My Industrial Cabin Build

[ededic]

Ed, I count 5 pairs to your manifold ?? I should post a picture of my manifold, I had designed a fancy (expensive) 8 zone manifold for my PEX .... and then I asked an old plumber what he thought. He took one look at my design and said, "Son, you don't know what you are doing. Let me build your whole manifold from scratch. It will work better and cost less".
I took him up on it; he was right, and it is a thing of beauty.

Ed, I do like that heavy tape holding your foam sheets together. To my mind the main purpose of the foam is that it crushes and gives the PEX a bit of protection when the cement finishers are tromping around in the slurry. The tape helps with that. Of course the foam itself separates the cement slab from the compacted dirt beneath.... you win some; lose some.
And what to do about the rebar?
I'm still searching for a really good solution to suspending the PEX and rebar inside a poured slab and still getting a good finish on the top face. Am interested in any and all ideas.

Be careful when the site is open like that. A concrete form is a natural venturi. It doesn't take much wind for the uplift to pick that foam up and the PEX with it.
rScotty

rScotty, I have two manifolds (1 in each picture). My total system will have 5 zones in the end. 4 of the 5 zones are in concrete. I have not counted the lines per zone.

 

[rScotty]

As promised, here is a picture of the manifold my plumber built. All hand soldered.

The extra shutoffs allow any zone to be isolated or any thermostatic valve to be removed without affecting the rest of the system. Circulation is provided by a tiny Grunfos 3 speed pump (quiet), heat source is a 50 gallon HWH.
rScotty

 

[WoodChuckDad]

As promised, here is a picture of the manifold my plumber built. All hand soldered.

The extra shutoffs allow any zone to be isolated or any thermostatic valve to be removed without affecting the rest of the system. Circulation is provided by a tiny Grunfos 3 speed pump (quiet), heat source is a 50 gallon HWH.
rScotty

Is that a Benjamin tucked in next to it?

 

[rScotty]

You have a good eye. Yep, an old solid brass Benjamin .22 air rifle. The pump up type. Surprised anyone could recognize it. It's a beater - the bolt is literally a bolt (1/4x20) and the sights are bent, but either it is still crazy accurate at 50 feet & under.....or maybe I'm just so used to it that it seems that way. Pneumatically it still works same as ever. That airgun was old & beat up when I bought it from Chot Barker in 1962, & nothing's changed. Price was $2.00.....
rScotty

 

[WoodChuckDad]

My dad gave me a Sheridan Blue Streak for Christmas in about 1980 or 81. I still have it it. Still accurate, and still pumps up and holds air on the original gaskets. Not as weathered as yours but you can tell it's been out in the field quite a bit.

 

[rScotty]

My dad gave me a Sheridan Blue Streak for Christmas in about 1980 or 81. I still have it it. Still accurate, and still pumps up and holds air on the original gaskets. Not as weathered as yours but you can tell it's been out in the field quite a bit.

Oh yes, the Sheridan was a Cadillac. Your Dad showed good taste.
I'm hoping you still have some of his tools and are using them in your Industrial Cabin Build.

One of the things I really enjoyed about building my cabin and later on our house & barn & workshop here in the mountains was that feeling of "being connected" that happens sometimes when we pick up a tool with memories attached. Sometimes the memory was so strong I would put the tool back down and just pause for a while... and think...
rScotty

 

[EddieWalker]

Is that a Benjamin tucked in next to it?

I was so mesmerized by the plumbing and all those valves on each line, along with something having a wire going into it that I never even saw the Benjamin. Then when I read this, I though you saw some money laying around in the picture!!!!

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I have a few wrenches that belonged to my grandfather and very few tools that were my fathers. My dad gave me a jet table-saw and a scroll saw about 15 years ago. I made a few things with those and i was hooked. Now i have a fairly well outfitted shop and will be making my own cabinets for the house. I upgraded from the jet to an early 80’s delta with a 72 inch bessie fence. Once i have the house built i may sell off my wood shop because i don’t foresee the time for that pursuit.

 

[rScotty]

I was so mesmerized by the plumbing and all those valves on each line, along with something having a wire going into it that I never even saw the Benjamin. Then when I read this, I though you saw some money laying around in the picture!!!!

Yeah, I remember when the plumber brought the manifold over how I was just as blown away by the craftsmanship as well as slightly stunned by the number of valves he put in. But then he explained that he had built it like a plumber would build his own system - so that if any service was ever needed, any loop could be isolated, diagnosed and repaired without affecting the rest of the system. No need to drain or de-pressurize the whole system. And looked at that way, it sure makes sense.

The photo only shows a part of the valving. There is also a connection for periodically filtering or replacing the fluid. As well as a sub-loop for removing bubbles and to compensate for heat expansion. Plus connections in case I wanted to use a different heat source.
He got it right. It's been 12 years now, and the floor heat hasn't required any attention. I did filter the fluid once.

Those flanged connections he made up where each loop connects up to to the main cross manifold at the top of the picture had to have required some real craftsmanship to make them fit so nicely. There are 8 of those connections - all in a row, & all of them at exactly the same angle. The flanged solder joints are a marvel all by themselves. You could use that whole manifold as a straight edge. Perfect....Crazy....

Interestingly, he was also a big advocate for connecting PEX with XPA fittings. XPA is a type of compression fitting very popular in Europe, but not nearly so popular in the USA. That's a story all in itself.
rScotty

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I was so mesmerized by the plumbing and all those valves on each line, along with something having a wire going into it that I never even saw the Benjamin. Then when I read this, I though you saw some money laying around in the picture!!!!

All that plumbing would take a lot of Benjamins.