After lurking a couple years, and piddling at building my own house, I've got questions - too many to ask at once, but I'll try to start simple.
I've got an open trench right now (for power and domestic water reasons) between what will be a future shop, and the greenhouse where the boiler and 2000 gallon storage tank live. While the trench is open, I want to put in my PEX lines, insulate them, etc., though in all likelihood, it will be 5-6+ years before I get to building the shop (house still needs to be built). The trench is about 235' one-way, the shop will be a max of 3000 ft2, (30x50' two floors). It'll be well insulated, think of it like a simple house with a garage below. Lots of unknowns, a few years ago I found a BTU calculating link somewhere here, I can't seem to find it now.
I see a couple possible scenarios:
1. Sprayfoam 2 lines of glued 4" PVC solid drain line into the trench, and pull the appropriate size PEX through at a later date. Seems like not as good of idea as just laying the lines now...but as plans always change...
2. Sprayfoam 2 lines of Pex in right now, build and underground box up near the shop, and cover/bury them until we start on the shop.
Question about the sprayfoam, talking to the local sprayfoam fellow, there are different weights of close-cell sprayfoam, the more weighted foam, the higher the water resistance. What weight closed cell foam are folks here using for spray in trench?
O2 barrier Pex or not? Yes, I've read here how important O2 barrier is, but in my case of an open system with a 2000 gallon tank...the line going to the shop is going to have to be its own closed system with a heat exchanger because the shop is up hill from the greenhouse (thus the tank would overflow with the open system). With this as the case, would you still spend the extra for O2 barrier Pex?
Pex size...I know, I need to do more homework on this. I did some calculations a year ago and came up with 1.5" pex to keep my power/pump consumption down. But I'm wondering if I could get away with 1.25" lines. I want to do this right, and not squander power. I've been off the grid for 10 years w/o power, and just because I'm getting it now, I don't want to start squandering it. Any advice?
Lastly, anyone have experience with this seller on ebay?
http://stores.ebay.com:80/New-Journ...id=20689309&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=2
He seems to have 1.25" Pex-al-pex for a reasonable price. I'd be interested in the 1.5" non O2 barrier pex he has for the same price, but when I talked to him, he says the ID of the 1.5" Non O2 barrier Pex is about 1.25; and that the 1.25" Pex-al-pex is a true 1.25" ID.
Thanks for the rookie help - much appreciated. (PS - if slow to respond its because I'm still off-grid...)
I've got an open trench right now (for power and domestic water reasons) between what will be a future shop, and the greenhouse where the boiler and 2000 gallon storage tank live. While the trench is open, I want to put in my PEX lines, insulate them, etc., though in all likelihood, it will be 5-6+ years before I get to building the shop (house still needs to be built). The trench is about 235' one-way, the shop will be a max of 3000 ft2, (30x50' two floors). It'll be well insulated, think of it like a simple house with a garage below. Lots of unknowns, a few years ago I found a BTU calculating link somewhere here, I can't seem to find it now.
I see a couple possible scenarios:
1. Sprayfoam 2 lines of glued 4" PVC solid drain line into the trench, and pull the appropriate size PEX through at a later date. Seems like not as good of idea as just laying the lines now...but as plans always change...
2. Sprayfoam 2 lines of Pex in right now, build and underground box up near the shop, and cover/bury them until we start on the shop.
Question about the sprayfoam, talking to the local sprayfoam fellow, there are different weights of close-cell sprayfoam, the more weighted foam, the higher the water resistance. What weight closed cell foam are folks here using for spray in trench?
O2 barrier Pex or not? Yes, I've read here how important O2 barrier is, but in my case of an open system with a 2000 gallon tank...the line going to the shop is going to have to be its own closed system with a heat exchanger because the shop is up hill from the greenhouse (thus the tank would overflow with the open system). With this as the case, would you still spend the extra for O2 barrier Pex?
Pex size...I know, I need to do more homework on this. I did some calculations a year ago and came up with 1.5" pex to keep my power/pump consumption down. But I'm wondering if I could get away with 1.25" lines. I want to do this right, and not squander power. I've been off the grid for 10 years w/o power, and just because I'm getting it now, I don't want to start squandering it. Any advice?
Lastly, anyone have experience with this seller on ebay?
http://stores.ebay.com:80/New-Journ...id=20689309&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=2
He seems to have 1.25" Pex-al-pex for a reasonable price. I'd be interested in the 1.5" non O2 barrier pex he has for the same price, but when I talked to him, he says the ID of the 1.5" Non O2 barrier Pex is about 1.25; and that the 1.25" Pex-al-pex is a true 1.25" ID.
Thanks for the rookie help - much appreciated. (PS - if slow to respond its because I'm still off-grid...)