Hydronic floor tubing?

[Ramdough]

I am looking at doing hydronic floor heating. My camper will be heated with a diesel hydronic heater, so adding floor heating is only a plumbing and time expense.

In my case, I will have access hatches in the floor to gain access to my gray tank and house batteries.

What type of tubing are you using? How did you like it?

Any recommendation for a flexible tubing so I can hinge my floors up?

Thanks in advance.


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[Joe917]

Our tubing is orange PEX inside ( the one with an Oxygen barrier) and 3/4" rad hose under the truck. I think having a joint flex enough to open a hatch is too much.

 

[Ramdough]

Our tubing is orange PEX inside ( the one with an Oxygen barrier) and 3/4" rad hose under the truck. I think having a joint flex enough to open a hatch is too much.

Too much effort?


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[Ramdough]

My guess is that you can plumb around your hatches and suffer little or no effect! It's "TOTALLY AMBIENT" Dood!

Basically, the whole isle is a hatch. So, all or nothing.

Thoughts?


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[Alloy]

For an open system or a system that has rubber hose then oxygen barrier PEX is not needed.

Water entering the floor should never be more than 140F.

You'll need to account for the expansion/contraction when fitting the hatch.

Uponor has a 5/16" PEX that is used in their Quick Track System.

SS Braided Teflon for flex hose or for a hatch that is not used often a 360 degree loop of PEX is easy and cheap.

 

[john61ct]

No need to actually heat the floor itself, definitely only embed in / mount to fixed areas.

For extreme climates, really tight sealed envelope and big R-values are critical, design those "hatches" like fridge doors.

Or seal / insulate the basement and heat that space letting it percolate up

Otherwise just loop around the living space where you can, cabinets, shelves etc

a couple exchangers with quiet computer fans

you could even go along the ceiling.

 

[Joe917]

Too much effort?


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Too much flex. Insulate the box under the hatch and run a heating loop through that.

 

[Ramdough]

Too much flex. Insulate the box under the hatch and run a heating loop through that.

So, the box under the floor will be insulated with some air flow going through it. Pet of my plan is to use some small fanes to pull air through all spaces that normally would be stagnant. The below floor boxes start and end under furniture so fans will also pull through them.

The design has all of the house batteries down there and the grey water tank down there.

Thanks everyone!


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[Ramdough]

For an open system or a system that has rubber hose then oxygen barrier PEX is not needed.

Water entering the floor should never be more than 140F.

You'll need to account for the expansion/contraction when fitting the hatch.

Uponor has a 5/16" PEX that is used in their Quick Track System.

SS Braided Teflon for flex hose or for a hatch that is not used often a 360 degree loop of PEX is easy and cheap.

Always wondered…. What is the purpose of the oxygen barrier?


I plan to have an expansion tank up high.

I am leaning towards running the tubes under the basement and under the cabinets…. Maybe along the toe kick of the cabinets.

Thanks!


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[Joe917]

Oxygen barrier protects coolant and helps prevent corrosion in ferrous metals in closed system.
Using an open system, using drinking water in the heating loop adds a risk of bacterial contamination.

 

[Alloy]

Always wondered…. What is the purpose of the oxygen barrier?


I plan to have an expansion tank up high.

I am leaning towards running the tubes under the basement and under the cabinets…. Maybe along the toe kick of the cabinets.

Thanks!


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Oxygen allows electrolysis to take place. If the system closed with a sealed expansion tank (located anywhere in the system) and all metal (steel/copper/stainless steel) piping then use O2 barrier PEX and add some corrosion inhibitor to the water.

If the system is open, has rubber or silicone hose (connect to the engine) or is subject to freezing the O2 barrier PEX is not beneficial and it is best to use a 50/50 mix of anti freeze that is compatible with non (aluminum) ferrous metal.

I wouldn't use the floor heat as the sole source of heat due to the limited amount of open floor space.

 

[Ramdough]

Oxygen allows electrolysis to take place. If the system closed with a sealed expansionView attachment 674349 tank (located anywhere in the system) and all metal (steel/copper/stainless steel) piping then use O2 barrier PEX and add some corrosion inhibitor to the water.

If the system is open, has rubber or silicone hose (connect to the engine) or is subject to freezing the O2 barrier PEX is not beneficial and it is best to use a 50/50 mix of anti freeze that is compatible with non (aluminum) ferrous metal.

I wouldn't use the floor heat as the sole source of heat due to the limited amount of open floor space.

Great explanation. I plan to have some radiators located around the camper (bathroom, maybe the dinette) and some fan blown heater cores.


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[Ramdough]

Great explanation. I plan to have some radiators located around the camper (bathroom, maybe the dinette) and some fan blown heater cores.


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One more thing, the hot water for shower and sinks is heated with plate heat exchangers.

I plan to use non-toxic antifreeze.


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[Peter_n_Margaret]

We owned a 20 year old German built MH in Europe for a few years.
The heating system circulated glycol through aluminium tubes hidden in cupboards and radiators with no fans. Worked well.

Friends have in-floor heating circulating glycol and used copper pipe. Also works well.

Our now 16 year old OKA uses a Webasto to heat and circulate glycol for hot water and central heating via radiators with multiple very quiet fans. Also works well.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome