Can anybody give me an idea of the rough cost of installing pex tubing in a slab on grade.  It would include installing a vapor barrier, 2" of foam board on the bottom and 6" up the side of the band board, staple approximately 1000' of 1/2" pex, install elbows for the tubing to exit the slab.  Basically to prep everything for the concrete pour.  The slab would be 1000 sq ft.  Materials and labor.

Thanks,

Not trying to steal your thread Arcam, but I'm anxious to see some responses too. I'm about to break ground on a house for my Mom. I'm looking into radiant heating and/or a geothermal heat pump. Is pex the only reccomended pipe to use or are there alternatives? Any suggestions on research resourses other than here?

We ran all of ours ourselves. I just bought 250 feet of oxygen barrier 1/2 tubing ($80 each) and a bunch of 4x8 2 inch pink insulation (can't remember what it was a sheet). We put the insulation down, rented a pex stapler (free when we bought $50 in staples) and stapled it down. Since we did it ourselves it was less than $1000. I would double that for installation, but that is just a guess.

I recently purchased materials for a radiant floor heating system that will be installed in a concrete floor. The building size is 1536 square feet and the cost was was around $2000. Using 1400 feet of oxygen barrier 1/2" pex tubing, manifolds, valves, pressure and temperature gages, pumps, mixing valve, 6 zone expandable relay, and other small items need to do the project. Of course, this was only material cost and doesn't include labor to install the system. In designing this system we plan to incorporate Solar Evacuated Tubes Collectors, hung vertically on the south wall of the building. In hanging these Evacuated Tubes vertical we hope to take advantage of the sun's energy in the winter months and solve over heating in the warmer part of the year. Also, should that be a problem we will be able to shade the collectors easily.
We are not trying to heat the building totally with solar, but hope to have reduced our heating cost by 50-60 % during the heating season. It would be great hear you thoughts, any one.

John, could you email me at woodruffdude at yahoo dot com? I have a few questions on your system - where you purchased it, etc. Thanks!

Rough calculation;
2 inch rigid foam is the right start, usualy about $16.00 for a 2 x 8 sheet,
Pipe on a 12 inch pattern is figured by sq ft X 1.1 = total area x cost of pipe ( we sell RHT Pex barrier for .275 per foot). you will need staples to hold the pipe to foam or wire mat to tie of to, staples cost about $22.00 for 300, you need 1 per 16 inches.
Then you have the manifold, 1,000 sq feet x 1.1 = 1,100 choice is #4 300 foot roles pack a little more pipe in or #3 330 roles a little less pipe.
3 or 4 port manifold. turns are about a buck a piece. now you have pipe in the slab ready to hook up.
Mind you this is the rudimentary method, no heat loss. But it isn't far off in most cases.
tighten the pattern to 9 inch OC formula sq ft X 1.4= total pipe needed then divided by circuit length.
A good perimeter insulation is essential, bring the 2 inch foam up the side perimeter. how? assume a 4 inch slab, rip foam on table saw to 6 inches,
snap chalk line at top of slab, buy cheep dap acrylic caulk, bead below chalk line, place vertical foam, hold against wall with full sheet foam. you now have a target height for your concrete.,
Don't forget the 6 mill vapor barrier under foam.
Good luck,
Dan

hi, I installed my infloor system in the concrete 3 years ago. My advice would be to search online, email some places your specs and have them help ypu with the design and give you an esitmate for the system. talk to them and go with who you feel will do the best job for you. don't skimp on the installation and remember to insulate the outside edges of the slab as well.