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Raise Basement Supply Pipes

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danielha
danielha Member Posts: 18
in Radiant Heating
I'm finishing half of my basement, and while there is plenty of head room overall, I don't want to deal with boxing in the supply pipes for our radiant heat system if I can help it. My thought was to stub the large pipes in the unfinished part of the basement and put in a manifold that then supplied the existing radiators on that half of the house with PEX-AL-PEX. This would have the benefit of removing tons of unneeded pipe, reducing water in the system, and getting my overhead space back. What I'm wondering is: why is this a bad idea? The system is incredibly oversized so I'm not too worried about reducing water flow - in fact most of the rads have TRVs on them anyway.

Here is a pic of what one of the sections looks like:

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  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,376
    edited November 2017
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    More info and pics are needed, including the boiler and it's near piping.

    It looks like you have what was originally a gravity flow system. You would have to replace all the pipes, or all in a particular zone. You can't mix up the two methods.

    Here's one that we're changing now:

    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/163504/gravity-system-boiler-replacement#latest
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    Canucker
  • danielha
    danielha Member Posts: 18
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    Here are a couple angles of the boiler. The main 2-loop zone is in the front. There is a second zone in the back for a radiant floor in the basement which is still being worked on. I'm considering shortening both loops about the same amount - essentially removing 3 radiators from each side and directly piping them from the new end of the big iron pipe with the pex.





  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,376
    edited November 2017
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    I wouldn't recommend that. Water takes the path of least resistance. If some of the rad's have 1" run outs from the mains and others have 1/2" pex, which path will the water choose?

    A 1" iron pipe has almost 6 times the capacity of 1/2" pex.

    That's what I meant about trying to mix piping methods. It's not gonna work.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • danielha
    danielha Member Posts: 18
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    Ok, how about a fall back option. Could I put in a couple of elbows and raise the whole existing pipe system up about a foot?
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,376
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    Yes, but you'd have to reconnect every runout so that they have a slight pitch.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    danielha

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