Tracer Wire for Radiant Heating?

John Ruhnke1

Has anybody tried this? I have a client that wants to install radiant into a comercial space but doesn't have a tennent yet. They are worried that when the tennent moves in they may want to attach things to the floor. I thought of using a tracer wire so you can use a metel detector to exactly pinpoint the pipes so as not to hit them.

JR

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hr

Actually Heatway

used to offer a tube with a tracer wire for that purpose. Used to, being the catch phrase.

I suppose you could lay your own wire, along with ther tube.

Not sure if a detector could pick the wire from the rebar or remesh??

I've taken digital pics or video with a 100 foot tape measure next to the tube for a "map"

Also done "as built" drawing with the tube layout dimensioned.

I'm not convinced the tube stays EXACTLY where it was placed when the concrete and workers get done with it

You could probably be accurate within a couple inches.

Keep the tube deep for jobs that will shot or use drop anchors that go 2" deep. Same issue with floaters also, how deep is the tube REALLY.

hot rod

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Kal Row

ouch

radiant in a floor without a, floor finish, prelaid and lease gauranteed to be left alone, heaven help you

John Ruhnke1

Its what the client wants.............

I only do what the client wants. Of course I warn them of the future problems, but if they feel those problems are solvable and want to go forward, why not? Wirsbo recommends installing radiant into the slab for future possible use. Many contractors have done it before.

JR

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Unknown

What about PAP

The aluminium barrier will show up on your metal detector. Of course if wire mesh or re-mesh is used like hr says, that won't work and only a good map will due.

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jw

Kitec's XPA and a tracer works!

I needed to find where my tubing was so a hoist could be bolted down to a slab. Luckily I had used kitec XPA with the aluminum. What I did was borrow the line finding equipment from the local gas utility, exposed the aluminum on the tube so I could connect the tracer to it, and then proceeded to use the finder and a can of paint to mark out the location of the loops! Could not have been sweeter.

Even tho I take pix of the installs, I don't trust mr murphy, hence the linefinder.

have fun!

jw

S Davis

I have used an infra red thermometer with good success.
it's not perfect but you can tell pretty close where the tube is.

S Davis

jeff_25

a bare floor you can mist water on it when it warming up to find tubes evaporates faster at the tube

hr

On a basic

4" slab with the tubes mid depth, the wet method or heat gun will work fairly well. Start talking 6" or thicker commercial slabs and the tube location gets harded to pin point with these methods.

John, it sounds like your method will show the tube regardless of the rebar or mesh? Makes sense as long as the aluminum is not touching the reinforcing somewhere.

I believe the old Heatway Entran Trace had a hand held reciever to scan with. I don't see whay a wire installed with the tube couldn't be used the same way.

As long as the two didn't part company

hot rod

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John Ruhnke1

How does that work...............

John,

Does the tracer send a electrical current through it? Do you need to connect a tracer to both ends and scan inbetween? Does the line finding equipment read just the traced line or will it pick up rebar and mesh too?

JR

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Mark Eatherton1

Abostively!!

Posilutely!

Inducing current through alumipex. Just what I was gonna reccomend.

However...If you believe that the tube is ANYWHERE near the top surface of the slab, where most light anchoring is done, then I have some land off the coast of Florida I'd like to talk to you about...

The other alternative is infrared cameras. Quite accurate, and EXPENSIVE.

ME