Copper from basement to 2nd floor

Jason_20

Ted,

Thanks for the reply, I have contacted a plumbing and heating contractor (a friend of in-laws). He suggested we break up the 2nd floor into two seperate zones.

He suggested to have the Master Bed, Master Bath, and Hall/Landing on one zone and the other two bedrooms on another, this is definitely something I am not going to on my own I just don't have a clue when it comes to heating systems.

I have had other contractors come in a give me "estimates" everyone wanted to pretty much rip out everything we have in place and replace it all both 1st and 2nd floor and the boiler. Funny thing is that none of the contractors had gotten back to me with the estimates, they came over, looked around, shook their heads quite a bit, asked me quite often why the plumbing was installed as it was and I never heard from them again.

Jason_20

Copper from basement to 2nd floor

Hello,

I purchased a home with a partially finsihed 2nd floor. All mechanicals had been roughed in but nothing was connected i.e. heating, electrical etc.

My reason for posting is that I find it weird that the "plumber" that ran the copper for the baseboard heating had run 1/2" copper pipe from the basement to the second floor for each room on the second floor.

For example see drawing attached as a bitmap.

Is this a normal practice and if not is it something that would be difficult/expensive to fix.

Thanks

Ted_9

bb

Well, 1/2" copper can handle about 21' of copper/fin tube. So if you connect 21 feet of element between each supply and return, then it will be fine. But then you have to choose the right piping method in the basement for all of those 1/2" supply and returns.
EDIT: I forgot to mention, you may have 21' of fin tube, but it may not be enough for the room or rooms.
Please consult or hire a Pro.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

[Deleted User]

Sounds like one of them Yourapee'n systems to me...

Ya gotta hand it to them people. They figured out a way to extract more btu's from the stream than the Americans did...and they do it more evenly with RADIANT to boot!

If you put some nice double large surface radiators in there with TRV's, it will be as efficient and comfortable a system you can get. 1/2" Euro systems can deliver 30K btu from the same pipe... more surface, more radianator. (BONUS POINTS, new word, combining radiator and radiant in the same word, 5 points.)

ME

Long Beach Ed

They ran the pipes that way...

so they wouldn't have to rip open the walls.

Make sure they are insulated and have a pro size the system. Nothing wrong with what you have there, thoug the 1/2 pipe will definately dictate how things are piped down below.

Long Beach Ed

Weezbo

*~/:) VELLY INTERSECTING *~/:)

Just what were they thinking? )

Not all we do meets the eye, sure there are ways to undermine The Work buh unless they possess the all amazing "Inner Eye" the majority probably have no clue as to what we do

Trust Mark on That one*~/:)

I think what might be being suggested here is to get the Rest of the story from the contractor. Radiant panels anyone? Cheap? no they aren't cheap. slightly differentiated control strategy ? Yup most likely.

My sincerest hope is that these guys have done everything to maintain the integrity of the building Envelope .For that would also be a relevant point of distinction.