[Cob] Radiant heat floors

[Yun Que]

   Cat here!

   The tubing is plastic and most of the company's that sell this stuff
   will have spec's.  The last one I looked guaranteed about 20 years
   however they went into explanations about the loss of fluid thru the
   walls of the particular plastic...

   Frank Lloyd Wright used copper tubing in concrete.  the chemicals in
   the concrete degenerated the copper and the systems failed over
   time...

   Their are electrical tape systems that will put a grid of electricity
   under you the same way an electric blanket works.  Not my favorite
   choice!

   You could look into copper tubing in a gravel base with clay (cob) or
   terracotta tile with clay mortar.  More expensive for sure but will
   last forever and could be repaired if their is failure.  No repair in
   a radiant heated floor is going to be easy.

   My own choice was to lay dry clay pipe in gravel overlaid with tile in
   a clay mortar...then allow heat to circulate into the pipe from a
   lower level green house...this is to be a passive solar or wood fired
   system.  taking the subterranean 52+/- degrees and heating it.  The
   smoke from the fire would be exhausted out of the cellar or
   greenhouse, using a masonry stove for greatest heat efficiency and the
   heated air from the confined area would heat the level above thru
   vents into the floor pipes... No smoke would ever be in the house.
   It's a concept only!  I am working with property using a stepped
   hillside farm with southern exposure....The idea is to have as few
   moving parts as possible and even if the clay pipes crack or become
   separated under the floor they would still function. The house would
   have to be built with the heating system as a paramount design
   element. My choice is eight sided and up to get the most space with
   the least foundation and roof, keeping the heat source in the
   center...

   Anyone out there see possible flaws in my plan?  When I dream I tend
   to be an optimist!


   for the good of all C.
       ______________________________________________________________

     From: Deanne <dkdale at sbcglobal.net>
     To: coblist at deatech.com
     Subject: [Cob] Radiant heat floors
     Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:50:07 -0800 (PST)
     MIME-Version: 1.0
     Received: from vogon.deatech.com ([69.59.212.73]) by
     bay0-mc3-f1.bay0.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.2444);
     Sun, 28 Jan 2007 06:00:42 -0800
     Received: from localhost([127.0.0.1] helo=vogon.deatech.com
     ident=list)by vogon.deatech.com with esmtp (Exim 4.50)id
     1HBAQn-0007TX-Cx; Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:50:53 -0800
     Received: from web82507.mail.mud.yahoo.com ([209.191.86.194])by
     vogon.deatech.com with smtp (Exim 4.50) id 1HBAQa-0007TO-DHfor
     coblist at deatech.com; Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:50:44 -0800
     Received: (qmail 82542 invoked by uid 60001); 28 Jan 2007 13:50:07
     -0000
     Received: from [75.6.237.114] by web82507.mail.mud.yahoo.com via
     HTTP;Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:50:07 PST
     >Apologies in advance if this has already been answered in recent
     memory. I would like to use radiant heat in the house I'm (still!)
     designing, and have not been able to locate information about how
     long the tubing used in radiant heating lasts.
     >
     > Since it's all embedded in concrete (or can something else be
     used?) what do you do if/when there's a break or other
     deterioration of the tubes? I'm wondering about the fluid that
     conducts the heat absorbing into the concrete, and how to plan for
     replacing any damaged tubing.
     >
     > Thanks,
     >
     > Deanne
     >_______________________________________________
     >Coblist mailing list
     >Coblist at deatech.com
     >http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist
     _________________________________________________________________

   [1]Get live scores and news about your team: Add the Live.com Football
   Page

References

   1. http://g.msn.com/8HMAENUS/2746??PS=47575