plumbing baseboard heating


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Old 10-22-03, 08:08 AM
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Question plumbing baseboard heating

Hi. I am plumbing an addition and am currently working on the baseboard heat plumbing. The addition has a 2 car garage underneath (unheated but insulated). The floor framing consists of 12 inch on center joists.

To plumb the addition for heat, I will need to run some of my pipes below the subfloor and through the joists where there will be insulation. Since the joists are 12 in on center, I will not be able to snake a long piece of (at least I don't think so) solid 3/4 type 'M' copper through the joists. I don't really want to cut the pipe into sections and then rejoin it - that may compromise the reliability of the system by having too many connections.

Anyway, my question is; Can I run flexible 3/4 " copper between joists? The stuff I have been able to find is type 'L'. Is that ok to use for baseboard heating?

I was thinking about an insulated soffitt in the garage to house the piping but that looks cheezy and it seems to make sense to put the pipes up in between the joists.

What is the trick for running pipes between joists (without notching prior to putting the subfloor down)?
 
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Old 10-22-03, 08:19 AM
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You can hang the pipes just below the joist, and then get pipe insulation wrap, or the black armoflex. Also i would suggest having anti-freeze mixed into your system since it is exposed to a cool area..
 
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Old 10-22-03, 09:30 AM
brickeyee
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Type L is fine and good for getting through joists as you propose. Be carefull not to kink the tube as you uncoil it and pull it through. A broad sweep 90 degree turn in L has far less flow resistance than a standard 90 wrot copper ell.
 
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Old 10-22-03, 09:50 AM
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pipes for boiler

What is the trick for running pipes between joists (without notching prior to putting the subfloor down)?


Lots of times if the siding is not up yet Can drill out side in the rim joist and all the other joist and feed the pipe in to where it has to go. Just add the L's on it then.

The M copper is like the bottom of the line for light duty.
The L copper is for plumbing and heating
The K copper is for heavy work and underground use



ED
 

Last edited by Ed Imeduc; 10-22-03 at 11:05 AM.
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Old 10-22-03, 11:12 AM
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I thought you have to use at least type L for hot water heating, and that type M is only for regular water piping.
 
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Old 10-22-03, 11:22 AM
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copper

I thought you have to use at least type L for hot water heating, and that type M is only for regular water piping.


Turn it around. like most boilers get about 12 to18 psi .

most water lines are pump's. Like have a 20 psi on and a 40 psi off or higher psi . I know a lot people run water in M for the cost . But they should use L.

wall of L for 1/2" is .035
wall of M for 1/2" is .025

ED
 
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Old 10-22-03, 11:41 AM
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Ed is correct. You can use L for both is money is no object (like it is never an object). M is slightly less expensive because it is thinner. I would NEVER EVER fish soft 3/4" copper through floor joists. You will get the creaking and tapping noises that we answer questions about here all the time. I use Ed's suggestion and drill all the way over to an outside wall and pop a piece of siding and drill out through the side of the house and slide the pipe right in. You do not weaken anything and you get a great job. If you use bushings for the pipe you will have to drill 1 3/8" holes but you will have a quiet job. I use one bushing on every third joist unless a hole gets misaligned and the pipe touches the joist. Then I'll use one wherever it touches.
 
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Old 10-22-03, 12:05 PM
MusicField
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I recently moved my hot water heating pipes up into the joists when I finished my basement last month. This is how I did it:

1. Snap a chaulk line along the bottom of the joists in the location when you want the new pipe to go.

2. At each chaulk line mark, use a template to mark a location on the side of the joists that is in the center of the joists. A template is very usefull because it ensures that each mark is at the same location as every other one.

3. Drill a hole at each mark the appropriate diameter. Leaving extra space between the pipe and the framing members allows for the placement of bushings to help reduce/eliminate expansion noises.

4. Drill the hole through the outside wall of the house and feed your pipe through.

Also, note that there are rules for notches and holes in wood framing members. Check them out at:

www.wwpa.org/pdf/A11.pdf
 
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Old 10-22-03, 01:26 PM
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Thanks for the info - I guess I should have been thinking "outside the box"
It never occurred to me to drill through the outside wall of the house - yeah, siding is on but it's vinyl and doable.

As far as type M vs type L, a friend told me there is less copper to conduct heat and that is why he uses type M for heating.

Thanks again for the help.
 
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Old 10-22-03, 01:44 PM
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copper pipe

Its the cost: that he uses M pipe for heat. A lot of them slip in M pipe for a water job in the home sometimes. Its like buying a solder Iron-- But their copper, you can get a 1lb set of irons or go on up to a 3lb set they will cost more but they will hold the heat and you can solder a lot longer. This is back in the box. ED
 
 

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