PEX radiant sub-floor heating under basement floor
Does anyone have any experience with this? Problems/issues? Benefits (other than not having to hear a jet engine start up when the heating system kicks on)? Cost? How long do they last in the real world? I'd hate to set my heart on one of these only to find out after the fact that I need to smash my basement floor every ten years. Also considering masonry heater. Maybe a combination of masonry and radiant subfloor with PEX. We'll see.
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In-floor radiant heat definitely is popular here in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
I helped a neighbor install the pex, etc. last summer in a 40 x 80 timber frame home/shop. The Benchmark Foam slotted Styrofoam panels make it simple to install the pex – you just lay the pex down and step on it to push it in. The slots are spaced every 6” to allow for variable spacing based on floor plan. Staples can be used in a few spots as needed but I would hate to staple the whole floor.
I know the early pex tubing had problems (but a lot less than copper) with leakage but the oxygen barrier pex seems to be the answer. It is very important to keep the tubing length consistent.
A lot of people here are heating the water with wood and solar (can be DIY) is also a viable option.
We are just starting to build a timber frame structure that will be our home and storage while building a LHBA 30 x 30 and plan to use in-floor radiant in both.
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