coming back to almost needing a separate pressurized system to get the water upstairs. Suppose that wouldn’t be horribly complicated, a flat plate, a small reservoir and a expansion tank.
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: LittleJohn on August 03, 2015, 06:38:04 AM
I keep thinking about radiant, maybe a few rooms at a time, would love it upstairs but keep coming back to almost needing a separate pressurized system to get the water upstairs. Suppose that wouldn’t be horribly complicated, a flat plate, a small reservoir and a expansion tank.
...you forgot about the pump :P  ::), there might be bit of controls work to do but nothing too complicated
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: heat550 on August 19, 2015, 03:04:25 AM
Hey guys,

first off thank for all your advice thus far, it has been greatly appreciated. I have just purchased a new 400. It should be there within a week or two. I do have a question regarding the plumbing hook ups in the back...i see that it looks to be only 1 supply and return port, but they look to be about 1-1/2 ports to me....I am going to have 2 pumps hooked up(larger pump for house and smaller pump for shop). What is the best way to hook up the two pumps???? Brass??? Black Pipe??? Copper??? i have considered them all and figured i would seek advice from owners whom may have experience on set-ups that have worked well for them.

Any advice, pics or suggestions would be helpful!!!


Thanks again!!

Heres something to think about . I redid my plumbing 3 years ago was installed for 16 years. I had mix steel and brass copper. anything that was steel I could not get it apart including all pump fittings . all the brass not a problem .  So if your thinking long haul use brass . Yes it will cost but dealing with rusted together joints a night mirror . also on another note brass joints never leaked. any leaks I had were some of my sweated fittings I had to redo 3 way zone valves . any tips on sweating copper to brass Im all ears :) I have 3 zones on my stove I put all pumps in the buildings at the lowest point .  chasing air out was easy that way .
it all bubbled back to stove . I think everyone does it different. I did put air releases at highest point in each zone but never had to use them .  This is just the way I did it . purging lines 5 min.  Mine worked for 19 years and went throw 2 taco pumps  one I didn't have it turned right . other was defective .  So this just my findings . There is just lot ways to do it depending on different installations . shut off valves on both ends outside runs also is how I did it . my thinking was for adding and working on any problems . You dont need to deal with all the water in lines back feeding when your draining system to work on it .

Heat550
Title: Re: NEW HEATMOR 400 plumbing question
Post by: slimjim on August 19, 2015, 03:23:38 AM
You did very well to get that life span out of it, another thing that bugs me about black iron is that when you are done plumbing and do the pressure test, if it leaks someplace, it's always in the worst possible place to fix it, never next to a union! With copper and brass, as long as you put the drains where they should be, it's as simple as draining it down and re sweating the joint!
 That  manifold is now done, pressurized to 28 pounds, the only leak we had was at a brass union that needed a bigger wrench.