Skreddy Builds a Shop (4 Viewers)

[Skreddy]

@Skreddy No on the airline,,,it is that Rapid Air MaxLine 3/4”. I ordered this from Amazon 2 yrs ago, used 8 drops, and needed about 25’ more. The 8 drops is too many I know but I wanted the convenience of easy nearby access not matter where I might be needing it. It is GREAT! @Michael B had recommended it to me and it is a very nice system to work with and assemble.

I was told that the pex is subject to explosive break thru and that disturbed me. My compressor is 2-stage and is set to about 140lbs to feed my glass bead cabinet. I had previously had galvanized 3/4” pipe in the old garage and that held fine for 30+ years. The termination kits can add up but I have well under $500 in the entire run of about 40’, 8 drops about 8 feet apart that run down from the main overhead feed about 6’…..then around 2 inside corners and a hose real.. my compressor is outside under the lean to type overhang.

8 drops is about what I was planning. The rapidair was what I was originally considering. Probably still go that route.

 

[knuckle47]

@Skreddy this is what I ordered according to Amazon. They say “ you purchased this 1 time on :”. There are quite a few others now it seems when I looked this up.

https://a.co/d/cvpqVH5

 

[Skreddy]

I got my copper soldered up between the floor manifold and the boiler/pump. I’ll finish wiring when I get home from work tomorrow and fill it and turn it on. Hopefully. I’ve barely done any soldering on copper pipe. They look fine but I hope they hold. Passed the mouth blow test….

Oh, and lights!!!!!!

 

[1911]

I got my copper soldered up between the floor manifold and the boiler/pump. I’ll finish wiring when I get home from work tomorrow and fill it and turn it on. Hopefully. I’ve barely done any soldering on copper pipe. They look fine but I hope they hold. Passed the mouth blow test….

Sweat-soldering copper pipe is satisfying and fun to do in my opinion. You know when you've done it right, the solder just sucks into the joint all at once when you hit the right temperature. Depending on the diameter of the copper pipe, it can be a challenge to heat it evenly on all sides of the joint. It can be easy to overheat the copper and boil away the solder if you use an acetylene torch or even MAPP gas (or similar), but propane can take a long time to heat up the joint. I still prefer to use propane myself.

 

[Skreddy]

Sweat-soldering copper pipe is satisfying and fun to do in my opinion. You know when you've done it right, the solder just sucks into the joint all at once when you hit the right temperature. Depending on the diameter of the copper pipe, it can be a challenge to heat it evenly on all sides of the joint. It can be easy to overheat the copper and boil away the solder if you use an acetylene torch or even MAPP gas (or similar), but propane can take a long time to heat up the joint. I still prefer to use propane myself.

I agree, the moment it just sucks the solder in is great. I had 2 joints where I think I overheated the elbow. Still sucked the solder in but not as pretty as the rest. Using propane torch.

 

[jhynesrockmtn]

Such great progress. I built my radiant system at the time having never done anything like this before. I had to redo a few joints but it's been working great since 2016. In fact I need to look at whether I need to change out the water/glycol at some point.

 

[knuckle47]

Sweat-soldering copper pipe is satisfying and fun to do in my opinion. You know when you've done it right, the solder just sucks into the joint all at once when you hit the right temperature. Depending on the diameter of the copper pipe, it can be a challenge to heat it evenly on all sides of the joint. It can be easy to overheat the copper and boil away the solder if you use an acetylene torch or even MAPP gas (or similar), but propane can take a long time to heat up the joint. I still prefer to use propane myself.

I have added a new zone to my boiler in this new room of ours and sweat the fittings that run under the floor (crawl space) but, I had to leave a “hatch” to go under the floor after it’s all connected to inspect the joints. Once I know it doesn’t leak, I can finish the flooring. I also need to remove an 8’ pre-existing hydronic heat strip where I cut the pass thru from the old house to the new room at the garage wall.

I THINK I CAN successfully solder the basement bypass but what scares me a bit is ….there is water in these tubes and draining 1 zone loop in the heat HAD BETTER BE A SUCCESS because if I screw it up, that section of the house has no heat until I get it right. Then, I have to purge the air…not a specialty of mine

 

[mrboatman]

I’ve never messed with these type of systems. If you’re putting in a valve or some other straight fitting use an expansion plug to hold back the water or loaf of bread. Water will steam and blow out your solder.

 

[knuckle47]

I have used the white bread trick one time, years back for a sink. That seems ok as the bread eventually pushes out of the hose bib and it’s gone. In a closed loop hot water loop, I don’t know how it would react be stuck inside the loop for the next 30 years. I know it would break-down…but how much?

I was thinking shark-bites but this runs about 170* at times and the limit of these fittings is 200*. It WOULD BE PAINLESS. But ain’t nothing like a solid solder joint. Another option is compression fittings….i think. Once again, this is not anything I know about as the jack of all trades, master of none, as my Grandma would have said

 

[1911]

I have used the white bread trick one time, years back for a sink. That seems ok as the bread eventually pushes out of the hose bib and it’s gone. In a closed loop hot water loop, I don’t know how it would react be stuck inside the loop for the next 30 years. I know it would break-down…but how much?

I was thinking shark-bites but this runs about 170* at times and the limit of these fittings is 200*. It WOULD BE PAINLESS. But ain’t nothing like a solid solder joint. Another option is compression fittings….i think. Once again, this is not anything I know about as the jack of all trades, master of none, as my Grandma would have said

I have used Shark Bite connections, in a quick repair in a tight location in a friend's house. They are easy to use, but I'm not sure I trust them. That repair was just for a condensation line, so no pressure, and it has held up fine - but they seem a bit "too good to be true" for me. Kind of expensive also.

 

[knuckle47]

Your opinion on ‘trust’ is mine as well …the repercussions of a failed fitting will be a nightmare since it’s in the utility area of a finished basement , it has a automatic feed on the boiler if the water pressure should drop and I have a well. I’m in the basement once a week or so and walking down there on Saturday when the fitting failed the previous Sunday paints a picture in my head I just can’t live with.

 

[Skreddy]

I replumbed my entire house and used soldered fittings or crimp on pex everywhere for these same reasons. I just didn’t trust one of the push to connects long term and I really didn’t want to be redoing floors and walls from water damage.

 

[Skreddy]

Today after work I finished hooking up the floor system and filled, flushed and purged it. Let it sit at 20 psi for about 20 minutes and it held steady. Bled off some pressure to about 15 psi and turned the power on. System is super quiet but after about a minute started hearing air rushing through the boiler and pump and pressure dropped to 5 psi. Added more water and holding steady at 15 again.
When I turned it on, slab sensor was 33 degrees (Fahrenheit for any of our base 10 measuring folk), outgoing water was 50 and incoming water was 35. This is a high efficiency system so my understanding is it doesn’t just make 110 degree water all at once but instead slowly warms it higher as it returns warmer. Anyhow, been an hour and change, floor is at about 38 degrees, boiler exit water is 60 and incoming water about 40. No leaks so far. Please excuse the wiring…. Wasn’t sure I hooked it all up right based on multiple schematics I got so I’ll go back in the next couple days and tidy up the wiring.

 

[clrussell]

Heated shop floor might be the best thing ever

 

[Skreddy]

Been working the last week but little bits of time here and there to get shop work done. Finished all my interior framing and got the lower 8’ of plastic up over the insulation. Yesterday cleaned and washed/scrubbed the floor and today I did the first step of my floor treatment. Using GhostShield Lithi-Tek 4500 followed in a week by Siloxa-Tek 8510. The 4500 is the lithium based concrete densifier and gets mixed 1:1 with distilled water. Sprayed it on with a garden pump sprayer “to the point of saturation but no puddling”. I thought I was putting it on too heavy but I got about 400 ish sq ft per gallon coverage. The packaging says 250-400 sq ft/gal. I used about 5 diluted gallons for 1800 sq ft.
Hope to finish sheeting ceiling and walls this week then paint next week and move in!

 

[Skreddy]

Wall sheeting today among other things. Almost done with the walls and hope to finish walls and ceiling by Thursday evening before I go back to work for a while.
Tomorrow a guy is coming to wind and set the springs for the overhead doors. It’s going to be really nice to be able to use those finally. Biggest project tomorrow is more electrical. Utility is dropping the overhead line that feeds the house so I can turn on the new underground line from the shop. But first! Once power is off, I have to take out the old recessed meter base, put in a non recessed disconnect service entrance, wire that to the panel and separate all the neutrals and grounds in our overstuffed panel. I hope it goes well because our house is without power until I get that done and it’s been snowing.


It’s soooooo close. I figure about 2 more weeks until I can move stuff in.

 

[TRDdrew]

very jealous of your floors lol, looks great

 

[Skreddy]

Just wrapped up my house panel work. Back to shop.

Except I found out today that they sent the wrong ceiling mount tracks for my overhead doors. Guy came to adjust the springs and let me know that. Working with them now to get these exchanged for the right tracks.

 

[Skreddy]

Didn’t finish my sheeting today but got quite a bit done. Next Tuesday I’ll be off work and should be able to finish all my sheeting and get painted next week.

 

[Michael B]

Are you using a lift to install the sheeting for the ceiling?