Comments on: Insulating the Basement (II) – The Hard Parts http://www.shaneandcasey.com/2009/02/04/insulating-the-basement-ii-the-hard-parts/ Family, House, Home Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:28:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Shane http://www.shaneandcasey.com/2009/02/04/insulating-the-basement-ii-the-hard-parts/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Shane Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:51:29 +0000 http://www.shaneandcasey.com/?p=272#comment-136 Wow, thanks for the info Greg! I was getting to the point where I was just going to give up and box around the pipes. After reading this, I'm getting tempted to do it in PVC. I'll probably read up on it a bit more before I tackle it. Once again, thanks a million! Wow, thanks for the info Greg! I was getting to the point where I was just going to give up and box around the pipes. After reading this, I’m getting tempted to do it in PVC. I’ll probably read up on it a bit more before I tackle it.

Once again, thanks a million!

]]> By: Greg http://www.shaneandcasey.com/2009/02/04/insulating-the-basement-ii-the-hard-parts/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Greg Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:45:14 +0000 http://www.shaneandcasey.com/?p=272#comment-134 (this is probably late, but I thought I'd comment anyway in case someone else stumbles across this blog like I just did). There's no problem of using PEX (or PVC) for your main lines - it's very popular in new houses to only use PEX. You'd probably want to use at least 3/4". That looks to me like a 3/4" or 1" galvanized line - it MAY be easier to use PVC to mate up to it, depending on where it's going. Since PEX is flexible, it is relatively easy to do more complex things with it - routing between rafters and around other pipes and ducts - whereas PVC is more rigid, and requires much more planning and measuring before you glue everything together. Assuming your main line is galvanized, you should be able to unscrew one of the fittings and just use the existing threads/fittings to mate up to a threaded PVC or PEX adapter. If you need to re-thread the galvanized, it requires a special tool and is a bit of a pain to use, especially in a tight space. The one downside to PEX is that it requires a special crimp tool to put it together. Most plumbers will actually have at least two types of crimps - a normal one that crimps the $0.30 rings, and a smaller one that can crimp the $2 quick-connect rings, which is good when you need to get in tight places. If you're careful and think about what order you crimp things in, in my experience MOST jobs can be done without the quick connect rings. After you crimp, you can still rotate the angles of the pipes, so you can often crimp a fitting before putting it where it needs to go. The crimp tools are $150-300 each, so it's probably better to rent them for one-off jobs. PEX probably takes about 20% of the time of a copper install - and likely more for a beginner, because copper soldering takes some practice to get good at. PVC is probably about 60% of the time of copper, because you still have to measure, cut, dry-fit, then disassemble, glue, and re-assemble. (this is probably late, but I thought I’d comment anyway in case someone else stumbles across this blog like I just did).

There’s no problem of using PEX (or PVC) for your main lines – it’s very popular in new houses to only use PEX. You’d probably want to use at least 3/4″. That looks to me like a 3/4″ or 1″ galvanized line – it MAY be easier to use PVC to mate up to it, depending on where it’s going. Since PEX is flexible, it is relatively easy to do more complex things with it – routing between rafters and around other pipes and ducts – whereas PVC is more rigid, and requires much more planning and measuring before you glue everything together.

Assuming your main line is galvanized, you should be able to unscrew one of the fittings and just use the existing threads/fittings to mate up to a threaded PVC or PEX adapter. If you need to re-thread the galvanized, it requires a special tool and is a bit of a pain to use, especially in a tight space.

The one downside to PEX is that it requires a special crimp tool to put it together. Most plumbers will actually have at least two types of crimps – a normal one that crimps the $0.30 rings, and a smaller one that can crimp the $2 quick-connect rings, which is good when you need to get in tight places. If you’re careful and think about what order you crimp things in, in my experience MOST jobs can be done without the quick connect rings. After you crimp, you can still rotate the angles of the pipes, so you can often crimp a fitting before putting it where it needs to go. The crimp tools are $150-300 each, so it’s probably better to rent them for one-off jobs.

PEX probably takes about 20% of the time of a copper install – and likely more for a beginner, because copper soldering takes some practice to get good at. PVC is probably about 60% of the time of copper, because you still have to measure, cut, dry-fit, then disassemble, glue, and re-assemble.

]]> By: momomatic http://www.shaneandcasey.com/2009/02/04/insulating-the-basement-ii-the-hard-parts/comment-page-1/#comment-70 momomatic Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:31:28 +0000 http://www.shaneandcasey.com/?p=272#comment-70 I have *no* idea how I found your site, but yay! I love knowing that there are people out there so willing to work hard to restore an old home. The home we just bought (we move in in March) isn't as old as yours (it was built in 1967), but there's alot of work ahead of us. Anyhoo--I really look forward to watching your new home come together. I'm bookmarking now! :) I have *no* idea how I found your site, but yay! I love knowing that there are people out there so willing to work hard to restore an old home.

The home we just bought (we move in in March) isn’t as old as yours (it was built in 1967), but there’s alot of work ahead of us.

Anyhoo–I really look forward to watching your new home come together. I’m bookmarking now! :)

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