[Strawbale] interested in more info re: PEX tubing

[jmagill at silverstar.com]

Hello

We are in Western Wyoming @ about 6500 feet in elevation.  This home is 
SIPs(structural insulated panels) on a crawl space. Small 1200 sq feet. @ 
bedrooms 2 baths.

Two zones. Open system, no glycol, Takagi propane on demand heater. Two 
zone pumps attached to seperate thermostats. Two manifolds, one sending 
the water out, one receiving the water back. Manifold have 2 connections for 
each zone for pex. Each zone has 2- 300 ft (aprox) lengths of pex buried in 2 
inches of concrete on a plywood deck.

We have a propane stove that is connected to a thermostat that would kick 
on if the radiant was not working. We did have the heat go out for three days 
during January last winter( we were away and the propane stove was off) the 
temp got down to 45 degrees. We do not see the need for glycol in the 
system.

I bought all the parts on line, designed the system myself after doing alot of 
research and reading. We installed and plumbed it all ourselves( as we did 
everything else). 

Ours is very simple, no water mixing valves, no connection to outside temp. 
monitors and setback systems. I can adjust the temp on the water heater 
with a remote control that I have on the bathroom wall. Water is always set 
at 110. That works for most needs. If our outside temp gets down  in the 
minus 30's I might bump it up so the heating system heats up faster and 
runs less. I don't like doing that because I hate adding cold water to hot to 
get it to a temp. I can wash my hands with.

I order the zone pumps and manifold from one of the online radiant 
companies( can't remember the actual one) They had kits that sized pumps 
to lengths and diameter of pex.

Our next home will be larger, have more zones and we will also have a solar 
hot water system with a on demand heater as backup. We will be using more 
concrete. We hope to use a system that combines PAHS/AGS with the radiant 
has the backup. In other words we hope to heat with solar but willl have the 
radiant system installed for times that we need it. Some will say that is 
overkill but this will be our last home and we know what makes us happy and 
comfortable. Doing it ourselves means that we can afford to do both and 
have the best of both worlds.

Things to take into account.

Radiant is a slower heat. Therefore if it is 80 during the day and 30 at night( 
our situation last night) you heat usually catches up about the time you want 
it to be cool. We have the heat off right now and if you leave a window open( 
as my husband did last night) mornings could be cooler than you want and 
you just have to put on more clothes as you are wasting your time putting on 
the heat.( or have another "quick" heat source).

You will also not save money by using a setback thermostat during the 
winter. It takes too long to raise the temp.  

All that said I love my radiant heat. I can set the temp 5 degrees less than I 
do with a hot air system and I am just as warm. I can fix and repair my own 
system because it is so simple.

Jill



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