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I’m looking for information regarding possibly putting hydronic heat under a paver type patio. The patio/plaza is to be constructed at the entrance of my church. The materials will be a paver type brick set in a sand and gravel base. Is it possible to install a hydronic type system? And if so, any advise?
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Bill,
These systems are quite common. If you look over in the ENERGY folder there are a few threads there.
To get started, take a gander at Wirsbo's site. Look for the page detailing snowmelt systems.
You're looking at, from the top surface down, pavers, a sand/gravel bed with PEX tubing serpentined through it, rigid insulation, then the earth.
Much of the detail to the setup depends on the size of the system and what you're trying to do with it.
Regards,
Mongo
*It is a great application for a snow melt system. Pity to have an older parishioner come to get their soul saved only to break a hip in the process. My wife's medical office (internist, so lots of oldsters) has a snow-melt sidewalk as do we at home (lazy, not old).I considered pavers for their easy installation and ease of changes or trenching under them. But opted for poured concrete for better thermal conductivity. Both work but pavers work a little slower. Presumably your system would be on a timer to fire up from 5 am to 9 am each Sunday (or Saturday, or whatever your holy day is) morning to remove any frozen drips or footsteps or tire tracks. And then a separate, manual, wind-up timer to run for a few hours after a snowfall. Being willing to shovel the bulk of the snow off will allow the system to finish the job faster and eliminates the potential problem of melt water leaving the heated area only to form a skating rink somewhere downhill. Of course, you could always sponsor a youth hockey league :-)