piping rough - in

hvacfreak

I'm getting ready to start a residential heating project and wanted some input on routing copper tubing to baseboard sections and kick space heaters. Do you use those plastic isolaters when passing through drilled holes in wood ? Do you like those formed plastic hangers or metallic piping straps ? Or anything else you have found that helps to make for a quiet piping system . Thanks in advance.

jim lockard

copper

you might take a look at doing you system piping in Pex, leaving the CU for the near boiler work. Best Wishes J.Lockard

Brad White_49

Plastic sleeves

Definitely, plastic sleeves or something like them. I have seen PVC or CPVC pipe sleeves cut and tight-fitted through wood joists but over-sized for the pipe being run. For example 1-1/2" diameter PVC for 3/4" pipe to allow annular airspace. But then, those penetrations will be minimal in quantity, right?

When going from horizontal to vertical, especially after a long run approaching the upward turn, I would put in a swing joint ("Z" or "U" configuration of at least a foot in the short dimention and twice that in the long dimension.) This is to absorb the expansion forces before the riser/stub-up.

You have so little space around your pipe at the floor penetration as it is; it would otherwise bind quickly against the wood.

For Class A work, I specify flexible couplings such as Flexonics. Braided U-bends absorb almost anything you can throw at them. But play your cards correctly by avoiding direct pipe contact with the structure and that should not be necessary. (The principle which you know, obviously.)

Where you want to anchor the piping, (define a base-point for expansion elsewhere) I would use F&M split rings and plates, 3/8" threaded rod with heavy-duty nuts at plate and ring. Size the ring for the OD of the pipe, net.

But where expansion is to be allowed for, use over-size hangers (teardrop type, no contact with the pipe) and sized for insulation OD. Let these "float".

I tend to avoid "strap" as it looks too "cheap" IMHO.

I am sure that there are other "means and methods" out there; this is just what I have used.

EDIT: Jim Lockard's comment on PEX is another good method, especially where soldering in tight confines is an issue.

BEW

hvacfreak

maybe something like this

http://www.pipetytes.com/index.html

I've seen other products like this ( the 2 hole clamps and the isolators ). Do plastic products like these fare well with 180 deg. metallic pipe ?
And yes , the pex would seem to solve the noise and expansion issues. I just don't know much about it ( last time I messed with it was like 1992 ). Do you still need a $800.00 plier to attach fittings ? I do commercial / industrial and don't see alot of pex ( some in-slab but it's rare ).
As far as copper , anything special to consider on riser clamps ( should they be avoided , clamped tight , allowed to rise , etc ). Thanks again.

David Sutton_6

Fosta-pex

i like to do my rough ins with Fosta-pex, its very quiet and you have no joints in the walls, and when you run your pipe under the joist it dose not sag , it will make tight bends that stay in shape, i can rough in a house in 1/2 the time than with copper...David

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Dave Stroman

I do not remember the last time I used copper for baseboards. We us 5/8" or 1/2" pex-al-pex.

Dave in Denver