hydronic heat for the barn - part 1

For the construction of the barn project, I designed, acted as the owner general contractor, procurement of most material, partook in as a laborer in all aspects of the construction. More important I handle and installing all the utilities including power, gas, water, sewer, drainage, plumbing, network IT, the HVAC as well as hydronic heating. I specified and installed the three 550-lb garage doors myself.

I planned a multi-zone mini split heat pump system to be the primary heating for this big space. However I also want the slab floor not to be uninhabitable cold in the coldest of winter days. This is the first winter I experience the building and I am extremely glad the I made the provision for hydronic heat. The hydronic heat will be powered by propane so it would only be used as supplemental heat to the heat pump.

Here are the photos chronicle the hydronic heating system.

insulated slab as well as perimeter insulation; I did the PSI load check

my underground propane supply line to the barn with this new to me 600 gallon tank

a lot of concrete for the 8000 sq ft slab and for the street building footings

8 hydronic loops

the removable plywood form didn't work out is I had to cut it out in small pieces with the Fein Multimaster

I installed the gas line and a dedicated electrical circuit for the boiler well in advance of the insulation was installed

I installed all the utilities

a generic hydronic system circuit diagram

hydronic manifold 

the two gauges will not be used as their range is way wrong for hydronic heat which I knew when I made the decision to buy this that is 1/2 the price of the fancy brands

the Fed Ex idiot didn't bother to knock on my front door for this signature-required shipment and I jump into my truck to track him down 8 miles away when he stopped in the junkyard; he had a 15 minute lead on me and I gambled on guessing his route

this is why the boiler ending up in my truck

this weighs 131 lb

much bigger seeing it in person

a chair as a reference scale