RIH Design

ALH_4

It all depends on your exact application. Hopefully the company that sold you the equipment has looked at your plans in order to make sure the installation goes well. There are too many companies out there selling equipment with no support whatsoever.

-Andrew

spinnm

manifold

Won't go into the reasons, but I'm designing my first ever DIY pex placement. Logical place for the manifold seems to be remote from the boiler.

Can't find any info on what I need in the SLAB to connect the two. Can someone help me out?

spinnm

Give Me a Hint

No support at all. Suppliers in large town 50 miles away don't even stock the RIH pex. No one uses it here. Built shop building and gave up trying to get someone to rough it in.

Now building the house. Am determined that the locals will not defeat me. Just trying to get the pex in. Need to order tomorrow. Logical location of manifold seems to be about 30' from the boiler. I'm a residential contractor. Have used it plenty,watched it done, but for the life of me can't remember.

Know they generally use copper when together. Haven't bought the manifold, haven't bought the boiler. Using 1/2 pex. Four zones, 250-300 ft. So, what should I run in the slab between the manifold and boiler locations?

ALH_4

Info

Sorry to hear they know so little in your area. 3/4" pex should work fine between the boiler and manifold for 4 zones 30 ft away. I'm assuming 12" on center tube spacing (approx 1200sf) and 25btu/sf floor area heat loss and 20F temperature drop across the loops. I generally recommend running an extra run of 5/8" or larger tubing in the slab from the manifold to the boiler for a wiring chase. Typically 1"-2" of extruded foam on top of the fine grade with 6" x 6" welded wire mesh on top of that is used for laying out the tube. The insulation is very important.

-Andrew

spinnm

Thanks Andrew, that's just what I needed.

Recently moved from Abq to the Southern part of the state.
"Doesn't work here" "too warm during the winter days" "don't need it" "too much trouble". All this from plumbers who've never used it, never installed it and don't want to learn anything new.

In Abq it's sometimes a little stuffy on warm spring and fall days. Think that's why windows and screen doors were invented. Routinely down into the 20s here on winter nights. Can't imagine why it hasn't caught on. I'm just the gal to change their minds. Gotta start somewhere. If I don't get the pex in, I'm screwed. I haven't had forced air in 20 years. I'll never go back to the dark side.

Thanks again.