Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Hydronic Heating

Mike Cipollone
Mike Cipollone Member Posts: 2
in THE MAIN WALL
We are working in a single story contemporary home with very little attic space. Heating pipes to 4 different baseboard loops are submerged in concrete and leaking. I'm looking for ideas to get new pipes to the far end of the home without destroying the architectural integrity of the home. This home is 135' long.

Mike Cipollone

Comments

  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
    Here's one approach..

    This assumes the home is on a slab?

    1) Determine if all 4 zones are leaking or just one.

    2) It is possible to find the leak point, then make a small hole (maybe 12" x 12") in the concrete and repair the leak and then re-float a patch.

    3) The minimal attic space is not a big issue. Freezing in winter may be, but that's why insulation was invented. Alternate routing of WHBB pipes is done in attics all the time.

    4) If the four zones are oversized, it is remotely possible to "line" the bad pipes with a smaller diameter synthetic (plastic, rubber) tubing.

    5) Unless the boiler is already "toast" from constant water make up, you might save it by using a water to water HX and isolate the boiler from the constant fresh water entering the system to make up for the water lost to the leak(s). This will not fix the leak but it will stop the rapid demise of the boiler and near boiler piping, pump, zone valves etc.

    What was the original tubing? Copper? Steel? Plastic?

    Are you the owner or a GC or both?

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • hr
    hr Member Posts: 6,106
    What type of tube and

    how old? Leaks in four seperate zones would probably not be worth locating, demoing and repairing. Regardless of the tube. Something is causing the failure and it very well may continue. Possibly an old copper system thay has gone the distance?

    That building length, and the need for 4 zones would make a tough go of radiant floor "over the top" retro fit products.

    A radiant ceiling may be a least intrusive retro fit. Install PAP, plates, and re skin with a layer of sheetrock.

    Does the home have central air? A hw coil may be added to AHs.

    Pretty tough to retro fit hw baseboard from the attic, even if attic routing is possible from one end to the other. The ceiling to floor path for insulated tube is a big unknown. Lots of hidden pit falls in those stud bays :)

    hot rod

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
This discussion has been closed.

Categories