Floor Heat, Thermal Imaging, Boiler Temps, and more...

[acbruno]

I have a guy coming out to my 7-bay SS wash to take thermal imaging pics of the floor heat. He says he'll be able to find all the leaks within a pencil width of their source. Seems to accurate to be true, but I already found two of the five leaks myself between the front skirt cement area and the bay cement. I'm guessing all my leaks are in those areas. The coolant was bubbling up from the floor on one leak and the other one I found someone had chipped the cement down to the hose with just enough clearance to put plugs on both ends of the break. Why would someone do that and not just shut off the valves at the manifold? He's going to charge me $270 for doing all seven bays for as long as it takes. Hopefully that's a good price. He?s going to print me detailed pics with the leaks marked on them. I?ll post pics here when I get them.

The floor heat that works keeps everything melted all the time very well, even big chunks of ice are melted in a few hours. This leads me to believe I have my heat cranked too high. It is set at 110F for the outgoing temp and 80F for the incoming temp. What is a good average temp to run the boiler at?

Lastly, my plan is to use a demolition hammer to remove the cement around the broken lines. How should the lines be patched once I get to that point? I guess I could run a barb connection with a hose clamp on both ends or I could get some patch pipe and run the floor heat tubes inside of it and clamp both ends. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[pitzerwm]

Use double clamps on each end.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

$270 sounds good to me, I'd pay that to find leaks. I would ask if he guarantees his work though, ie what if you chisel out the concrete where he says there's a leak and there isnt one? Do you still pay him?

I used john guest polytube fittings to repair floor heat tubes I had to cut through when I replaced my water main 2 months ago. Working fine so far, but I havent repoured concrete over them yet. Will probably wrap the fittings in plastic before I pour.

 

[KRCarwash]

Yes, you will be able to see the leaks.. the thermal camera is cool. My full time job is with the fire department, and my car wash is right next door to my fire station, so I just walk over with the thermal camera whenever I need to. Its a very handy device for sure!

 

[JIMT]

Yes, you will be able to see the leaks.. the thermal camera is cool. My full time job is with the fire department, and my car wash is right next door to my fire station, so I just walk over with the thermal camera whenever I need to. Its a very handy device for sure!

KR,
Could you post a picture to show us what it looks like. thanks
JimT

 

[KRCarwash]

Well, I dont really have a way to post a picture off a thermal camera. Basically, you can see the tubing thru the concrete!!. The camera is so sensative that if you put your hand on a wall and remove it, you can see where the hand was on the wall.. It senses the temperature differences. You will be able to see the heat in the tubing and if any liquid is leaking, you'll see the heat difference in the surrounding area.. I'm sure the guy will let you look thru the camera. It is really cool!. but for the $10000 the camera costs, it better be.