Plumbing, Electric and HVAC

HVAC:

The envelope of a SIP built home is roughly 5 times more air tight than a stud framed building envelope. Air tightness is extremely important since 40% of a home’s heating and cooling loss typically is attributable to air leakage. Consequently, the heating and cooling system requirements of a SIP home are less and duct runs can be shorter; an air exchange system should be integrated into the house design to account for the air tight character of the home.

The long held rule of running all ducts to an exterior wall was intended to counter the inevitable infiltration of air along the rim of stud framed walls. This rule need not be followed for SIP’s buildings, where air filtration is minimal to non-existent. Ducts may terminate at the closest wall in each room, resulting in considerable cost savings.

Additionally, the heating and cooling systems themselves can be down-sized given the superior thermal properties of a SIP’s building envelope. AC units are typically 50% smaller in a SIP home. This can save several hundreds of dollars. The amounts will vary based on your area and the contractor you choose. You will also have a smaller unit to replace when this becomes necessary.

Electric:

Electrical installations take less time. The pre-installed wire chases in SIP’s eliminate the need to drill studs for electrical wiring. We will work with the contractor to insure that the chases will be located where needed and can accommodate the particular fixture locations and related switch plates, etc. Note that the majority of wiring will still be located in the interior walls, which are typically stud framed in the traditional manner.

Plumbing:

When plumbing a SIP home, exterior penetrations should be kept to a minimum in order to preserve the airtight character of the panel envelope. Where practical, the use of self venting valves under bathroom cabinets and kitchen sinks is suggested as a means to reduce the number of roof vents. Additionally, plumbing runs should rise through the floor of vanities and cabinets rather than within the exterior walls as is the norm in stud framed buildings. This will enables panel walls to be uninterrupted and avoids the need to evacuate portions of the foam core. These changes are not costly or difficult, but simply require some foresight on the part of the architect and plumber.