Menards floor heat components

[iagsxr]

Got my geothermal quote for my shop addition, can't afford it. End of story.

Back to DIY floor heat; Went to Menards and looked at their pre-made panels and boilers. If you're in a hurry, like I am, doesn't look like a bad route assuming the components aren't junk. I'm leery of all Menards house brands.

Anyone had any first-hand experience?

 

[allinon72]

What are the brands? Menards brands are typically decent.

 

[iagsxr]

Nibco makes the panels.

Hydro Smart or Quietside boilers.

 

[tgb]

the tube and fittings will be ok, not supply house quality but ok. The boiler is probably a piece of junk you will never find parts for or someone who will work on it for you if it breaks.

 

[sands35]

http://www.hydro-smartwholesale.com/

The best prices I've found for the panel, heater and manifold. All the other parts I got at Menards. The only thing that I paid for (aside the parts) was to do the gas line.

From what I can tell, Takagi and Hydro-smart (Menards house brand?) are the same.

 

[iagsxr]

What I've found searching the internet the last couple days is that the early Quietside boilers were for sure junk, but seems like most of those posts are older. I'm spooked now, this is going to be for my business once we get in there we can't be fighting with the heating system.

Are there any DIY-geared places that sell like Weil McClain?

 

[tdkkart]

Most of the Menards components were name brand stuff last I looked, may have changed that??

 

[Hogger]

Check out Munchkin and Watts products

 

[IHI]

I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars with menards over the years for customer jobs...all I will say is there are only certain things I buy from that store, and only if they are name brand components I can get cheaper than a supply house...other than that, the place is the harbor freight/wal mart of home centers, they know people are some cheap mofo's and don't give two chits about quality, and they've filled that niche wonderfully. So take that for what it's worth, do your research, and if your spidey senses tell you no- LISTEN.

The only people that can afford to be cheap are rich people, they can afford to do things twice.

 

[ishiboo]

I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars with menards over the years for customer jobs...all I will say is there are only certain things I buy from that store, and only if they are name brand components I can get cheaper than a supply house...other than that, the place is the harbor freight/wal mart of home centers, they know people are some cheap mofo's and don't give two chits about quality, and they've filled that niche wonderfully. So take that for what it's worth, do your research, and if your spidey senses tell you no- LISTEN.

The only people that can afford to be cheap are rich people, they can afford to do things twice.

+1. I love Menards, but it's important to understand its limitations.

For things like screws, lumber in most (but not all) applications, plumbing stuff, electrical stuff, etc... it's hard to beat them. I buy almost all my Bosch there at clearance prices. Avoid the Tool Shop for most items, MasterForce is decent to great stuff (Allen/etc. sockets/ratchets/etc., Pratt-Read screwdrivers, Stabila levels!) Lowes stopped carrying Knipex and Menards slightly expanded their limited selection.

For cabinets, boilers, plumbing fixtures, etc... it's all low-end. Not the worst, but usually it's worth investing a bit more.

 

[IHI]

+1. I love Menards, but it's important to understand its limitations.

For things like screws, lumber in most (but not all) applications, plumbing stuff, electrical stuff, etc... it's hard to beat them. I buy almost all my Bosch there at clearance prices. Avoid the Tool Shop for most items, MasterForce is decent to great stuff (Allen/etc. sockets/ratchets/etc., Pratt-Read screwdrivers, Stabila levels!) Lowes stopped carrying Knipex and Menards slightly expanded their limited selection.

For cabinets, boilers, plumbing fixtures, etc... it's all low-end. Not the worst, but usually it's worth investing a bit more.

Put those mastercrap doors high on the list of products to run away from as fast as u can too. I wouldn't sell them even if it meant losing a job

 

[anthony666]

if you open the cover on a quietside boiler you'll see most of the ancillary components are not made of metal .. i have fixed a lot of broken plastic parts on them

 

[cwlo]

For Weil McClain, Peerless, and other boilers, check out www.pexsupply.com

Their pricing on just about everything should beat Menards.

You might even consider a used boiler, as many people are tearing out the old cast iron ones, and installing high efficiency. High efficiency is great until a part breaks, then the savings are not so great.

Chris

 

[Rich H.]

Pretty much my whole little setup is from menards including the
pre-fabricated panel and hydro shark boiler.

The panel had all the same components I would have bought anyway, only already set up and ready to bolt to the wall.

It works well for me, I love it.

At the time I could not beat the prices, they were having a big sale. The boiler alone is now about 200 higher than what I paid for it.

 

[finn]

My house has a Menard's sourced system. I began accumulating the components ~10 years ago and finally finished the system last year when we moved here more or less full time last year.

The Quietside boiler has been flawless so far. If I can get another 7-10 years out of it I'll be satisfied. For the price I paid, I don't expect 50 years (nor will I need a 50 year boiler)

The current panels look a little nicer than the one I have, but mine seems to work fine.