heating system updates

The in-floor heating system has worked flawlessly after I discovered the flaws. Ya i know, sounds hoaky but, the check valve in the pump was a problem from the start so I took it out. Now everything flows properly and no overheating of heatexchanger pipes.

This year, I added 50 feet of 3/8 copper coil to the existing 50 feet coiled around the stove pipe. It worked so well last year (as that was last years upgrade) that I decided to double it. I believe I have reached a point of diminishing returns on the stove pipe unless I went with direct fire. (water jacketed stove pipe) At this point, I don't think it's worth it for me. It would have been a simple solution and probably a better one, but the investment is there now and it was relatively easy to do. If I have to change anything down the road, I will create a water jacket stove pipe.

I also added heat shields around the stove sides to conceal the copper pipes that are nestled next to the stove. These did help a bit but not worth the investment in time nor money. The water jacket pipe would be better. Last year, I put Aluminum foil around the pipes to reflect the heat back into them. It worked great but it was ugly as sin. This year, the shields look much nicer but I'm not convinced that they are as efficient as the foil. I will probably line the heat shields with foil this year once I get a chance to breath.

The house still isn't fully insulated so there are many areas that can help the cause. They will be done this year once I get the kitchen panty done. I need room in the kitchen.