Shop Talk

Grandson's pickup looks great. How about some of that Camo metal paneling you had a picture of, that would also make great covering for under side of the stairs.

Cheap way to add storage space, use what is called an "Attic Truss". These trusses are a little more expensive, but the entire center of the truss is open allowing for a "room". Cheap storage for small items. A steeper roof would give more room, shed snow better, and provide a stronger building. For poles, use a laminated pole, much stronger than a solid 6x6, straighter, and the only area that is treated is in the ground. Makea a nicer looking building, easier to work with, and no worries about nails rusting in treated wood. Foam insulation, no rodent worries, plenty of lighting inside and out, ceiling fans for heat and air movement in summer, big doors, etc. You only get one shot at this, do it the best that you can.

Yea, we all talked a lot about what kind of insulation to put in "our" shop.  Sometimes the pocketbook has the last word.  We did get the in floor heat though!

Chris,

I do really like the idea of the camo covering for under the stairs, but wonder if that will make the room seem small and difficult to light? Maybe your stealthy electrician already though of this and added another lighting outlet without anyone knowing he was there ;) that's a fine looking truck he's got, and I'd wager he and the family are going to appreciate the nicer ride and reduced front end rebuild times ;)

Looking good. Can't imagine it would not work. The tricky part is getting all the air purged on the initial fill.

That old boy is one heck of a plumber !

Not sure if they make pex and fittings any larger than 5/8 or 3/4 that is listed for a radiant heat system. The supply and return from the manifolds must be larger than the runs to maintain volume if both circuits are running.
All of the components and fittings add up to a lot weight and that needs a lot of support. The copper tubing simplifies that. It’s a much cleaner looking installation this way. In some codes pex cannot connect directly to a heat source. Also, I just noticed I’m not seeing an expansion tank. Am I not seeing it, did he forget, or is this system not needing one?

Looks better'n what I've seen on This Old House...

I see that fitting might be what they have in mind. As far as the tee, I don't have a good answer. Perhaps some type of mixing so as not to thermally shock the boiler with the cooler return water. The distance is to be minimum 4X the diameter of the piping. I did not do that with my setup some 8 years ago. However, I am currently putting one together for a friend of mine and it was provided with a one piece brass valve/double tee. The install directions do not explain the need. Assumes installer putting it together knows what they're doing.
Ok so I dug in a little deeper. It is called a bypass loop and yes this mixes supply and return water. Can raise return temps to avoid thermal shock to the boiler and reduce condensation in the flue which is corrosive to the boiler and flue piping. Also noted can increase energy efficiency. It's an over simplified answer as boiler and system design can be quite complex.

Edited by plummerscarin - 10 Mar 2021 at 9:15pm

Folks,

Edited by Sugarmaker - 11 Mar 2021 at 6:12am

Chris-
I completely missed the T he had in place for the expansion tank. You sure have some skilled folks in your area. Everything is looking beautiful! Hopefully it's just cool enough to utilize the boiler this weekend, not not so cold that sap quites flowing!

47 Gallons?! Holy smokes!

Plummers-
Thank you for the simplified explanation, makes perfect sense :)

I do the same with mine. I have a 50/50 mix of boiler approved antifreeze if I decided not to run it. Straight water is fine in dwellings as the owner will have the heat on for the season and will be there in the event the system shuts down. But PH should be monitored to prevent problems per manufacturer.

Ahhh, you got combi boiler for hot water too. Good call. Yes they get busy but I think they’re worth it. Looks good.

Are you going to use antifreeze in the radiant in-floor heat ?

Edited by WF owner - 12 Mar 2021 at 7:05pm