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[RSI]

Anyway, if it is really losing 8 degrees round trip (which would mean the boiler would cycle about 2-3 times per hour with no load in the house) I would disconnect both ends and see if it is loose enough to pull the pipe and insulation out. If it moves easy enough, pull it out and if dry, get some good replacement and pull through. Good wrap pipe will only drop about 1/2 degree at 10gpm.

[slimjim]

I guess so but it sure seems easier AND more accurate to test the lines themselves by installing accurate gauges on the supply and return at the boiler.

[mlappin]

I picked these up from WWGrainger, was pretty close to where I’m doing physical therapy anyway so no shipping. I believe you can get something very similar from Pexsupply but in a 1/2” NPT. I needed the 1/4” for something else temporarily.


https://www.grainger.com/product/MILJOCO-Bimetal-Thermom-5RND7

[RSI]

I have just seen way too many people over the years trying to test the pipe with some being over 40 degrees off from actual temperature.
If you are off by 1 degree or 1 gpm the results are not that great and if you are off by 3 or 4 on either they are completely worthless.

I built a tester for measuring BTU loss that is very accurate but requires disconnecting both ends of the pipe and it is too heavy to ship. I may try building a small version some day. It

[tinfoilhat2020]

if i put a temp gauge on the pipes coming out of the boiler.....it is within 1 degree....my boiler is set to shut down at 182.....the temp gauge coming out of the boiler will read 181-182 most of the time( even as high as 185 about 2 min after boiler shuts down...the water temp always seems to increase a few degrees...which is normal). Now, i have taken the same temp gauge and put it on the pipe as soon as it comes into the house (b4 it hits any exchangers, and it wil read 177-178 maxx...once in a while it will hit 180 a few minutes after the boiler shuts down and the boiler is reading 184-185. Pump size is right and i have my delta at 12° when a full load is on the house (water coming in will be 178 and water going out will be 162-164 when everything on the house loop is calling for heat).

When i installed the used boiler i got last year (a timberwolf 500) there was a small drip at the pump flange that i didnt notice (must have started after i did my checks). The water was dripping right into the drain tile of the underground pex....i noticed water coming through the drain tile into my house one day and i freaked out....i thought my lines were leaking underground....upon further inspection i found it to be a drip at the pump flange. I re sealed and re threaded everything and i only have to add a few gallons back into the boiler (say those gallons i lost went right down into the drain tile). I watched it for the next few days and the problem fixed itself,, but needless to say all that insualted (wrapped) pex got drenched with a few gallons of water at the start of last year. I spoke with an HVACC friend and he assured me that the heat off the lines should dry up any water/moisture that was still in the pipes over the upcoming heating season (this was at the begininng of last season). Well, all winter i noticed the same temp drops in the lines....they were exactly the same temp losses with a different boiler last year and i am experiencing this year. I guess i was just hoping that running all last year would have dried the underground lines out enough and was hoping upoon a prayer that i wasnt going to have those temp losses this year with the new set-up...WELL, I WAS WRONG!!! and now i feel like such a dumb ass.....it would have only cost me about $900 to run all new logstor this summer before i layed the pad and the new heatmor....what a moronic move not too!!!!!!

[tinfoilhat2020]

sorry i hope that made some sense....

[tinfoilhat2020]

thanks guys for all your help....i know i NEED to replace the lines....thats the correct fix, but man i dont want too....having to bend and burry logstor when its chilly and the piping is stiff is just no damn fun at all....im also concerned about running up through the concrete....i really dont want to crack the new pad i just put down

[mlappin]

thanks guys for all your help....i know i NEED to replace the lines....thats the correct fix, but man i dont want too....having to bend and burry logstor when its chilly and the piping is stiff is just no damn fun at all....im also concerned about running up through the concrete....i really dont want to crack the new pad i just put down

I’ll agree with that, I did my Logstor last fall, waited till the warmest day of the week was forecasted and got everything ready to go. Using a cheap 1” ratchet strap to make the radius coming out of the ground made life a lot easier, that and paying a younger brawny kid with a good back was well worth it.

I see Zsupply has a new double walled underground line out, I’d make sure a person used the endcap at least at the stove just for that reason, a leak or what not will always have water going where it can cause the most damage whether it be at the back of your stove or in a house.

[tinfoilhat2020]

yeah i inquried about that new z supply pipe...its looks nice and seems more flexible....I also only have about 12-18 inches to burry the lines this time.....i just ran electrical about 24inch down in the same path that i have to run the boiler lines

My old lines were 4ft

[tinfoilhat2020]

what depth is recommended for Logstor???

[slimjim]

18 inches if you are driving over it

[heat550]

what depth is recommended for Logstor???

I will post pictures when im done . But you don't need  put new pipes under stove just run them into the side of the stove . take a bit of dissemble but I have to do this my 3rd zone came from wrong direction.  What Im going to do is disassemble the whole back corner
to get stove set right and cut hole in the side . I have insul seal coming in the side of the stove . logstor would be a smaller hole . This is if you need to replace lines .  theres a line between function and beauty gets blurred function always rules   Will post pictures when Im done .    Im a insul seal underground line believer. Harder to install yes . but It takes a tractor to straighten out the logstor also . That stuff is something else . insul seal installed right you can change out the lines if theirs any issues and dont need to dig anything up. also in the future and another option bigger lines upgrade is easyer also .  I always default to most options. just my 2 cents .

heat550

[tinfoilhat2020]

thanks guys!! heat i would love to see pics!

[jeffery]

Hi when I put in my boiler I put the lines down no deeper then about 20'' to keep it out of any ground water.I am not sure though of my heat loss.I used that same cheap 3 wrap pipe did not think it was so cheap at the time. I don't think it would be that hard to dig close to your pad, finishing the digging by hand. You may have chance to see what he used for the underground line my of used plain old romex??

[Sloppy_Snood]

thanks guys for all your help....i know i NEED to replace the lines....thats the correct fix, but man i dont want too....having to bend and burry logstor when its chilly and the piping is stiff is just no damn fun at all....im also concerned about running up through the concrete....i really dont want to crack the new pad i just put down

Why not trench around your pad a couple feet and snake the new piping right up to the back of it? 

When you are ready to backfill, use plywood to create forms under any edges of the concrete and just fill in with a couple bags of Quickcrete.  You could even dowel small pieces of rebar into the existing pad in order to secure into the new concrete you pour in your makeshift forms.  This would eliminate the pad from cracking from uncompacted backfill and settling.