This rainy Saturday was the perfect day to stay inside and learn about plumbing from the experts at John Thomas Plumbing and Heating. To start the day off, their team led us through the steps of plumbing installs, including Pressurized Lines, Waste Lines, and Venting, plus a Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump installation. A bonus was a demonstration and hands on opportunity for sweating copper piping and fittings.

At the copper soldering station, students took turns testing their skills with a torch, flux, and solder. The first step to forming a leak proof copper pipe connection is a clean surface where the copper pipe and fitting will connect. Any type of sandpaper can be used to abraid the outside surface of the pipe and inside the fitting where the pipe will be inserted. Next, flux is applied to the outside of the copper pipe and inside the copper fixture. Flux is essential in this process as it emulsifies oil on the copper, allowing the acidic chemicals in the flux to lift dirt and oxides off the surface. If any oxides are left they would corrode the copper pipe leaving small leaks (or worse) which can lead to mold build up in cavities, structural deterioration, or associated flooding issues. Then, with the help of a torch, the solder is brushed along the copper connection and “sucked” (capillarity) into the joint creating a leakproof connection. Last but certainly not least, the finished connection must be wiped with a rag to remove excess flux which can also corrode copper if left for too long.

While students improved their soldering, another group observed the layout for the Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump which will eventually live on the East wall of the HyggeHaus. Back in 2020, the design team chose this unit as our main source of heating and cooling because of its high Coefficient of Performance (COP). COP is equal to the power output divided by the power input of a unit and represents the efficiency of HVAC systems. For instance, our Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump has a COP of 4 meaning it will produce 4 kW of energy for every 1 kW of energy used. This is a substantial improvement compared to electric furnaces or baseboard heaters which have a COP of 1. Another reason the 2020 team chose this unit is because it would have efficiently utilized the energy produced by the Photovoltaic System planned for the roof. As mentioned in previous posts, the HyggeHaus will not be able to host Photovoltaics due to a lack of direct sunlight at its final destination. Regardless, a Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump will be cost effective, and more indoor units can easily be added if needed. The unit will not be installed until the latter portion of the build, but the piping (lineset) for refrigerant and condensate drain line are now waiting patiently in the wall to be utilized. The condensate drain will direct water into a 50 gallon rain barrel that will sit outside the house. We estimate the condensate from the mini-split will produce enough water to fill up the rain barrel about every 2 weeks when the unit is running 24/7. By storing this condensate for later use, the HyggeHaus occupants will be able to water their plants, wash off their bikes, or have water balloon fights without increasing their water intake.

To finalize our day of plumbing and HVAC, another group installed hot and cold water lines for the sinks and shower which were wrapped in pipe insulation to reduce heat transfer. This was accompanied by a waste lines and venting. Undoubtedly the most fearless and noble member of a house, the waste pipe carries your undesirables from the toilet to the septic tank or municipal sewer along with grey water from showers and sinks. Despite the waste pipes heroic role in a house, the plumbing system would not be possible without the vent stack which regulates air flow throughout the system.

The next day consisted of priming the tongue and groove siding which will make up the facade for the HyggeHaus.