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Old Radiant tubing

Todd_9
Todd_9 Member Posts: 88
in THE MAIN WALL
Just spoke to a customer that I'm going to visit next week. He had a radiant system installed 25years ago which used - Bio-energy Solar heating tubing. He said that this company later became Gro-mat. Anyway, he is getting alot of air in the system and thinks the boiler(cast iron) is leaking. I am going to assume that this is non-barrier tubing, does anyone have any experience with this type of tubing? I guess we are going to be looking at using a flatplate heat exchanger to isolate the tubing.

Comments

  • George Peteya_2
    George Peteya_2 Member Posts: 72
    Radiant Roll ...

    ... is what it was called. No barrier, 30 psi max. working pressure. Separate the tubing from the boiler loop with a heat exchanger, use bronze pumps for zone circulators, use a potable water expansion tank, and make sure you pump away. If you have more questions, email me ... I worked for Bio-Energy a long time ago.
  • Bob Sweet
    Bob Sweet Member Posts: 540
    You are correct it is a non O2 barrier tube

    25 yrs with Radiant Roll is a pretty good run. I've seen countless systems with this tubing fail. Might be the boiler might be the tube regardless a flat plate HX is in order. I'd isolate the tube from the boiler to verify it's the boiler leaking not the tube, whole other ball game if it's the tube leaking. Radiant Roll was being installed upwards of 1994-95.
  • hr
    hr Member Posts: 6,106
    Typically

    the non barrier aspect would allow enough O2 ingress over time that ferrous components would start to corrode. This sediment could sometimes settle in the tubes and plug them.

    Actually the tube itself, unless outside forces destroy it, like concrete settlement) seems to last. I still see that stuff on rooftops ocassionally as solar collectors!

    My prefered method is to test every loop for flow and then leaks. I have a test guage and air nozzle rig to do this.

    The manifolds are a bit of a bugger to redo! I cut the tube several inches from the manifold to test. Then buy 1/4" barbed couplings from and auto parts store, brass or plastic, to replace the manifold. They also have nylon clamps available.

    I, too, would use a HX to seperate the tube from any ferrous components.

    hot rod

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