Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT Quonset Hut Garage Build
- Thread starter dwysywd
- Start date
Workspaces between 705 and 1200 squarefeet.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I'm getting dizzy............. 
txvwnut
Well-known member
I thought you were pouring concrete on the floor. 
sean Buick 76
Well-known member
That looks really good!
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
There we go, thanks for doing that.
MacTexas
Well-known member
Did you save the Trump 16 that was under the stove?
dreamingmuscle
Well-known member
Ok my son an I are putting one of these up. I have one question so far. Why did you inset the the front wall vs flushing it up with the edge of the metal like in the rear of the building?
Thanks Glen
Thanks Glen
Great question Glen. 2 reasons.
1) the inset is on the east facing wall and I wanted a small lip to shelter some west weather we get. Not much. When it's blowing it blows here. But that was the initial thought.
2) more importantly, I have considered from day 1 I might want to expand the barn further east 10-20-30' and didn't want to have to contend with the wall being so tight against the mounting holes. If I extend the barn I have no plans to remove the wall. It will stay insulated and heated while the additional front, if I were to build, would just be covered.
Hope that helps.
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So. Ordered my taco switch, taco pump, pressure relief bleeder valve, 2 gal pressure tank, and my propane tankless water heater. I am working on it this weekend. Plans to get it up and running. Buddy of mine does heat and cooling suggested I add buffer tank between the floor and tankless. I've heard of this but haven't seen it in practice. Thoughts? Isn't that what my mixing valve does?
HOTFR8
Banned
The seats and table is simply awesome.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
LOL. Thanks. So I purchased them for my "theater" area to watch movies. What I found was that a power reclining leather couch with a center console was way more comfortable for movie watching. So my wife was needling me to get rid of them. I moved to the barn and one day shortly after concrete, my buddy and I dreamed this up. I've been really happy with it. Serves a great function takes up space but so do any table and chairs. More to come on expanding the seating on this but heated floors are high priority..."winter is coming."
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MacTexas
Well-known member
Could your post pictures of your power reclining leather couch. Always interested in something comfortable.
HOTFR8
Banned
The best part is the wheels. You can move them out of the way or to the best location to relax.
Love the steel Quonset design. I had a close encounter with several Miracle Span buildings this side of the pond 30 years ago and was always impressed with the ease of building and the relative cheapness and longevity of them. It wasn't uncommon for one man and his dog to put up a small one.
If I'd had the land at the time, I'd definitely have put one up.
For insulation, spray foam was usually the way to go.
If I'd had the land at the time, I'd definitely have put one up.
For insulation, spray foam was usually the way to go.
Finallygotit said:
So my hvac guy said the same thing, get a tank with approx the same volume my floor holds and use that as my insulated buffer. So at .92 gal per linear 100foot, 800 linear feet of 1/2" pex oxygen barrier hose, is 7.4 gal in the floor. So a 10 gal tank heater for the buffer will work plenty well and I need about 18 gal of mix for the project then. He said any tank will work because it won't really trip the electric or gas heater on it because the inbound temp is too high but it will smooth out the consistency of the outflow and help keep the temp from being too hot and then too cold as the instant heater box kicks on and off.
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Well. I was SUPPOSED to start my heated floor install this weekend BUT on about 1/3 of my items shipped on time. So I should have them all this week. As for the storage tank I've come to realize that my floor might just be the best storage tank. I've read a few more things and can't see why I need to have a water heater storage tank when really that's what the floor does...store heat in the concrete.
Meanwhile, while I wait for all my parts to arrive, I decided to add some r-38 to the peak and some reflective alum sheeting to help with some Insullation. So I cut the bats in half, stuffed them under the pipe and then sealed the aluminum sheet to my aluminum sheeted panels. To total r-value isn't high but it does a nice job reflecting the heat back down. Plus I added a fan from the ceiling to help move the warm air around.
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Meanwhile, while I wait for all my parts to arrive, I decided to add some r-38 to the peak and some reflective alum sheeting to help with some Insullation. So I cut the bats in half, stuffed them under the pipe and then sealed the aluminum sheet to my aluminum sheeted panels. To total r-value isn't high but it does a nice job reflecting the heat back down. Plus I added a fan from the ceiling to help move the warm air around.
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Ok, all the parts are in... I think, LOL... Just in time for me to head out of town again. I love it when a plan comes together, and in this case ordering everything in advance so id have it for last weekend was foiled by late shipping. But, I have it all. So the puzzle begins. I have an engineering mind melter (hahaha, he's gonna laugh when he reads that) who I've asked for some help with the details of making sure my project is mapped out correctly. I will post a picture of my plans. I drew them out. But they are on the phone and not the iPad. So in the next day or two I will put them here.
The only item here that's not in the final build is the pressure reducing valve which is still in the white box. I returned that when I realized I'm not on city water so I do not need that item.
Items:
Mares 10g instant hot water heater LP
Rheem 20g water heater 110v
Pressure tank 2gal
Taco pump and controller
(2) thermometers
(2) inline pressure relief valves
Digital thermostat not pictured
Thermostat line already in tube in floor
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Items:
Mares 10g instant hot water heater LP
Rheem 20g water heater 110v
Pressure tank 2gal
Taco pump and controller
(2) thermometers
(2) inline pressure relief valves
Digital thermostat not pictured
Thermostat line already in tube in floor
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I've been in Georgia visiting my wife's sister. Part of the fun down here is the junk hunt. It's really something I do everywhere I go. But I know the good spots here in SE TN and NW GA. So anyhow a day or three I spend hitting the spots, avoiding the tourist trap antique stores and I get on my best junk hunt. So I snagged this beauty for $20. Fun stuff. Always wanted a barber chair for the hut. My buddy has one in his garage that belonged to his dad before he died. So it bring back good memories.
Shout out to Ret. US Marine Sgt "Clem" who sold me the chair and a few ABU pieces for my national guard uniform. The cold weather hoodie and spare cover will come in handy at winter drill in MIchigan! Hoorah.
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Shout out to Ret. US Marine Sgt "Clem" who sold me the chair and a few ABU pieces for my national guard uniform. The cold weather hoodie and spare cover will come in handy at winter drill in MIchigan! Hoorah.
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jon72vega
Well-known member
dwysywd,
I just went thru your entire thread.
I always thought quonset huts were cool!
Good job on your build!
I am subscribing so I can keep up with your updates.
I just went thru your entire thread.
I always thought quonset huts were cool!
Good job on your build!
I am subscribing so I can keep up with your updates.
Well had to rearrange a few pieces. Decided to move my expansion tank to the larger board. And the put my thermometers in line going both directions. Finally added a male and female plug to the end of my pipe so I have somewhere to eventually plumb in my hydro solar project. That's a separate thread. First gotta get this running.
Oh and "installed" this little fan today. I use the word lightly because all I did was take it out of the box and set it on the wood stove. It does a really nice job. It was a Christmas gift and one of my favorite this year.
Here are the latest. Only thing left on the check list:
> vent the water heater. I had a 4" hole saw bald but it's dull and will not cut the hardened steel the hut is made out of.
> plumb the propane. I have the line already ran from my (2) 450 gal house pigs, all 3' underground.
> wire my pump, controller and thermostat
> pump my 50/50 antifreeze/water mix into the floor and tank
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Oh and "installed" this little fan today. I use the word lightly because all I did was take it out of the box and set it on the wood stove. It does a really nice job. It was a Christmas gift and one of my favorite this year.
Here are the latest. Only thing left on the check list:
> vent the water heater. I had a 4" hole saw bald but it's dull and will not cut the hardened steel the hut is made out of.
> plumb the propane. I have the line already ran from my (2) 450 gal house pigs, all 3' underground.
> wire my pump, controller and thermostat
> pump my 50/50 antifreeze/water mix into the floor and tank
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Bug, not sure. I like your story better! There is a ton of military surplus that comes through this place.
dwysywd,
I just went thru your entire thread.
I always thought quonset huts were cool!
Good job on your build!
I am subscribing so I can keep up with your updates.
Jon, thanks! Your attention to getting it done and not letting details slow you down in your shed inspired me to stop fretting about little details and get the big picture done so I can use it. I can always change it down the road. I was sitting there thinking if he can wait to paint and do his floor and all this in stages then I can too.
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jbmatth
Well-known member
Can you give some more info on that fan? The floor heating looks to be taking shape, congrats and looking forward to it.
JB
JB
After an interesting battle with the pump, I was able to get all my 50/50 antifreeze mix in the floor and tank and all the air out.
The battle: it was so cold today that when I spilled water on the floor of the barn, it started to freeze and I had the wood stove roaring. That cold air also made it difficult to work the air compressor powered pump my neighbor loaned me. The air was freezing the pump. It took about an hour and half, but I got all 28 gal into my system. And was able to purge the air. Locked and loaded with no bubbles. Now I just have to wire the taco pump and controller then I can fire the water heater.
The fan is awesome. It doesn't plug into anything. It collects heat, and turns it into enough power to turn the fan on. When the fireplace gets cold, it shuts itself off.
Here is the one I have: https://shop.familyfarmandhome.com/products/fan-heat-powered-original-100cfm-14495.html
FAN HEAT POWERED ORIGINAL 100CFM
For use on freestanding wood stoves with a surface temperature between 230?F - 650?F (110?C - 345?C). The Ecofan Original is an economical way to move air throughout your living space. Creating its own electricity and pushing up to 100 CFM (cubic feet per minute) this fan is ideal for those living off the grid or looking to increase the efficiency of their stove and use up to 12% less fuel. Whisper quiet and completely assembled, these fans make for a great gift. Two year warranty.
Part Number: 473230
U/M: / EA
$ 74.99
Here is what the Google search turned up. https://www.google.com/search?q=fir...-brYAhWKKiYKHe9gAjQQ_AUIESgB&biw=1024&bih=672
The battle: it was so cold today that when I spilled water on the floor of the barn, it started to freeze and I had the wood stove roaring. That cold air also made it difficult to work the air compressor powered pump my neighbor loaned me. The air was freezing the pump. It took about an hour and half, but I got all 28 gal into my system. And was able to purge the air. Locked and loaded with no bubbles. Now I just have to wire the taco pump and controller then I can fire the water heater.
The fan is awesome. It doesn't plug into anything. It collects heat, and turns it into enough power to turn the fan on. When the fireplace gets cold, it shuts itself off.
Here is the one I have: https://shop.familyfarmandhome.com/products/fan-heat-powered-original-100cfm-14495.html
FAN HEAT POWERED ORIGINAL 100CFM
For use on freestanding wood stoves with a surface temperature between 230?F - 650?F (110?C - 345?C). The Ecofan Original is an economical way to move air throughout your living space. Creating its own electricity and pushing up to 100 CFM (cubic feet per minute) this fan is ideal for those living off the grid or looking to increase the efficiency of their stove and use up to 12% less fuel. Whisper quiet and completely assembled, these fans make for a great gift. Two year warranty.
Part Number: 473230
U/M: / EA
$ 74.99
Here is what the Google search turned up. https://www.google.com/search?q=fir...-brYAhWKKiYKHe9gAjQQ_AUIESgB&biw=1024&bih=672
jbmatth
Well-known member
Great info, I've heard of thermoelectric fans before but never really dug into them before, I know how to waste a few minutes now. Good to hear you were able to get it all filled, did you mix it before putting into the tubes, or pour a gallon of each at a time?
JB
JB
Re: the fan, if you figure out how to build one, let me know. I've been fascinated by this idea but haven't had the time to do things like "clean my room" per the wife, let alone research weird science! So...
let me state for the record, I don't believe there was any way 28 gallons was going into the system under its own weight. I'm not sure what I would have done if my neighbor Bob had not loaned me the pump. It worked so well, aside from it being so cold the pump froze several times. Nothing a heat gun didn't fix in a few min. That being said, I mixed it 50% with water in a 12 gallon tote by filling a 5 gal bucket with water and then dumping both into the tote. Then I pumped it out of the tote. My wife didn't appreciate me stealing the tote...lol, it was for Christmas decorations. But those are still up and I promised I'd rinse it out when I was done. [emoji12]
Tonight I picked up the MC 12/3 to wire everything. I didn't need 12/3, the 12/2 would have been fine but the 12/3 was free! And I picked up a 20amp breaker for the water heater. Then I went to Bob's for a little more wiring research with his taco switch (I have the same one). With the wiring diagram firmly in hand and 2 of his bud lights firmly out of his fridge, I got underway. Tomorrow I hope to complete the wire job and flip the switch.
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Update: wired the Taco SR501 single zone controller and the Taco circulation pump. This took a lot longer than I expected. But I wanted it to look right and I think I have a pretty clean install. I hooked power to the line side of my plug so it's before the GFCI. 
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Help needed: I am ready to install my thermostat. It's a standard house unit. My hvac guy said it would work fine. But my floor thermostat wire is 2 blue wires. What do they hook up to in my standard thermostat? And my Taco SR501 controller uses a red and green wire, again, what do I hook them to in my thermostat.
Anyone have any advice?
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Anyone have any advice?
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