Preparing my Garn Installation - getting close!

[hkillam]

Well, I'm getting close to placing my new Garn Gasser on it's foundation slab. I'm using the middle size unit, the WHS2000. If all goes as planned, I'll pick it up on 7/29 and have it moved onto the slab the same day. I'm fortunate enough to live within about 50 miles of the Garn production facility, so I'm avoiding commercial shipping charges by picking it up on a car hauler trailer.

I've been taking quite a few photos of the beginning of the garage, trenching, foam insulating the Pex lines, etc. and have attached some that I think will be of interest. As the boiler is moved into place and all the hook-ups are being completed, I'll get more photos and add them to this topic.

 

[hkillam]

No, already backfilled the ditch. The insulator claims (Oh, I hope it's true...) that it isn't necessary. This is the same foam that they apply to roofs on commercial buildings, and have, I think he said, a 25 year warranty. I don't think covering the foam would have helped in any case, as it is all clay there, so water would have come up from the bottom even with plastic on top.

I am going to put a thermometer on each end of the pex runs (in the buildings, of course) so I'll be able to monitor the temp loss over the 125 foot underground run. The insulator put a minimum of 3 inches around the Pex lines, and the supply and return were seperated by about 3 inches for the entire run.

 

[Willman]

Good idea placing a spare chase thru the slab for future use.

 

[hkillam]

There is aonther building planned for the property, so getting a second PVC sleeve in place only made sense. The smaller (two inch) PVC is to run power to the garage.

 

[SE Iowa]

I'm jealous. Please let us all know how everything goes.

"Code" question for those in the know. Can you place a Garn in a agricultural outbuilding? I read from other post that it is not allowed in an attached garage.

 

[Jim K in PA]

Welcome to the Hearth! It is good to have another GARN owner here. Mine is on order (also a WHS 2000). I dug out for my slab, and will hopefully be pouring concrete in the next couple of weeks. I will be picking up the unit at my dealer in northern PA, but I still had to pay to get it shipped from MN to them. I should have it by the end of August. I have been gathering wood for a couple of months now.

What did you use to seperate the PEX lines in the trench? I was thinking of doing something similar, but had not decided on a material. I will also be foaming the lines in the trench.

Keep the pics and updates coming!

 

[hkillam]

I had some rigid insulation left over from the slab pour (2 inch rigid foam under the slab, and two inch lining the inside of the block foundation walls down to a depth of 48 inches) and the insulation installer said I could use that to stabalize the distance between the PEX lines. So I cut pieces about 4 inches wide, then used a propane torch to melt small concave indentations into each side, so the rigid foam would sort of mould itself around the 1.25 inch PEX. I held it in place with duct tape, at the installers recommendation, so the polyurethane spraying wouldn't displace anything. At the point that the PEX lines entered 6 inch PVC pipe to enter the building, the spacing between the lines is about 2.5 inches. The picture below should make it easier to understand.

By the way, if you're planning to pull PEX tubing through PVC, be sure to use long sweep elbows, or a pair of 45 degree elbows with some space between them, otherwise getting the PEX through is really, really hard. Thankfully I tried it in a "dry run" before anything was in concrete, and the regular 90 degree elbows wouldn't have worked.

 

[Jim K in PA]

Excellent. Thank you for the additional picture and tips. I was not sure how I was going to terminate at the two buildings. I may just do a 45 and a section of straight pipe long enough to get through the wall. My house has 18" thick stone foundation walls.

 

[Willman]

Thankfully I tried it in a “dry run” before anything was in concrete, and the regular 90 degree elbows wouldn’t have worked.

Another great example of forward thinking. I feel we sometimes can't do enough of it. Good idea to use up the scrap foam board. At the prices of the stuff it's a "no added cost" solution to spacing as well as keeping unwanted heat transfer to a bare minimum. Can't wait to see the Garn placement. It might just qualify for a bottle of bubbly broken on the bow.

Will

 

[hkillam]

Almost there...

Picked up the boiler in Minneapolis yesterday, and trailered it home. Took some time for the Lull to show up and offload it / place in the the framed in garage, but boy, was that the right machine for the job! Can't place the boiler in the exact, final resting spot until the steel siding is up, and the insulation and interior plywood covering is in place, but it is all SO, SO CLOSE to completion. Oh yes, I'm quite excited to do the first burn.

Here are a few pics of yesterdays antics:

 

[brad068]

New Garn Gaser, How big is your building?

I'm also in the process of putting up a building. 30'x30'x11'. Big enough for the boiler and alot of wood. I also plan on installing a solar system tied into the boiler but don't think I will get that ready this year. I love to see another Garner on the board!!

My underground pipe is going to be made the same way as High E's pipe. He first used 1" foam sleeve then three wraps of bubble wrap then 4" drain tile slid over the insulated setup. There is one insulated pipe in one 4" drain tile. We figured the cost @ $3/ft. He used a long rope attached to one end of the pipe and the other to a tree in the yard. He then pulled it tight and slid the drain tile over the pipe onto the rope and then proceeded to insulate the pipe and then pulled the drain tile back over it. Its a pretty slick setup and seems to be insulated very good.

 

[hkillam]

I'm putting up a pretty minimal garage - just 22 x 14. I had to clear the site and didn't want to take out too many trees, plus the cost of the excavation, footings, block and concrete went up quite a bit when I looked at increasing the footprint. So, I can’t store a full winters worth of wood in there with the Garn, but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get a couple weeks to a month worth of wood stored. I’ll put in a traditional insulated garage door, so that I can load wood into the bucket on my tractor, and drive the front end loader into the garage and unload it with a roof over my head.
I considered using the same trench insulation method you described, but decided to go with polyurethane foam instead. The trench is 42 inches deep at the shallowest, and 48 to 60 inches deep over most of the run. I’m having my installer put a temp gauge on my pex where it leaves the garage, and another one where the pex enters the building to be heated. When I’ve got some figures on the heat loss over the 120 foot trench, I’ll post them.
I’m also considering putting some solar water heating devices on the garage roof (though not immediately), and had my trusses engineered to support the additional load. Unfortunately, I think the surrounding trees will probably fill in the current hole in the canopy, so if I go that route I may have to remove more trees, or do regular, canopy level pruning.

 

[Willman]

so that I can load wood into the bucket on my tractor

Start scrounging some rugged pallets. Frame the sides with an open front and fill em. When you need wood in the boiler room just fork em in. Handle the wood once prior to burning.
Will

 

[chrisfallis]

Whoooweee. Gotta get me one of them Garns for MY garage.

I casually mentioned to my wife that we have to start thinking about winter heating and even more casually mentioned that a Garn would protect us from the 20-50% increases in natural gas price increases. She said "Whoa!. I get a new kitchen before you get a wood heater." That investment will be as much as many multiple Garn purchases would be.

Curses. Foiled again.

 

[Jim K in PA]

Almost there...

<snip>

Here are a few pics of yesterdays antics:

Great work Hugh. I am jealous. Still no word on when my GARN will be ready for p/u. Your pics reminded me that I need more chain and binders for the trip home! I suspect that the PA State Police would not be happy to see my GARN tied to my trailer with wash line . . . ;~)

 

[Jim K in PA]

Whoooweee. Gotta get me one of them Garns for MY garage.

I casually mentioned to my wife that we have to start thinking about winter heating and even more casually mentioned that a Garn would protect us from the 20-50% increases in natural gas price increases. She said "Whoa!. I get a new kitchen before you get a wood heater." That investment will be as much as many multiple Garn purchases would be.

Curses. Foiled again.

Chris - perhaps sit down with your wife and go over the economics of the situation. Unless you have a substantial amount of disposable income, "her" kitchen budget may be spent on NG instead. Since she benefits from the economics of the wood furnace as much as you do, it it not just "your" wood heater, it's hers too!

And if things don't go so well with that discussion, let us know where to send the get well cards . . . ;~)