New garage time!

[EddieWalker]

If you are talking to me, I wasn't trying to help him gain any perspective. I was simply offering logic.

In this particular case the pex is in the top 2" of the pour. It's impossible to see a bubble, then box it out, and fix later. Impossible.

My point is/was if you detect a leak because you have pressurized what can you do about it? In the end, nothing. You don't have time.

I'm not opposed to pressurizing. If it is code, which I have no idea why, go for it. If it "seems" like the right thing to do, go for it.

Since I've never done a heated floor or worked with PEX in this manner, I'm just kind of guessing here. Why not fill the PEX with water that has a die in it that would be easy to see if there is a leak? Or is this possible?

 

[pmsmechanic]

I just read all 27 pages. Well worth the read in my books!

I was just thinking to myself before I read the last post that a pumper truck in this situation would sure be nice. Then I read your last post. I concluded with the thought that for $1357 a pumper truck would still be nice. I can relate to your internal debate as I'm wired the same way.

What I like about the idea of a pumper truck is that the pump can put the concrete where you want it and leaves you with the time and energy to make sure your concrete is level and that your pex/rebar etc stays in place. It will also help ensure that your pex doesn't get damaged. Honestly if you figure the price of the pumper truck and what it gives you for me it would be a close call. The price of your help and how tired you are going to be at the end of the day is worth something too.

Some more for you to think about....

Added a note of interest. I've been to Haiti several times to help drill water wells. They used to carry the concrete everywhere in bucket brigades because labor was cheap. Lately they've been using cement pumps. Not the large trucks we have but just a cement pump on a small trailer. They lay pipe out to where the cement is needed and pump it to the pouring point. If you could find something like that it could be a cheaper option.

 

[dodge man]

A little off topic and I’m not being critical of the OP, but what is the deal of in floor heat. I see it being done a lot, I get it inside the house, but I don’t understand it in a garage or shop. I’ve got a Reznor heater in my 28 x 30 shop, it will heat it up from 40 degrees to 60 degrees in about 10 minutes in the dead of winter. It’s the kind that hangs in the corner and was maybe $1500 installed.

Good luck on the pour, it sounds like you have some experienced help and plenty of manpower.

 

[pmsmechanic]

A little off topic and I知 not being critical of the OP, but what is the deal of in floor heat. I see it being done a lot, I get it inside the house, but I don稚 understand it in a garage or shop. I致e got a Reznor heater in my 28 x 30 shop, it will heat it up from 40 degrees to 60 degrees in about 10 minutes in the dead of winter. It痴 the kind that hangs in the corner and was maybe $1500 installed.

Good luck on the pour, it sounds like you have some experienced help and plenty of manpower.

Let me put it to you this way. Have you ever worked under a vehicle off of a heated floor? It's so nice and warm down there. With forced air the floor is always colder than the air. With floor heat the floor is always warm. The only downside I've seen up here in Canada is if you get a nice warm chinook right after a cold spell. It takes a few days for the thermal mass of the concrete to cool off enough so that the shop isn't too hot. An added bonus is that any water on the floor evaporates quickly. There's no fan to blow any dust all over the shop. I'm sure there's other benefits but that's all I can think of for now.

 

[dodge man]

I guess in my mind it’s not worth the cost. I lay on a creeper or pad on my floor so I don’t notice the cold.

 

[ovrszd]

I wanted a pumper truck, but the price was just to unreasonable. Truck rental is $250, concrete is $100/yard, totaling $1250. Pumper is an additional $1357. If it was an additional $500, maybe I could justify it.

Oh wow!!! We have access to one semi local, he's $500. When they poured my shop they brought one in from $100 miles away. He was $800.

Saves a tremendous amount of labor. In the case of this pour, I'm afraid there is going to be a LOT of dragging concrete. With the rebar/mesh/pex setup you can't rev up the truck and squirt the concrete to gain distance. It will have to be dropped off the chute gently.

 

[ovrszd]

Since I've never done a heated floor or worked with PEX in this manner, I'm just kind of guessing here. Why not fill the PEX with water that has a die in it that would be easy to see if there is a leak? Or is this possible?

I don't think it is going to matter. As the OP already realizes, he can't stop and fix a leak. His idea of minimizing the chance of puncture by having pressure has some merit. With that said, pex pipe is extremely durable and pliable. For example, when his slab cracks, the pex will survive it.

 

[ovrszd]

A little off topic and I’m not being critical of the OP, but what is the deal of in floor heat. I see it being done a lot, I get it inside the house, but I don’t understand it in a garage or shop. I’ve got a Reznor heater in my 28 x 30 shop, it will heat it up from 40 degrees to 60 degrees in about 10 minutes in the dead of winter. It’s the kind that hangs in the corner and was maybe $1500 installed.

Good luck on the pour, it sounds like you have some experienced help and plenty of manpower.

I have hydronic in-floor heat in my house and my shop. House thermostat on 71F. Shop thermostat on 68F. I am in my shop every day. During bad weather I may be in my shop 12 hours. I expect everything in my shop to be warm.

My shop is 1872 sqft with 14ft ceiling. My house including one car garage (which is heated) is 2450 sqft with 9ft ceiling. We run 3 propane tankless heaters. One for each floor heat system, one for domestic hot water. We burned 1050 gallons of propane the last 12 months.

 

[ovrszd]

Let me put it to you this way. Have you ever worked under a vehicle off of a heated floor? It's so nice and warm down there. With forced air the floor is always colder than the air. With floor heat the floor is always warm. The only downside I've seen up here in Canada is if you get a nice warm chinook right after a cold spell. It takes a few days for the thermal mass of the concrete to cool off enough so that the shop isn't too hot. An added bonus is that any water on the floor evaporates quickly. There's no fan to blow any dust all over the shop. I'm sure there's other benefits but that's all I can think of for now.

Excellent post. Only drawback is overheating during large temp swings as you described. We notice that more in the house than in the shop. There's no heat more comfortable to work in or to live in. It's radiant. Everything in the heated space is warm, not just the air.

 

[ovrszd]

I guess in my mind it’s not worth the cost. I lay on a creeper or pad on my floor so I don’t notice the cold.

I would contend that you could maintain 60F temp in your shop with floor heat cheaper than you could adjust your temp from 40 to 60 back to 40 each day with your Reznor.