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[mlappin]

Another member trapped in post approval limbo:



Insulated PEX question

I'm going to be picking up my boiler this weekend and I'm slowly collection parts for the DIY install. One big piece remains to be purchased and that's the insulated PEX. I've read all the posts on the the good/bad/ugly options. I plan on putting the boiler 120ft from the house and going foam in trench, next year.  However, for this winter it will only be around 30ft from the house since it's too late in the year to do the spray foam and I don't want to buy 120ft of pupe I won't use after 1 year. So I will be buying the shorter lenght of insulated line to run on top of the ground for this winter, and then when the boiler moves, I will be using that line in my shop, still above ground which is right next to where the boiler will go.

Are any of the 5-wrap options OK for above ground use? By "OK" I mean will they insulate good and not lose a ton of heat. I'll pay the $13 a foot for the good stuff if it's the only choice, but if I can do something cheaper since it will be above ground, I would like too.

Thoughts??

[mlappin]

Not sure about wrapped products, Z-supply makes probably the best wrapped double walled product.

Badger also makes a wrapped product that is probably cheaper, I believe Nature’s Comfort also manufactures their own wrapped product.

If your going cheap as possible then above ground might be the best place for them, less chance of water infiltration.

Not sure about the foam in trench either, seems to be all the rage over at Hearth.com. But again I’ve posted over there before making this my home and I’ll I got for my trouble was mostly snide remarks.

I installed Logstor, wasn’t cheap, but neither was heating the ground. I had one corner that had to be left exposed for the first winter as the ground had to resettle before I could repair a drain tile for the foundation and gutters. I’ve seen ice on the Logstor, seen snow on it as well, the only time it melted if the temps got above the freezing or if the sun reached it.

I was brought home to this house from the hospital after I was born, that was many many moons ago, in a winter that it never freezes and just snows then rains, this ground turns to soup and is water logged until the middle of summer, not sure I’d want to rely on sprayed on foam wrapped in visqueen to keep the water out.

[Uponthehill]

As I was told and it sold me on the Logstor, "It will be the cheapest pipe you will ever buy !"  Stay warm...