Low budget 30x48 build

[PWC Repair]

Got this nice stainless table from a restaurant that was doing a bit if remodeling.....for FREE!
Its heavy duty.

 

[PWC Repair]

Ok guys, finally moving stuff into the shop. Mounted up my drill press and big vise, started putting a workbench to official duty. Tomorrow is suppose to be warm, my wife is going to haul stuff out of my 12x18 and pile it into the shop for me.

 

[PWC Repair]

I have finally gathered the parts I needed to hook up the floor heat. Most stuff I traded for or had given to me. Bought all the copper and fittings new. Here is a circulating pump that was given to me. A crusty mess that still worked. And after a full teardown sandblasting and paint.

 

[PWC Repair]

I'm also hanging up a fan coil for forced hot air. Traded out a couple winterizations for the blower, a 6ft leftover piece of 3/4" copper, a 24v transformer, and 3 contactors. The coil was given to me as a working leaker. I found the hole, soldered it up, and pressure tested it.

 

[PWC Repair]

And here is a bunch of the parts I bought new and started fitting everything together. Nothing soldered yet, just laying it out.

 

[nsula_country]

Impressive. Following the heat project.

CT

 

[PWC Repair]

Traded the huge blower out for a smaller one and modified an old air handler cabinet for my needs today. Whole thing took me about 4 hours. I just need another piece of unistrut and some steel angle and I can hang it and plumb it!

 

[PWC Repair]

I got some thinner Unistrut, maybe 3/4, and made some huge L brackets last night to hang my fan coil. I thought maybe if I could somehow reinforce the unistrut it would hold. My solution was 6x6x3/8 angle iron. Cut about 1 1/4" wide it slides right inside the unistrut snugly. Then I sort of plug welded it to stay put. Don't laugh at the welds....it's the best my old 115v flux wire mig can muster up . Finished up gave me two L brackets 24x20". Then grabbed the whole fan coil, about 80 pounds, and climbed up the ladder and heaved it up there last night. Then added a safety chain just in case lol!

 

[nsula_country]

Coming along!

CT

 

[PWC Repair]

I decided to move the fan coil a bit. Then Over these last 2 evenings I finished fitting everything and got over half the soldering done.

 

[nsula_country]

Coming along nicely!

Is the forced air coil in addition to in slab radiant?

CT

 

[PWC Repair]

Yes, I've placed valves so I can run one or the other. The fan coil has it's own pump.

 

[HotWire]

Re: Low budget 30x48 steel webbed truss build

I just read the whole thing. I love it. Great use of used materials. I’ve been trying to keep costs down on my shop as well. I’m excited to see the final result!


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[PWC Repair]

Thanks guys. Most everything I own or do is proof you CAN have champagne taste on a beer budget.

 

[PWC Repair]

OK, started pressure testing the hydronic system. Overall there are 2 gasketed flange joints, 27 pipe thread connections, and 74 solder joints in this little system. I had 2 small leaks in solder joints and they were both in final assembly joints I made on the wall, on the backsides. I say that's pretty good. The system is holding at 15psi I hope until tomorrow. If it can do that I'll bump the pressure up and try again.

 

[PWC Repair]

So..........I bumped up the pressure an found another tiny leak at a threaded fitting at the return manifold (see pic). I took it apart and redid it 3 times before it sealed!!! I guess maybe there was a burr in the threads or something. It's now sitting til tomorrow pressureized again. Also wired up my controls.

Getting close now!

 

[PWC Repair]

This morning my pressure was down by 1.5psi. I mixed some car wash soap into my soapy bubble sprayer and went over every joint again.......nothing!! Well...???? So I went off and got my hoses hooked up and got ready to fill and purge the floor tubing anyway. When I came back several minutes later the leak had presented itself. It looked like foam by one of the leaky joints I thought I already fixed. I mean it just had the tiniest micro bubbles popping out. Just reflowed the solder and all seemed good. I went ahead and filled up the whole system and pressureized a bit as I ran the pumps. The air seemed to work out very easily and both pump systems seem to be running quietly. Sitting right now completely full at 8psi. If all is well tomorrow I will turn on the water heater and try running some heat!!!

 

[PWC Repair]

Ok, i can finally run heat!! The slab is too cold for the electric water heater to heat without just running constantly. I might try to gradually heat it up in 10 minute intervals throughout the day while I'm out there working or something. Today I kept the shop at 58* all day with the little hot water fan coil. It blows 85* air and was running about 7minutes, then off for anywhere between 7 minutes and 20 minutes. I also realized the fan coil can blow through 3 of those 7 minute cycles before the water heater brings on an element. Not much of temp difference on supply and return to the fan coil. Right at 10 degrees. I might try slowing that circuit down a bit, that should also heat up that air blowing out of it some more. It hasn't been very cold though. We'll see how it does Teusday with a high temp around frrezing.

 

[nsula_country]

Progress!

Throttling the discharge (return) valve should net results.

CT

 

[PWC Repair]

Well, it's been 34-36 degrees all day today. Kept the shop at 55* all day just to see how much it runs. I was putting a couple solenoids in a transmission and changing fluid and filter so I was in there anyway. Didn't really seem to be any different. Kicked on and off all day just fine. I may try bumping it up to 60* to see how it holds. Been keeping an eye on my power meter every day for comparison. I tried my thermostat on "slow" cycle rate too. It stays off for much longer but then runs much longer and kicks on the water heater every cycle. I think I prefer the fast cycle rate to hold a steady temp.

 

[PWC Repair]

So.....I've been running just the hot water fan coil. I keep it 55* when I'm in there working and it kicks down automatically to 50* at night. It's effectively about 16,000 btu heating a 30x48x12 shop!! It is VERY efficient and only costs me about $2 a day unless it stays like 25* or lower for a full 24 hours. Then it get's up to $3 or $3.50 a day. I made a vid for Youtube about my setup.

 

[jtsboss]

This setup is rad man. I have that beer budget also. Hows it been holding up? Any new updates?

 

[PWC Repair]

New updates!!
I've been playing with it a lot this winter just to see how far I can push it.
If it's above 40* outside I can run the slab heat at 65* and the shop stays 60*. And it only kicks on about once every 2 hours. It's hooked to a Tekmar T-stat with a floor sensor.
If it's 32-39* The slab will run a lot and the 40gal electric WH has trouble keeping up at 65*. BUT, it will still work fine if I bump the slab down to about 61*.
If it's less than 32* outside, especially in the teens, I can only run the slab to 58* and the WH keeping up is borderline. BUT, in my area we don't stay below freezing long. Normally a few hours or one night at a time, and the shop will still be 50* inside.
So, lately what I've been doing is leaving the slab at 58* and when I go down there to work it's 52-54* in the shop. Then I open the ball valves to the fan coil and kick it on....up to 60*. It will bring the air temp up to 60* in 1-2 hours. And I can work in a long sleeve shirt. It is working fine and I enjoy having a heated shop. I firmly believe that with an extra 40 gallon unit in series, OR an 80 gallon commercial unit which kicks on both elements, I can run this system at 65* in ANY kind of weather. The extra capacity would allow circulation with warmer return temps on the water thus allowing a lot longer runtime and shorter recovery. I also strongly believe anybody with basically no budget could cobble a fan coil setup together with a WH and blow warm air into a small garage for mere pennies. I would set up another shop this same way without even thinking about it. If a person had natural gas available you would have twice the BTU available and half the recovery time on the same 40gal size.

 

[jtsboss]

Very cool. Thanks for the update. I like to hear about whats happening now with things. Glad its working good for you. My system is still not setup and Im still burning a torpedo heater running on diesel in my 40x40. I hate the noise and smell and keep telling myself i need to get the floor running.
On a side note did you sweat those pipes on the wall? When ever I do I burn the **** out of the wall LOL.

 

[PWC Repair]

I tried to plan ahead. Fit and mark rotation with a sharpie. A couple joints I had to sweat on the wall and I tried to block flame with a piece of sheetmetal. Mine has about 30% green auto antifreeze in it. Stop procrastinating and hook it up!! You will wonder why it took you so long.

 

[bdymnjm]

Love it! Great idea with the fan and coil. Maybe I can up the on demand or just go for a 40 gallon. I wanted to minimize the volume of antifreeze but to add the quick heat is a good trade off over a hanging electric heater.

Jim

 

[PWC Repair]

The leaves are falling.......slab temp is consistent at 71* but I'll be turning my system on soon!

 

[aShop]

Nice shop. Do you ride on Bull Shoals?
Here is my 701.

 

[PWC Repair]

Sometimes. We usually ride Norfork. Looks like pretty healthy Superjet!

 

[aShop]

Sometimes. We usually ride Norfork. Looks like pretty healthy Superjet!

It is, but it is carting around a lot of wet foam right now. The exhaust coupler blew up and coated the motor and all in burned klotz. I will get it fixed eventually.

 

[54worker]

PWC Repair, l know its been a while since you have installed the polyiso insulation. How is it holding up so far? Any issue with condensation between the metal walls/ceiling and foam? I am getting ready to build a red iron style shop that is 34 x 50 x 16 and using polyiso insulation, I was wondering if you had any tips or suggestions? Is there anything that you would have done different?

Great build by the way.

 

[PWC Repair]

Since I left air gaps between the metal and the insulation there are a few times a year, when the weather is just right, that the inside condensates and drips through the insulation. It would be from 8-10 o'clock when the temp really raises quick after a cold night. Also, you can't hear yourself think during a rain storm. If I do it again I will buy the diy spray foam kit and spray the whole roof with a 1/4-1/2" layer. That would deaden sound AND stop the condensation a few times a year. Also, while the shop is still empty, get a white or light grey paint sprayed over all of it.