In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Insulated buried pex.

Discussion in 'OWB's and Gasification Boilers' started by Redfin, Nov 27, 2017.

  1. Redfin

    Redfin

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2015
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    4,262
    Location:
    central Pa
    Who told you such?:) Ive been playing phone tag with the fella about my pex. I was hoping to have it and dug in this week.

    I did get all my conduits and drains placed in my shop. I have the ditch dug in the shop for the pex. I just need to dig from the owb site to the house and poke through the foundation.
    IMG_3367.JPG IMG_3371.JPG IMG_3384.JPG
     
    Horkn, brenndatomu, huskihl and 4 others like this.
  2. Redfin

    Redfin

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2015
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    4,262
    Location:
    central Pa
  3. TurboDiesel

    TurboDiesel

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2013
    Messages:
    16,048
    Likes Received:
    95,626
    Location:
    Hollidaysburg Pa
  4. fuelrod

    fuelrod

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2014
    Messages:
    3,340
    Likes Received:
    19,191
    Location:
    Western Maine
    Remember the deeper you go the better, and around here they say an inch of foam is about equal to a foot of earth cover.
     
    Horkn and Redfin like this.
  5. Redfin

    Redfin

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2015
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    4,262
    Location:
    central Pa
    True. I dug the foundation and conduit runs for our house late 2014-2015. That winter had very little precip but very cold temps. I was digging conduit in late January and the deepest I saw frost was 24". It was hard going.

    I may still put foam board above the pex.
     
    Horkn likes this.
  6. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    20,438
    Likes Received:
    127,193
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Good choice on the closed cell line...if you google around much at all I think you will notice that everyone seems to regret using the cheaper stuff once they live with it a bit...
     
    Redfin and yooperdave like this.
  7. fuelrod

    fuelrod

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2014
    Messages:
    3,340
    Likes Received:
    19,191
    Location:
    Western Maine
    Hey even if only saves you a wheelbarrow of wood a week, it's pretty cheap in the whole "scheme" of this project. Who know's it might just be the difference of Lady Redfin wearing a sweater or a tanktop all winter long.:D
     
    Canadian border VT and Redfin like this.
  8. Redfin

    Redfin

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2015
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    4,262
    Location:
    central Pa
    Well.... Mama Redfin thankfully is just as frugal as I. Our last house we burned wood in an old everlast box in the basement.

    Even though I could get that place crankin hot with that stove she never likes it like that.

    We installed a heat pump in our new house and she keeps the stat at 69* in winter and around 73* in the summer. Those temps are fine by me.
     
  9. Heat550

    Heat550

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Messages:
    327
    Likes Received:
    2,249
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Look in to insulseal .. Its like zero heatloss to levels other stuff cant match . 2 inchs polyurathane foam on outside of PVC 10 ft sections . I have 50 feet
    in heavy clay in Minnesota I get less then .5 of degree heat loss . Real world testing . you can run copper or pex or pex al pex and you can change your lines if you have a boiler over heat issues . this installs for long haul hardcore . outdoor boiler install . Its not for people thinking 10 years its guys thinking 20-30 years of use . and dont need to carry on about logstor or other stuff I know all about them .. this just my findings . if your putting in underground lines and want it trouble free for many years install it right once and your done with it . Im not a dealer I have no links to them. Im just a guy that likes trouble free outdoorwoodstove is the bottom line . had OWboiler for 20 years now..

    Heat550
    [​IMG]

    Remember we're not just heating a house were changing a climate.
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2017
    brenndatomu, yooperdave and fuelrod like this.
  10. Redfin

    Redfin

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2015
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    4,262
    Location:
    central Pa
    How are those sections sealed?
     
    yooperdave likes this.
  11. yooperdave

    yooperdave

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2014
    Messages:
    32,035
    Likes Received:
    194,011
    Location:
    Michigan's U.P.

    Redfin already asked the very first question that comes to mind.....the second is what is the diameter of the inside pipe? I assume that this is what you would run your boiler lines through, no?

    The minimal heat loss you've stated would be just about right! I measure my heat loss during the dead of winter back when, but can't remember what it was. Measured at the OWB and again at the F/A furnace H20 coil.....which was after the side arm assembly for domestic H20. I'll probably measure again this winter (something to do) but this time measure temps where it enters the dwelling also.
     
  12. Heat550

    Heat550

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Messages:
    327
    Likes Received:
    2,249
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Google it 4 inch inside to run your lines. Outside dia. 8 inch . Joints PVC cement on PVC 100% silicone on polyurethane. Plastic sock you use underground 4 inch PVC tape.
    R 15 + air inside 4 inch pipe so total is real R 19 . Its a commercial product. Google Insul seal .. PVC has joint like sewer pipe . Polyurethane seals tight when joints put together.sock has about 1 1/2 foot over lap at joints. I in case mine in sand for settling and water drainage. This only for guys that want to best .

    Heat550

    Remember logstor only has 1 inch of polyurathane on sides of pex pipes.and no air space.
    The pipe wrap pretty much speaks for itself self . But maybe in warmer states it's ok. Sandy ground no moiture in soil etc . Minnesota you dig hole in clay you just made a pool. Insulseal is only way to do it right. Hope info helps.


    Sent from my LG-H900 using Tapatalk
     
  13. fuelrod

    fuelrod

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2014
    Messages:
    3,340
    Likes Received:
    19,191
    Location:
    Western Maine
    I googled them, looks like first rate material! Also I imagine it's priced accordingly but it looks like a snap to install.
     
    Heat550 likes this.
  14. Heat550

    Heat550

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Messages:
    327
    Likes Received:
    2,249
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Shop shop shop . Heatmor dealers sell it.
    9 a foot is the ball park . But alot think it's worth more up to 15 per foot . So shop around .

    Heat550

    How I installed it was glued sealed it and lowered it in to trench . Depending how long your run is you can do it in sections
    And connect them in trench also . Using 4 inch PVC tape is a must 20 mil made by company called wonder it's in Amazon $32 for 100 feet of tape .. this for outside plastic skin .


    Sent from my LG-H900 using Tapatalk
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2017
    fuelrod likes this.
  15. fuelrod

    fuelrod

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2014
    Messages:
    3,340
    Likes Received:
    19,191
    Location:
    Western Maine
    I'd sleep well having an insulated conduit over a buried insulated pipe.
     
  16. Redfin

    Redfin

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2015
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    4,262
    Location:
    central Pa
    Heat550. Did you pull one pex line or two through this 4" conduit?
     
  17. Heat550

    Heat550

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2016
    Messages:
    327
    Likes Received:
    2,249
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Mine has 2 - 1 inch pex Al pex I'm installing another for a friend 80 feet run using 1 soft copper 2 - 1 inch lines there also.. if you read pex Al pex if you boiled will bubble inside and flow will be reduced. This is why my friend went with 1 inch copper K for lines and one of the copper will have insulation on it inside the 4inch PVC yes the supply line . Now if you boil any pex there will be issues it's only good for 200f .
    I have some bubbled pex Al pex and it's never been over 190 f it's 20 years old ..
    I have pictures because most people don't believe it .

    Heat550

    I found the picture 252 cord of heat went throw them lines..

    Sent from my LG-H900 using Tapatalk
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2017
    Redfin likes this.
  18. AJtree88

    AJtree88

    Joined:
    May 15, 2014
    Messages:
    318
    Likes Received:
    1,764
    I just installed a Hardy H4 and used rehau insulated pipe (thermopex from central boiler dealer). Peeling back the cover and chipping off the insulation was a pain. It's really stiff, but laid in the trench well and uncurled easy enough. You heat the ends with a heat gun and then slid the fittings on. Put on a hose clamp for good measure. I wish this stuff was cheaper, just getting hammered for what seems like a simple product/inexpensive materials.
     
  19. Blstr88

    Blstr88

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2017
    Messages:
    358
    Likes Received:
    1,899
    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Just out of curiousity, what OWB are you running?
     
  20. Redfin

    Redfin

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2015
    Messages:
    922
    Likes Received:
    4,262
    Location:
    central Pa
    Little update, my pex will be here today. Started digging to poke through the foundation yesterday. IMG_3521.JPG IMG_3520.JPG