Radient floor heat

[capo72]

I'm in the planning stages of building another garage, and i'm dead set on radient floor heat. One question I have is, do you need a water source near by to top off the system from time to time? We have a closed circut water chilling system at work, and it occasionally needs topping off, just wondering if a floor heat unit is the same. I don't know if i'll be able to have water service in the garage, and it's a long run for the garden hose!

[Double Venom]

Capo,
My system was just installed and yes it needs additional water over time. Mine is hooked up to our main water supply with a one-way valve. Meaning it will not letter the floor water feed back to the main. (A really good thing when you have to use anti=freeze in the boiler. It also has a pecial valve that will automatically open when/if the system needs more water.

DV..now 27 degrees outside, my shop floor temp is anywhere from 87 to 99 degrees :)

[casaleenie]

If my shop floor was that warm I'd never get off the creeper until spring :rocker:
Deliver my meals to the garage please :thumbup:

[OI812]

Capo,
My system was just installed and yes it needs additional water over time. Mine is hooked up to our main water supply with a one-way valve. Meaning it will not letter the floor water feed back to the main. (A really good thing when you have to use anti=freeze in the boiler. It also has a pecial valve that will automatically open when/if the system needs more water.

DV..now 27 degrees outside, my shop floor temp is anywhere from 87 to 99 degrees :)


DV is 100% correct. Depending on the system you can top it off with a garden hose. Just remember most of these systems run at low pressure. In a closed system when you heat water you increase the pressure. DV do you have a pressure gauge on your line pressure? If so what is it set at?

My guess on the one way valve is either a check valve or more likely a backflow preventer. My guess is the valve is a Watts 9-D. The automatic fill valve is probably a combination fill/pressure reducing valve. These are just my best guess, DV could probably tell us more about them.

[Double Venom]

01812,
Damnnn your good! That is the terminology my plumber used! Backflow preventer AND a Watts 9D valve.

I just took some pictures. I'll see if I can't get them to load up. One is the face of the boiler, the "3/160" indicates that (3) is in high firing mode, the 160 indicates the boiler temp. - heading to a set timp. of 170. The dial on the right shows the analog temp of the boiler (matching the digital 160), below it shows the actual water pressure coming into the boiler... 15 psi.

Oh, the other blurry photo shows the floor temperature of my office now :) Sorry, I'm new to this camera and doing it one handed in "micro" mode is a little tough ;)

Cass...as of today, I hung up all my creepers! With this slippery finish I have on the floor, I just lie down and slide all over the place!

DV
PS edited for better pictures

[OI812]

The valve on the right with the 1/2" line going to the floor is the watts 9-D (backflow preventor). The valve to the left with the dome top is actually a pressure reducing valve. It takes the pressure from line down to in your case 15 psi. I have seen some boilers set up at 30 psi. I don't do any installs, just know the principles.

If your going to install a system find out what backflow prevention is legal in your area. Some areas require a reduced principal backflow preventor(RPBP). Those cost alot more than a 9-D.

Hope this helps

Like the setup DV, what temp is the water exiting the boiler going to the tubing? I was told the water should not exceed 110 degrees, because it can exploded the concrete. Temp might have been 120, but I know it was some where around there.

[Double Venom]

01812,
Your not going to let me miss a thing! :thumbup:

The boiler temperature is set at 170, just until it brings the water temperature up over the entire floor. Once the floor balances out, then I am to reset the target boiler temperature to 130!

Let me take aim on the in/out temepratures right now...... Both outs are 144
Zone 1 return 79, zone 2 (the shorter 'loop') 94.

It's a 'Weil-McLain' boiler and it has a RPBP valve of some type built in..so they tell me.
DV
PS. only two zones-shop is 40-42--dont let anyone tell you to put in only two zones! Now I've found out three would have been ok, 4 would have been better!

[OI812]

If I could figure out how to work my photoshop program I would list all the compents for everyone to see. That might be a weekend project. Nice looking setup, I like it.

[avsfan733]

anyyone ever used the electrical systems? When i was an electrician we used to install a fair number of those in high end homes...granted your not pouring concrete around it but methinks that if you do a concrete slab and are putting some covering such as tile down they would work. Used to be they went down right before the tile guys would come int, basically a resistance heating coil but a lot longer

[Ken Greene]

to my knowlege the electric systems are floor warmers.... make the tile in the bathroom toasty for the toes. not a good heat sorce for heating a large space such as a garage. but i may be mistaken.... i installed radiant heat in my home last fall, it keeps the first floor nice and toasty. but its maxium heat output for 1000' feat of tubing was 32000 BTUH. thats alot of heat for an electric grid to produce and not make the meter spin off like a top.

[Double Venom]

I went into thermal shock when I read 'afsvan' post :) Do they make electric meters that big? :evil:

[avsfan733]

I went into thermal shock when I read 'afsvan' post :) Do they make electric meters that big? :evil:

More than one of the houses that we wired had TWO electric meters your talking about houses with two main panels of circuits packed full and usually a third subpanel hidden somewhere else. We did a 8 bedroom 6.5 bath house (actually three half baths, one on the main floor and two (mens and womens) in the basement next to the dancefloor and the bar! i only wish i could afford to like have a house the size of his bar room....

[Double Venom]

avsfan.
Wouldn't it be nice just to be able to pay the electic bill every month for that? And not think twice about it!

Wish you were here, I'd have you check my 'main' on my shop. The garage is unattached, garage main is buried, runs about 20' to the house. Comes up to the disconnect on the house and then wired / hooked up to the bottom (pre-meter) on the same two lugs. All of it is in conduit but running two 'feeds' to the one set of lugs is pretty tight. Just not sure there isn't a better way? Did I do a bad thing?

Ken sent me a great picture of DV II- This is it. I promise :lol2:

DV

[avsfan733]

lol the deal I have with my fionace that when we build our house there will be a seperate meter for the garage...we have a deal that we are gonna continue to live in the tiny ass place we have until we both graduate and can afford to build a house the right way, only do it once...i get up to 35% of whatever sqft the house ends up being to do a garge (meaning 35% in addition to the house)...the tradeoff is she gets free reign on interior decorating we shall see what happens in the future