Is this pipe junk (see pic)
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![[Hearth.com] Is this pipe junk (see pic)](/talk/data/attachments/9/9124-9c522d4d4bbda158305733cc4ff2c1b3.jpg?hash=jsMXzy8T_B)
It looks like plumbing pex, not barrier pex? seeing as it is red and blue. It is ok for open systems, if it has temperature ratings to handle that.
The r-value?? Usually foam has around r-5 per inch of thickness. I'd guess that to be r-3 to r-5?? If there are no voids anywhere.
Is that r- value good enough for you? If it is moving free heat, if there is such a thing, it might be fine. if you are spending money, time, sweat energy, etc....insulation is the gift that keeps giving. I'd be tempted to add some r value. Either foam around that in the trench, or???
You want to get as much of the energy to the final use, with the minimun amount of loss in transit.
It comes down to how much $$ you want to spent to assure you don't end up heating the great outdoors
I suppose if it is a short run, compared to 100 feet of distance you could better decide how much money to spend on r- value.
I've seen OWF dealers install systems in Arkansas with bare tubing lying on top of the ground! Free heat is their answer, why bother spending money on insulation. Hmmmmm
hr
The r-value?? Usually foam has around r-5 per inch of thickness. I'd guess that to be r-3 to r-5?? If there are no voids anywhere.
Is that r- value good enough for you? If it is moving free heat, if there is such a thing, it might be fine. if you are spending money, time, sweat energy, etc....insulation is the gift that keeps giving. I'd be tempted to add some r value. Either foam around that in the trench, or???
You want to get as much of the energy to the final use, with the minimun amount of loss in transit.
It comes down to how much $$ you want to spent to assure you don't end up heating the great outdoors
I suppose if it is a short run, compared to 100 feet of distance you could better decide how much money to spend on r- value.
I've seen OWF dealers install systems in Arkansas with bare tubing lying on top of the ground! Free heat is their answer, why bother spending money on insulation. Hmmmmm
hr
It's a rip off.... For the same money, you could get good 02 barrier pex with a bunch of foam around it in a trench and have a much better solution...... Heat isn't free (even cutting your own wood costs gas in the chainsaw and time to prepare it) so spend a good chunk up front, or a LOT down the road for the rest of time.
Recently there was a guy posting on ebay for some type of pex buried pipe, his price was a penny or something very small. When I read the description, he was only trying to alert others against a seller he bought from a year earlier - this recent guy bought it, buried it, and found NO insulating value and had pics of excavating that pipe out. That worthless used pipe is what he was posting but did not expect anyone to buy. I assume the posting was removed?
To jump on this thread, I was going to do somethng like that for my solar panels into my heat storage tank. Its a closed loop but the only iron parts would be the pump and air scoop. Should I still go with an O2 barrier PEX? I was going to wrap the PEX myself and put it into the pipe. I've got about a 70' run.
Brad,
Even if the insulation was adequate (it doesn't look it) the fact that the two tubes are right next to each
other creates a pretty good counter current heat exchanger that would send hot back to the boiler and cold back to
the load(House). This isn't what you want! For heat transfer purposes it is also important to insulate the source and
return from each other as well as from the ground.
Hugh
Even if the insulation was adequate (it doesn't look it) the fact that the two tubes are right next to each
other creates a pretty good counter current heat exchanger that would send hot back to the boiler and cold back to
the load(House). This isn't what you want! For heat transfer purposes it is also important to insulate the source and
return from each other as well as from the ground.
Hugh
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