Garage Floor Heat

[Gatores]

I bought a house a couple years ago that the previous owner put 5/8" ipex tubing in the garage floor. I believe it is different then normal pex in that it has a aluminum core surrounded by plastic. Anyways I was gonna go to the BIG box store to get fittings, manifolds and a crimping tool to get set up to get an electric boiler set up to finally have a heated garage. Well they have absolutely nothing in that size for crimpers or fittings of any kind.

My question is what do I do? Is this a that unique size? Do I adapt up or down to 3/4 or 1/2? Online I can find fittings and stuff but sure would be easier to just be able to go to town and buy what I need.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

[Moe Szyslak]

Gas fired boiler....

Electric = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ monthly heating

[leechlake]

just some food for thought and doesn't answer your connection questions.

my neighbor owned a business and installed heated coils in his driveway. They didn't put it in the garage food because of some odd screw up. He used a gas boiler and after he got a few bills he scrapped the cool idea of melting snow and I started plowing the driveway for him. He still kept the boiler going and it heated the garage pretty well.

I'd do the math on just installing a forced air heater in. I know you have the coils and that has some tremendous benefits on even heat, drying the water etc. Hate to install something and then get the monthly bill and have sticker shock. Maybe you've already done this...Now back to your question.

I'd call a plumbing company and just ask them what they suggest. Most guys will throw out a good amount of advise to help you out.

[BoxMN]

The big question is whether you have off peak electric where you are. If you do, then cost won't be bad. I plan to put in electric boiler in my (unbuilt as of yet) garage/shop at the cabin if we ever live there, and just maintain it at about 40-45-50?, and use wood heat or possibly gas furnace for when I am out there using it.

I have it (duel fuel, electric boiler) in cabin basement floor and it works great and is not expensive, but I don't heat whole joint with it, just use it to keep base temp (52-55, turn it up if people are going to sleep down there) and then gas (fireplace and/or furnace) when we are up there.

edit -= sorry, I see we are off topic, you just want to know about fittings. Sorry, no help from me...

[Gatores]

I wanted to know about fittings and the unique pex with aluminum inside of it.

Already planned that it would be wired off-peak which actually is less money then propane. Comparing off peak electric to propane, propane would have to be under 1.30 to be cheaper then electric. I just filled my propane tank last week and paid 1.79/gal.

I gave thought to forced air, but the advantages of floor heat outweigh it in my opinion.

[CAMAN]

What you are describing sounds like Pex-AL. Fittings are special order at Menards. Probably easiest to order what you need online.

[nobody05]

supplyhouse . com has them also