Any last minute advice before plumbers show up?

[JP11]

I've got my designs.. I've got my schematics. I've got my boiler, draft inducer, danfoss.

Storage is in, and ready for plumbing.

Plumbers are coming Wednesday morning. I think there's 3 of them, including the boss (he's a friend from my snowmobile club)

They are bringing the pipe threader and gonna hit the ground running. The boss is headed to the supply house after we review plans and placement on plumbing. I've got a pretty good idea on what's going where.

The only real debate left (I've picked out expansion tanks, pumps, and controls) is if I want to put an aquastat in my oil boiler.. and have storage continually charge the oil boiler to 130. OR do and injection loop tied into the out leg of the oil boiler. THUS, the oil boiler would only be heating to whatever temp the RETURN water from the zones is (it will be cool.. as the radiant upstairs loops go out at 140)

I'm leaning toward the injection loop route. Boiler is a cold start, and I really don't see a need to keep it hot, especially in summer months, when the only zone to come on will be my DHW indirect loop a few times a day.

I'm not too well versed in the injection loop.. but mark at ahona did the calculations, and I'm confident I can have it installed per his directions.

Any other things I should tell the plumbers?

JP

 

[maple1]

Hide the beer until the job is done.

 

[woodsmaster]

Wow with 3 guys they should be done in no time flat.

 

[SmokeEater]

Check on hiding the beer until the job is done and don't let them plumb your DHW with the black iron. Found out the hard way.

 

[henfruit]

Jason you are getting to nervous.

 

[JP11]

Jason you are getting to nervous.

Not nervous.. Excited to get going.

I have a pretty clear picture in my mind of how it's all supposed to end up. Three plumbers means the dollars are gonna add up fast. I don't want to pay them for head scratching.

Hope to have a bunch complete tomorrow.

JP

 

[Tennman]

Yes..... PLEASE NO CHINESE FITTINGS!!... or at least use a few as possible. When I re-did ALL my threaded joints I used a blue high temp dope (sorry can't remember the brand) and heavy (pink) teflon tape. No weeps or leaks. Absolutely watertight. But, then again, I didn't have the option of calling the guy who did the work and say... come fix it! You may want to have some modesty towels around to cover their backsides when they bend over..... ... couldn't resist. I'm envious. In my case, if anything was bad I knew who was gonna fix it. Have fun! Sure can tell the weather's nice around Hearth lately.

 

[maple1]

On that, what is a very good brand of pipe dope I should look for? I'm kind of suspicious of the stuff I got here once - had to take apart a couple of things & reseal, more than once. And it's OK to use both teflon tape & pipe dope together on a joint?

 

[kopeck]

Yes..... PLEASE NO CHINESE FITTINGS!!... or at least use a few as possible. When I re-did ALL my threaded joints I used a blue high temp dope (sorry can't remember the brand) and heavy (pink) teflon tape. No weeps or leaks. Absolutely watertight. But, then again, I didn't have the option of calling the guy who did the work and say... come fix it! You may want to have some modesty towels around to cover their backsides when they bend over..... ... couldn't resist. I'm envious. In my case, if anything was bad I knew who was gonna fix it. Have fun! Sure can tell the weather's nice around Hearth lately.

I hate the big box store fittings. I spent more time exchanging fittings with bad threads then I want to think about. Iron Union were especially bad, of the 4 I used I went through 8 of them to find ones that would seal.

I used pink Teflon tape and Rector Seal. I tried using just the tape or just Rector Seal and didn't have as much success as the two together.

Honestly, if I was starting over I would suck it up and go copper everywhere. Yeah, it's more money but far less running around. That and all the tools I need to sweat copper can fit in a grocery bag and cost just a few bucks. Copper also lets you easily dry fit everything. I'm guessing I have about 65% iron and the balance copper in my setup.

K

 

[JP11]

They ended up here in the afternoon.. We decided to use copper on all of it. Made up the mother of all shoping lists. They will be back tomorrow morning to start work. They thought I was nuts with all the temperature wells, and manual thermometers I asked for. I want to KNOW what the system is doing, not guess.

Pictures tomorrow.. I promise. I fed the urge today by gathering a bit more wood. Scrounged some pine and hemlock blowdowns.. but mostly just spent a couple hours feeding the chipper. Man, no other attachement of mine has such an impact so quick. You can clean up a pretty big mess in an hour.

JP

 

[JP11]

A good ways along. I'll be putting a 2'x9' long shelf above the door up high. that will house the expansion tanks. The lines you see are tied in to the oil boiler already. They are 1.25. There will be a second row of 1.5 inch just above that will go to wood boiler. So far, I'm pretty happy with their work. The bill from the plumbing supply house will be about 3500 bucks I think. I had them add quite a few temp gauges, and thermowells for sensors.

 

[JP11]

In their defense.. this is just an illusion. Pipes are level.. I checked.

This is my "injection loop" for supplying my manifold for radiant zones. At first.. they thought I was nuts for wanting temp probes all over. Now, I think I'm winning them over. That, or they realize I'm the one signing the check!

JP

 

[JP11]

Top of storage tanks.

Just a backup thermometer and a vent.

 

[henfruit]

You mean 1.50 from the tanks to the wood boiler?

 

[JP11]

You mean 1.50 from the tanks to the wood boiler?

You're right. Inch and a half to wood boiler. I fixed it.

I had a few pieces of flat stock. made some little feet to level the boiler out nice. Core drill on the chimney tomorrow. Plumbers come back Monday or Tues. I go away tomorrow for 6 days. It should be close to ready to fire thurs.

JP

 

[muncybob]

Looks like some good progress being made. I wish I knew then what I know now and I certainly would have made a lot of changes, but the system works and that's what counts. If I ever have a need to drain the system for repair I'll be making some changes.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Make sure you have a good pair of dark saftey glasses. It's hard to tell contractors what to wear, and if yer not used to PC, it can be startling.

 

[JP11]

HA! Good one. I gotta say, the plumbers don't look like that! But at least they are both skinny, and actually wear sharp uniforms. No plumbers crack!

I've been quite surprised at how QUIET they are. I go down there, and I don't hear a thing. They don't really chat. No music. They just work. The older guy is cutting and fitting, and the younger one is following along soldering. Their work thus far has been very neat and tidy. I know they aren't cheap, but I do like their work so far.

I'm away till Wed. They are supposed to come back Mon or Tues and finish the plumbing part. Thurs they will be back to do the electrical portion of the job. I'm only home for 3 days next week. I hope to get a burn in there.

 

[Morgan]

Make sure you have a good pair of dark saftey glasses. It's hard to tell contractors what to wear, and if yer not used to PC, it can be startling.

I wish the plumbers and fitters I work with on a daily basis looked like that! However the wife probably wouldn't like it though