Radiant tubing install question.

[RayBob58]

Hi, I'm getting ready to install a radiant system in my new garage build. I have a thread in the Gallery section. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305094
I'd like to see a few pictures of how others brought the tubing out through the floor to the heat source. I have electrical elbows to make the turn, just wanting to make it look good. I thought a pics might help me arrange the tubing. Thanks.

 

[gogolf0401]

Hi, I'm getting ready to install a radiant system in my new garage build. I have a thread in the Gallery section. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305094
I'd like to see a few pictures of how others brought the tubing out through the floor to the heat source. I have electrical elbows to make the turn, just wanting to make it look good. I thought a pics might help me arrange the tubing. Thanks.

Here's how I did mine. On an interior wall, put stakes through the foam and attached 2x4's to those since I obviously don't have a wall yet, then attached a 2x6 that I drilled out for the elbows so that the 2x6 would be about flush with the concrete. Stagger the holes so the elbows and pex have room. I kept hot and cold lines separate (front to back) so I could keep it straight once concrete was poured.

 

[bloomingtonmike]

I have a pole barn. We had a snapped line where the top of the concrete floor was going to be and I attached a 2X4 across the two posts. I then attached the elbows with pvc clamps.

 

[mcirish101]

Hi, I'm getting ready to install a radiant system in my new garage build. I have a thread in the Gallery section. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305094
I'd like to see a few pictures of how others brought the tubing out through the floor to the heat source. I have electrical elbows to make the turn, just wanting to make it look good. I thought a pics might help me arrange the tubing. Thanks.

The pic below illustrates what my contractor did.....hope it helps!!! good luck with your build!

 

[RayBob58]

This is exactly what I needed. Thanks.

 

[purplezr2]

I have a pole barn. We had a snapped line where the top of the concrete floor was going to be and I attached a 2X4 across the two posts. I then attached the elbows with pvc clamps.

Mine is similar to this, I use 3/4 conduit and about 18" stub of tube.

My tubes are 1/2 inch

 

[RayBob58]

Thanks. I've got an idea of what I'm going to do now. I'll post a pic before and after the pour.

 

[RayBob58]

Here's my jig for securing the radiant tubing during the pour.



I'll secure the short pieces of conduit to the jig with conduit clamps. Should work great.

 

[purplezr2]

I would install then after the pex is laid. Then slide then on ager and secure them

 

[RayBob58]

Got the tubing in and my jig worked great. Added a 2x4 at the top just to hold the spacing correct. Looks good and steady as a rock. It spaced out the tubing from the wall 1 1/2". Concrete guy says he can deal with that. Thanks!

 

[larry4406]

Raybob58 - looks nice, clean, and simple. I'm no expert, but shouldn't there be vertical insulation up the stem wall, tapered at the top to flush with the slab surface?

 

[RayBob58]

That probably is the best way to do it. I just chose not to.

 

[mygarageone]

That probably is the best way to do it. I just chose not to.

Well you'll wish you did ! If you don't your going to loss a bunch of heat through that concrete , it's like a wick and you'll be throwing heat out the wall.

 

[gogolf0401]

It is better to have vertical perimeter foam insulation than under slab insulation since the perimeter is the greatest source for heat loss.

 

[RayBob58]

This always seems to be a hot topic. I've read lots of heated discussions about it. I just did the math, and that area around the perimeter of the slab equates to about 47 ft sq if you account for the doors. About half of which is underground. Taking into account the 1400 ft sq of insulation I put on the foundation walls and under the slab, I'd say I covered my largest heat loss very well. The garage will probably be better insulated than my house. This system will run maybe 90-100 days a year in my area. Could it be a little better? Sure, but I don't think I'm ever going to look back and wish I'd done that 47 ft sq.

 

[mygarageone]

This always seems to be a hot topic. I've read lots of heated discussions about it. I just did the math, and that area around the perimeter of the slab equates to about 47 ft sq if you account for the doors. About half of which is underground. Taking into account the 1400 ft sq of insulation I put on the foundation walls and under the slab, I'd say I covered my largest heat loss very well. The garage will probably be better insulated than my house. This system will run maybe 90-100 days a year in my area. Could it be a little better? Sure, but I don't think I'm ever going to look back and wish I'd done that 47 ft sq.

You are going to do what you want but the heat loss at the wall will be a bunch and for the little bit of cost for insulating the wall , why not . The saving will be worth it.
Have you ever looked at the line at the dirt level of a home when there is snow on the ground ? All you see is were the snow melted away from the foundation walls , that the result of heat loss. That's just as bad as having a window open in a room your heating , why do that ?

By the way your square foot logic doesn't work for perimeter heat losses.

 

[RayBob58]

It wasn't a heat loss calculation. Just a quick adding up of the area we're talking about. It's about 53 ft sq, not allowing for the doors.

 

[Radix2]

It wasn't a heat loss calculation. Just a quick adding up of the area we're talking about. It's about 53 ft sq, not allowing for the doors.

What mygarage is saying is that your area calculation is very misleading as far as heat loss.

The center of the slab is not exposed to the outside cold since it is under the roof/conditioned space - so the loss is only to the reasonably warm(50's ish) average ground temperature.

The edges/footings of the slab are exposed to the freezing winter surface temperatures which are much much colder, hence the much greater heat loss at the perimeter.

Depending on building size, you could be losing more heat through those few perimeter square feet than over the rest of the slab.

in order, the importance of insulation is - ceiling, walls, foundation, floor.

The green building folks talk about a 60-40-20-10 building as being a good allocation -- R-60 ceilings,R-40 walls, R-20 foundation edges, R-10 floor.

Without insulation at the perimeter, you may find your floor wet and condensing along the walls at certain times. You may consider adding perimeter insulation on the outside.