Radiant floor heat

[heehaw]

"They made the statement that using 50% antifreeze and water reduced the heat transfer ability of water by HALF. Thats not correct. It only reduces the heat transfer capacity of water by 30%, though it IS half the difference between water's efficiency and the efficiency of antifreeze."
this is what i had read before, i understood that to mean the addition of antifreeze would increase the cost of getting the job done??
heehaw

 

[hazmat]

<font color=blue>i understood that to mean the addition of antifreeze would increase the cost of getting the job done??</font color=blue>

Yes, you'd either have to heat the antifreeze to a higher temp or pump more of it thru the system to get the same amount of heat to the floor. Either way costs more money.

 

[DougM]

To give you a better idea of my problem.
I have gas from a oil well on my property.
Cost of heating is not the problem.
Fixing the system if it EVER frezzes Would be the problem.

Where what store is having a Big SALE on windshield washer
fluid ???
Doug

 

[hazmat]

Doug,

Replace the () with [] to get your signature picture to show up.

I'd think real antifreeze will give you better protection than washer fluid. Has the manufacturer recommended anything?

 

[boustany]

Answer: Polyprolene glycol, or plumbing antifreeze. It is (relatively) non-toxic and (relatively) kind to plumbing fixtures. It is usually much cheaper that antifreeze for cars and often available in big containers, like 5 gallons.
I filled my system up with it while under construction, but removed the stuff when I moved in to the house because it is more viscous than water, which means harder to pump around.
But that's what you are supposed to use.

 

[DougM]

Well I chatted with my brother last night and he asked?
What a bout used or recycled anti freeze, it can be tested
before placing it into the water tank.
Any though's about this being good or bad ??

Doug

 

[boustany]

I think you want to use the (relatively) non toxic stuff, namely polypropylene glycol, which is usually used in plumbing and RVs. I think it would be really hard to find recycled or used versions of that stuff. The regular antifreeze is ethylene glycol which is very toxic and sweet, which means people and pets don't find it objectional (vs. polypropylene glycol which is very bitter). Windshield washer antifreeze is I think based on alchohol and both toxic and flammable.
So, I'd strongly suggest that if you are going to use antifreeze, use the right stuff, new or used.

Besides, has anybody pointed out that it takes a long, long time (like a week) for a heated slab to get cold? If yours is properly insulated (2" EPS), unless you are talking the very coldest time of the year up here in the snowy north, it would probably take a week or 2 to get close to freezing. Besides, PEX tolerates freezing very well.

Have you calculated the amount of stuff you'd need? I figured about 1 US Gallon/100 linear feet of 1/2" PEX, (actually 126cc/M), which means about 1 Gallon/100 square feet of floor space. plus the volume in your boiler. That's not too expensive (@ $2/gallon) if you are looking for insurance.

 

[DougM]

Well the tank is 40 gal
the tubing in the floor is 7/8 ID and there is 2,100 ft. of it..
So meny Questions and so meany answers and i could never
spell....
Doug

 

[JATO_RaT]

Doug, I would certainly check with the boiler manufactuer about the use of any product in the system. Since I am here in California, your freezing problems are a little foreign to me but I did build a home in Maine and know that the plumbing is done a little different. Since the tubing is buried in a slab which is also insulated from the ground with foam insulation which I assume you used before placing your tubing, would you not worry even more about all your plumbing such as the hot and cold water lines freezing well before the heating tubes which are synthetic vs copper first? We use radiant floor heating here to a small degree and it is very nice, no need to worry about freezing as it rarely gets below 32 and when it does its for a day or two. We use no antifreeze in the systems here. Rat...

 

[hazmat]

Doug,

Your lack of image is still bothering me. Check out the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/faq_english.pl?Cat=>FAQ</A>

I don't think you want the "src" in there and you've got a ( after the .jpeg

I'll try it here

[image]http://www.members.shaw.ca/keep-smiling/stuff/Greydog.jpeg[/image]

Edit here:

well didn't work, but if I copy and paste it, it comes up. Maybe one of the more computer skilled can help you out.