Heat Underfoot!

by marjasisu, posted in Camp Many Moons

It worked. The water flowed. Hot. In the floor. The Cabin at Many Moons has heat!

Six months ago today, we laid orange tubing into sand that would become a foundation and, eventually, a house. (The report of that day is posted here.) Today, those same tubes began to carry the hot water that will heat that house. Now that’s progress!

It’s called hydronic radiant heat. (You can also do this with electricity instead of water.) In the far-north, it’s called a “heated slab” because it’s built into the concrete slab that forms the foundation. I didn’t witness the “huzzah!” moment because I’m still in Virginia, but I feel the excitement! I’m thinking tonight about all those steps in between. All those decisions, and runs to the building store. The unexpected and ongoing support from my brother in Montana. Jeff’s resilience and commitment. And about the day, six years ago, when I bought a sad-looking plot of land without knowing what I would do with it. (That day is posted here.) Not knowing is OK. You just take the first step. And then the next. And, one day, this. Many more steps still to come, but this is one nice Christmas present. Photos and captions follow….

Remember all that orange tubing (called pex) that we laid into the sand six months ago? Imagine 1,200 feet of it, snaking back and forth underneath the concrete floor. Here, in the mechanical room, is where that tube enters and exits the house. Boiler-heated water goes down the four shorter tubes on the left, through the loops under the floor, and back up the four longer “return” tubes on the right, to be re-heated by the boiler. Jeff created four heating zones, and those red valves on the right-hand tubes allow us to separately manage the heat in those zones. You also see our two water filters here–one for sand (a recurring issue with our well) and the other for finer stuff.
The boiler looks complicated with its front cover off, but Jeff calls it a simple set-up. (Uh, ok, if you say so.) My brother, an HVAC expert, helped us decide on the right boiler for our needs, created a diagram to facilitate its installation, and ordered it for us. Jeff installed it immediately, eager to make it work. (It’s pretty cold in there, and he’s been working there almost every day.) While the boiler delivers hot water for heat, the hot-water tank on the right will deliver it for household use.
As Jeff got the boiler running for the first time, it released this steam or fog through a two-inch exhaust vent. (He says an efficient boiler like this one creates condensation because it pulls air from outside — unlike the wood stove, which pulls air from inside. Not sure I got that right, since my expertise and interests lie elsewhere, but I’m glad he’s pleased!) This north side of the house is the “working side” and looks like it, with the propane tank, septic tank, and white sewer vent on the roof. (We’ll paint it later so it blends in better. Who knew DiY home-builders need to think about releasing sewer gasses? Not me!) That 500-gallon propane tank fuels the boiler, which fuels the in-floor heat, which is our main heat source. So, we have propane heat. That should help with heating bills!
Meanwhile, it looks more like a house every day as the walls are covered with sheetrock. This is the view from the front door, looking toward the water…bedroom on the right, bathroom and mechanical room on the left.
Jeff was also an electrician today. While our occasional hired helper worked on walls (here, in the bedroom), Jeff was wiring things…thermostat, outside air temperature sensor, circulating pump, hot water heater. Electricity, heat, and water are necessary to turn a structure into a house — and it’s getting closer to a house every day! (Furnishings will turn it from a house into a home.)
Speaking of home. This is Mom and me, in her home, on her 100th birthday two years ago. Mom died this year. She represented a kind of perennial “home” for me (as mothers often do), no matter where I lived. Her birthday is Dec. 25, so Christmas feels “off” this year…like I lost a home. But I’m building another. And there are other people to love. Losing someone dear is a jolt and leaves a gap. That gap will remain … but we build alongside it. That’s what we do.
Boo is comfortable at home in Virginia but wonders when she will get back to the woods! (Soon, Boo. Soon.)

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