ART TEC - Guy Marsden
Product Design My Artwork Living Sustainably
Art Engineering Levitation Kit Solar Power Chevy Volt
About Me Blog Solar Heating Thermal Windows
Contact Twitter Solar Hot Water Solar Mower

SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION LOG

PROGRESS REPORT:
July 25 Installing radiant heat plumbing in the barn

Today the temperatures climbed to 90 in the shade
with high humidity too.  Miserable working conditions,
but I pressed on.

The first step was to install 1" of Styrofoam over the existing
concrete to insulate the radiant heat from the ground.

Then I installed 6" grid wire mesh over that to use as a tie-down
for the plumbing that will carry solar heated water
-- I'll also have a Bosch Aquastar propane back up heater.

Then I tied down the PEX tubing with dozens of cable ties.
The whole arrangement is so colorful that it will be a shame
to pour concrete over it!

This all gets connected to a manifold in the back corner where
I will wall in a utility room later.

I fed the PEX around the perimeter walls first to combat the
cold entering from the exposed frost walls (
that I later insulated on
the outside with 2" of sheet foam board
).
Here's the floorplan.


By the way most of these pictures were taken with a timer since

I'm working alone at this point, with a little help from
my neighbor, Charlie.

back                                            next