Insulating lines inside the basement

[pipe76]

Just wondering if anyone has insulated the lines inside the basement coming from the wood boiler?

 

[confused8122]

Yup, just used cheap pipe foam insulation.
Wasn't worried about heat loss. But with 100 feet of pex, (50 in, 50 out) plus side arm, plate exchanger, and such, the basement was getting quite warm. Fall and spring warmer days, all that heat rising made the house too warm. So i was just trying to contain where the heat was going. Other than that, i feel that heat loss in the house is heat in the house.

 

[Perk]

I've got 1" pex - used some of the split foam pipe insulation from the big box store. Works pretty good, although I'm not sure how necessary it is. Maybe in summer when all I'm doing is heating domestic water. In winter, a little extra radiated heat in the basement is OK.

 

[jh35]

I just fired up the OWB a couple weeks ago for the first time ever. I bought some of the split foam as I have over 100' of inch pex in the basement. It isn't too warm in the basement now so I will most likely wait 'til spring to do it. If I burn all summer for the DHW I will definately insulate. I'm just not sure if that is the best idea. I know people who do it. Wood is plentiful and free for the taking so I may try.

Jeff

 

[pipe76]

I was thinking the same thing, not really needed but imagine there is some heat loss, at least the heat loss is in the basement warming the floors :msp_biggrin:
I insulated mine near the basement window it travels by just for the heck of it.

 

[Jules083]

I never understood why you would insulate stuff like that once it made it to the house. Either boiler lines like you are talking or ductwork. Isn't the 'heat loss' you talk about going into the house? So either way the house is getting warmer, which is the ultimate goal.

I always laugh at the people that spend a ton of money insulating and sealing the ductwork, then put a vent in the basement to warm it up. They don't seem to get it.

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[pipe76]

True, the house is getting warmer, but my basement is well insulated, so alot of heat is trapped downstairs in my basement.

 

[jh35]

Also, I may run my OWB all summer to heat my DHW. If I do, I want the lines insulated to save on the AC.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

I never understood why you would insulate stuff like that once it made it to the house. Either boiler lines like you are talking or ductwork. Isn't the 'heat loss' you talk about going into the house? So either way the house is getting warmer, which is the ultimate goal.

I always laugh at the people that spend a ton of money insulating and sealing the ductwork, then put a vent in the basement to warm it up. They don't seem to get it.

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2

It's called efficiency and avoiding hot and cold spots. Leaky ductwork reduces duct pressures and CFM suffers, especially with longer runs. Sure, you are heating the house, but the whole point with ductwork is getting the warm or cold air where you want it. If it didn't matter where it went, you would just be blowing hot or cold air into one room and letting the air circulate on its own. That wouldn't work to well. Trust me, that's how my house is currently set up. The basement is very warm, the first floor is a little cooler and the second floor is chilly. Temperatures also vary on each level depending on location.

I'm in the process of setting up 2 separate air handlers each with their own ductwork (no ductwork currently installed) serving the different levels of my home. With plenum heat exchangers you want as high of inlet water temp as possible so the air being forced over the hx fins can pull as much heat as possible off of the fins. Higher water temp equals higher BTU output from the hx, which in turn equals better hx efficiency. With a long enough loop, you are losing a decent amount of radiant heat from exposed PEX. If you have a series loop loaded with a brazed plate hx, and two 100k BTU air handler hx's, the water temps drop quite a bit over each of the hx's. I want the water temp to drop over my hx's. I do not want the water temp to drop between the hx's through the piping. So I'm insulating.