In , German inventor Dr. Thomas Engel developed the method to chemically crosslink polyethylene, and in , Wirsbo (now Uponor) introduced Engel-method PEX (called PEX-a) to the European market. In , PEX-a was brought to North America initially for radiant floor heating and then for plumbing systems. Today, more than 17 billion feet of PEX is installed worldwide for heating, cooling, plumbing and fire safety systems.

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Uponor’s unique ASTM F ProPEX connection method capitalizes on the shape memory of PEX-a. ProPEX connections use one simple tool to make fast, strong, solid connections that hold tight in strength tests with up to 1,000 pounds of force. ProPEX connections eliminate the need for torches, glues, solvents or gauges, and they cannot be dry fit, so there is never a question whether the fitting is made. ProPEX connections are available in both lead-free (LF) brass as well as engineered polymer (EP).

Making a ProPEX connection is simple: just place an expansion ring on the end of the pipe and use an expansion tool to expand the pipe and ring. After expanding, insert the larger-diameter fitting. As the pipe and ring shrink back down, it creates a solid, strong connection. In fact, ProPEX connections are the only PEX connection method that actually get stronger over time.

Yes, there are three different manufacturing methods for producing PEX crosslinked to varying degrees. PEX-a uses the Engel method which creates piping crosslinked to 80% or more. PEX-b uses the Silane method for piping that is 65 to 70% crosslinked. PEX-c uses the radiation method to create 70 to 75% crosslinked pipe. The higher the crosslinking, the more flexible and durable the piping.

Because of its flexibility, Uponor PEX can bend with each change in direction, reducing the number of required fittings for faster installations and greater system performance. Uponor PEX will not corrode, pit or experience scale buildup, and its ability to expand and contract offers greater durability in freezing conditions. Also, because you have to first expand the pipe and expansion ring to make a ProPEX connection, it is impossible to dry fit that type of connection. Additionally, because Uponor PEX is not a traded commodity, it provides stable pricing (and helps avoid theft on the job site that often happens with copper).

Uponor PEX is rated for the following temperatures and pressures:

· 200°F (93.3°C) at 80 psi (5.5 bar)
· 180°F (82.2°C) at 100 psi (6.9 bar)
· 120°F (49°C) at 130 psi (9 bar) (½" to 2" Uponor AquaPEX® white pipe only)
· 73.4°F (23°C) at 160 psi (11 bar)

For plumbing system operation, maximum temperature and pressures should not excess 140°F (60° C) and 80 psi.

Yes, Uponor PEX has undergone decades of rigorous testing. In , Uponor (Wirsbo) submitted PEX pipe samples to an independent laboratory. For three decades, these samples underwent continuous hydrostatic tests at extreme temperatures and pressures — up to 203°F (95°C) and 239 psi (16 bar). At the conclusion of the tests, not a single piece of Uponor PEX experienced any breakdown or failure.

Uponor Logic is a plumbing design and layout that maximizes the flexibility of PEX pipe to reduce connections while incorporating multiport tees located near fixture groupings to limit the amount of pipe and connections needed and improve installation efficiencies. This installation method uses considerably less pipe than a home-run layout, with just a few more connections, and it requires significantly fewer connections compared to a trunk-and-branch installation.

A multiport tee is a long, engineered polymer tee with multiple outlets. However, they are not classified as a manifold, so there is no requirement for access behind a wall. Multiport tees greatly reduce connection points due to their ingenious design. For example, six regular tees require 18 connections, but a flow-through multiport tee with six outlets only needs eight connections (six connections for the ports, a main flow-through inlet and a main flow-through outlet). Additionally, multiport tees require much less space to install.

Support PEX with the same copper tube size (CTS) pipe hangers or supports used for metallic pipe. For 1" and smaller PEX, horizontal support spacing is 32"; for 1¼" and larger PEX, it is 48". (Note that some codes, as well as the National Plumbing Code of Canada, only allow for 32" horizontal support spacing regardless of pipe size, so be sure to check local codes for verification.)

For cold-water risers, use a CTS clamp at the base of each floor as well as a clamp at the top of every fourth floor. For domestic hot-water risers, clamp at the base of each floor and the top of every-other floor.

Yes, you can bury pre-insulated Uponor AquaPEX provided the pipe is away from contact with groundwater. Although the water will not compromise the integrity of the pipe or insulation, it will have a detrimental effect on the insulating value of the insulation.

For residential applications: Use a mixture of water and air (or air when allowed by local code), and pressurize to 25 psi (1.7 bar) above working pressure, or 100 psi (6.9 bar).

For large commercial applications: Fill the system with potable water, air or a combination of both. Then, condition the pipe to 1.5 times the test pressure or 120 psi (8.2 bar) for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, release excess pressure until you reach desired test pressure [80 psi (5.5 bar) recommended].

Radiant floor heating is a very comfortable, highly efficient form of heating a space. The system circulates warm water through flexible PEX pipes installed under the floor (or occasionally in walls or ceilings). The heat from the pipes radiates evenly up through the floor to warm people and objects in the space. This type of heating is exceptionally energy-efficient and helps support improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ).

Because a radiant system does not use fans or blowers to circulate dust, dirt and other allergens, it can greatly improve indoor air quality in a space. Additionally, warm radiant floors eliminate the need for carpeting, which can be a breeding ground for dust mites, a common cause of allergic respiratory disease.

Unlike traditional forced-air heating systems that just warm the air, radiant heating warms the floor and objects in contact with the floor. The entire floor distributes a consistent, even and quiet heating. There are no drafts and radiant floor heating takes the chill out of cold tile, marble and wood floors. Plus, occupants are typically more comfortable with radiant floor heating at a lower thermostat setting than with forced-air heating at a higher thermostat setting, making radiant more energy-efficient as well.

Radiant cooling works best where the air handling system in the structure can control the wet bulb gain. Most often, this occurs in commercial buildings. However, in some climates where relative humidity is lower and in larger residences where relative humidity can be controlled, radiant cooling is an additional strategy to lower cooling costs.

No, one system can both heat and cool, and in some climates in North America, the system may do both throughout the day as well as be designed to transport heat from one side of the building or the other.

A radiant system can use either an oxygen-barrier pipe or a non-oxygen-barrier pipe. Wirsbo hePEX™ pipe features an oxygen-barrier coating technology to protect ferrous components from corrosion in a closed-loop hydronic radiant system. Uponor AquaPEX is a non-oxygen-barrier pipe that is typically for plumbing applications, but can be used in radiant applications where the system contains no ferrous corrodible components or where any ferrous components are isolated from the pipe.

Most radiant heating systems use boilers (natural gas, electric or oil) for the heat source. There are also alternative heat sources, such as geothermal and solar, which pair well with the energy-efficiency of a radiant heating system. Additionally, smaller residential installations can also use hot-water heaters, wood-fired boilers or pellet stoves as heat sources.

No, a properly designed radiant floor heating system will deliver warmth that brings the greatest human thermal comfort to a space. If a space requires additional heat to satisfy the heat load, the design can incorporate radiant walls and/or ceilings. Uponor offers design support as well as design software to ensure a radiant heating system offers the greatest comfort and efficiency possible.

Yes, in fact, separate heating and cooling systems make the most sense. Radiant floor heating keeps the heat near the floor to provide the greatest comfort. Air-conditioning ductwork, on the other hand, is placed only where it is needed to cool the home. The result is optimal comfort and efficiency all year round.

Uponor offers several products that are perfect for basement installations. Fast Trak™ knobbed mats work directly on concrete floors. The mats simply adhere to the concrete and then the PEX pipe snaps into the mats. Fast Trak 0.5 is ideal for retrofits with a low, ½" profile, and Fast Trak 1.3i offers insulation under the panel for added system performance. Uponor also offers Quik Trak® plywood radiant panels that feature a ½" profile perfect for remodeling or retrofit projects. Simply install a plywood subfloor onto the concrete and then fasten the Quik Trak panels to the plywood subfloor.

Yes, this is a common practice when homeowners want the efficiency and comfort of radiant floor heating in their home eventually, but are not ready to install the complete system during construction. The PEX pipe goes into the slab during construction, and then the homeowners can choose when to complete the system.

A hydronic radiant cooling system is an installation of embedded tubes or surface-mounted panels designed to absorb and remove energy from a space, 50% to 80% of which is radiant energy. Just as in heating, a radiant cooling system uses the structure and surfaces of an area to transfer energy. In radiant heating systems, the energy moves away from the heated surface towards the cooler area. In radiant cooling systems, the energy moves towards the cooled surface from the warmer area.

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The most important factor when designing a radiant cooling system is avoiding condensation on the surface. To accomplish this, the design must incorporate a supply water temperature controlled by the dew point temperature. It is possible to cool with a radiant system, but the design should include a supplemental system to control humidity in the space.

No, PEX falls into three different categories based on its manufacturing method: PEX-a, PEX-b and PEX-c. PEX-a uses the Engel method for 80%+ crosslinked pipe; PEX-b uses the Silane method 65 to 70% crosslinked pipe; and PEX-c uses the radiation method for 70 to 75% crosslinked pipe. Higher crosslinking produces a pipe that is more flexible and more durable with thermal and elastic memory properties.

An ASTM F ProPEX connection is made with an expansion tool and an expansion ring. The installer slides the expansion ring onto the end of the pipe and then expands the pipe and ring with the tool before inserting a fitting. As the pipe and ring shrink over the fitting, it creates a strong connection that holds tight with up to 1,000 pounds of radial force.

Uponor PEX is rated at 200°F (93.3°C) at 80 psi (5.5 bar), 180°F (82.2°C) at 100 psi (6.9 bar) and 73.4°F (23°C) at 160 psi (11 bar). At 200°F at 80 psi, any hydronic application with water temperatures at or below this value is perfectly applicable for the product.

Uponor PEX-a pipe does not sweat like copper, due to its very low coefficient of thermal conductivity of 0.219 Btu/(hr•ft²•°F). Copper has a coefficient of thermal conductivity between 300 and 400 Btu/(hr•ft²•°F), depending on wall thickness (type K, L or M). The thicker walls of PEX-a pipe act as an insulator, offering insulation values of approximately R-0.19. The heat transfer from copper is much greater; PEX-a offers up to 30% better insulating value when comparing uninsulated PEX-a with uninsulated copper pipe.

PEX expands at a rate of 1.1" per 100 ft. of pipe for every 10 degrees of temperature change. Using a PEX pipe support steel channel will control this natural expansion and contraction that occurs as the piping heats and cools. In fact, using PEX pipe support in conjunction with strut and strut clamps can reduce the expansion rate to 0.08"/100 ft./10°F, which is actually less than that of copper at 0.11"/100 ft./10°F. And using PEX pipe support with clevis or loop hangers offers an expansion rate of 0.12"/100 ft./10°F, just slightly more than copper. To minimize the expansion and contraction in systems with Delta Ts greater than 40°F, clamp the pipe at a maximum of 32 ft. (9.7 m) on center.

PEX absorbs sound in the range of 10 dB/cm; metals, on the other hand, only absorb sound in the range of 0.1-1.0 dB/cm. For a given change in velocity, the intensity of sound from a copper pipe will be at least 8 times higher than that of PEX-a pipe. Furthermore, using PEX-a instead of copper can reduce peak pressures caused by a quick-acting valve by 18 to 40 percent.

A multipurpose system combines the fire sprinklers with the home’s cold-water plumbing system. It uses the same Uponor AquaPEX pipe that provides potable water to the plumbing fixtures, so there is always a ready supply of water to the sprinklers if needed in the event of a fire.

The unique properties of Ecoflex make it ideal for commercial and residential applications that require insulated underground piping. The lightweight, flexible, pre-insulated pipes are strong enough to tackle any underground plumbing, heating or cooling application, yet install easily and quickly. The long coil lengths eliminate most buried connections, saving time and money, and the durable PEX pipe and corrugated HDPE jacket make it highly resistant to corrosion.

Ecoflex has many commercial and residential applications — predominantly in heating, cooling and potable-water systems for large-scale complexes such as schools and colleges, resorts and hotels, hospitals and institutions, and housing developments. Radiant heating and cooling as well as snow and ice melting systems can also use Ecoflex as the pipe distribution system of choice. Outdoor furnace and boiler contractors as well as homeowners can depend on Ecoflex for a trouble-free, energy-saving solution to piping underground when the heat source is located away from the structure.

· Thermal Single (Wirsbo hePEX) is available in ¾", 1", 1¼", 1½", 2", 2½", 3", 3½" and 4" pipe sizes.
· Thermal Twin (Wirsbo hePEX) is available in 1", 1¼", 1½", 2" and 2½" pipe sizes.
· Potable PEX Single (Uponor AquaPEX) is available in ¾", 1", 1¼", 1½", 2" and 3" pipe sizes.
· Potable PEX Twin (Uponor AquaPEX) is available in 1", 1¼", 1½" and 2" pipe sizes.
· Potable PEX Plus (Uponor AquaPEX) with heat trace is available in 1¼" pipe size.

Ecoflex is available in standard factory coil lengths of 1,000 ft. for 1" PEX pipe, 500 ft. for 1¼" PEX pipe and 300 ft. for all other products. Custom coil lengths are available for shorter or longer coils. Contact Uponor Customer Service at 888.594. (U.S.) or 888.994. (Canada) for details.

Yes, Ecoflex Potable PEX Plus comes with a heat trace wire applied on the pipe. The self-regulating heat trace wire has a maximum output of 5W/ft. to keep the water in the pipe from freezing.

With Ecoflex, the layers of foam are not bonded to each other or to the service pipe and jacket, allowing for each layer to move independently (the same relationship as between a steel rod and a braided steel cable — both have similar strength but the cable is much more flexible). Making connections with Ecoflex is also much easier since the insulation is not adhered to the pipe. With bonded systems, manufacturers recommend cutting the jacket, peeling it away from the foam, removing the foam with a chisel or saw and removing the excess foam with sandpaper. Using the sandpaper is a delicate process as it is important not to perforate the oxygen-diffusion barrier on the service pipe.

Yes. With bonded systems, the polyurethane foam is sprayed into the HDPE jacket and hardens. Once the foam hardens, low-conductivity, high-pressure gases exist inside the cells of the foam when compared to atmospheric pressure. Over time, the higher-pressure gases diffuse through the cells outward, escaping the foam. As the pressures inside the cells stabilize, the net conductivity of the remaining gases increase. This diffusion process continues to occur until the pressure inside the cells reach a balance with the surroundings. This process yields acceptable performance for the system initially; however, thermal performance diminishes as time progresses.

In , German inventor Dr. Thomas Engel developed the method to chemically crosslink polyethylene, and in , Wirsbo (now GF Building Flow Solutions) introduced Engel-method PEX (called PEX-a) to the European market. In , PEX-a was brought to North America initially for radiant floor heating and then for plumbing systems. Today, there are tens of billions of feet of PEX is installed worldwide for heating, cooling, plumbing and fire safety systems.

Regular maintenance by a licensed plumber is recommended. For example, to ensure pressure stays within the limit, it is necessary to regularly inspect and maintain system components designed to regulate pressure, including but not limited to pressure reducing valves and thermal expansion tanks. Refer to the Uponor PEX Domestic Water Systems Startup and Maintenance Checklist for detailed guidance.

Uponor PEX Domestic Water Systems Startup and Maintenance Checklist: Uponor PEX Domestic Water Systems Startup and Maintenance Checklist.

A recirculation system circulates the hot water from your water heater to certain or all of your plumbing fixtures and then back to the water heater. To determine if you have a recirculation system, first look for a recirculation pump near your water heater, (pictured), or it could be located under a sink. This pump ensures constant hot water flow through the house. If you are unsure of what type of system you have and cannot find a pump, contact a certified plumber for an inspection. 

Yes. Regular maintenance by a licensed plumber is recommended. Recirculation systems have specific operating conditions which need to be monitored and maintained, including but not limited to velocity. Improper operation of and/or failure to maintain your recirculation system can result in performance issues with your system, including leaks.

Water Underfloor Heating Guide & Installation Instructions

Contents:

1. Planning Your Underfloor Heating System
2. Installation
3. Filling The System
4. Controlling the System
5. Commissioning the System

1. Planning

We can supply a complete CAD design for systems if required. However, for your assistance, we have listed below some of the main considerations to take into account when planning your underfloor heating system.

• Manifold Location – a primary consideration at the planning stage of your underfloor heating solution should be the ideal location for the manifold. All flow and return underfloor heating pipes will travel to and from the manifold and therefore it should be ideally located centrally between all rooms to be heated. The pump/temperature control unit fits directly to our manifolds and the wiring centre is installed alongside the
  manifold.
• Type of Pipe – a multilayer pipe with an aluminium core (either Pex-Al-Pex or Pert-Al-Pert) is ideal for modern underfloor heating systems as it ensures maximum heat transfer, balanced with the assurance of a very strong and robust pipe. WRAS approved pipe has the added advantage that it offers an assurance that it has been through a rigorous testing procedure to ensure it is suitable for use with drinking water in the United Kingdom. Our 16mm Pex-Al-Pex underfloor heating pipe is UK WRAS approved and certified. Therefore, in addition to underfloor heating, it can be used for plumbing for which we also stock a full range of fittings (any excess pipe from underfloor heating can be used for plumbing). Pex-Al-Pex and Pert-Al-Pert pipes have the added advantage of having a bend memory and will not try to revert back to their coil shape when being installed and do not need bend formers like some older type pipes.
• Pipe Spacing – as a guide, for properties insulated to current building standards and with a supply water temperature from the boiler of at least 50 degrees Centigrade, pipe spacing will normally be 200mm pipe centres. However, factors such as high glazing content, poor insulation values, and lower water supply temperatures (such as from some Heat Pumps), can affect the required pipe spacing and mean a closer spacing is required.
• Pipe Loop Length – we recommend maximum pipe loop length of 100 linear metres for 16mm pipe and 80 linear metres for 12mm pipe. These measurements include the run to & from the manifold.
• Quantity of Pipe – 100 metres of 16mm pipe will cover a room of 20.0m² at 200mm pipe spacing, assuming the manifold is within that room. For larger rooms, multiple loops of pipe are used and connected to multiple ports of the manifold. Our pipe is marked every metre and therefore very easy to monitor your loop length as you install.
• Pipe Installation – Pipe is installed to within 100mm of the room perimeter walls. For in-screed underfloor heating systems, pipe is fixed to insulation with pipe clips at a rate of approximately 1 clip every 50 to 100cm. We also have to fix options such as grip rails (1.0metre long interlocking rails that fix to the insulation and the pipe clips into the rail) for ease of installation if preferred. You would not normally install below kitchen units. We can also offer a range of overlay options where pipe can sit in pre-routed boards or specially designed panels.

2. Installation

If we have supplied you with a pipe layout design, you can follow this during your installation process, in conjunction with the points detailed below where appropriate.

• Manifold – your manifold is supplied pre-installed to a fixing bracket. Screw the bracket to the wall leaving the bottom of the manifold approximately 400mm above floor level. Ensure you allow at least 200mm to the left side of the manifold to allow for the connection of the pump/temperature control unit.
• Pump & Temperature Control Unit – The pump unit is supplied with all fixings to screw directly onto the left side of the manifold. The unit is designed to fit to the manifold and will line up directly to the manifold fittings with no extra seals or fittings required.
• Pipe – Pipe is easiest installed by 2 people – one person rolling out the coil and one person following behind pushing the clips in. Alternatively, installation can be eased by using one of our Pipe Decoilers to hold the pipe and our clip (tacker) gun to insert the clips. If manually rolling out the pipe coils it is best practice to hold the coil between your legs and roll it out in front of you as you go, whilst your colleague follows behind fixing the pipe to the insulation with clips.
  If we have supplied a CAD pipe layout then you can follow this layout paying attention to number, direction, lengths and pipe spacing of loops.
  If you are laying out the system to your own design then the main points to consider are detailed below:
  • Pipe spacing is normally a maximum of 200mm centre to centre. However, factors such as high glazing content, poor insulation values, lower water supply temperatures (such as from some Heat Pumps), can effect the required pipe spacing and mean a closer spacing is required. The pipe centres will be detailed on the kit purchased or on the quotation purchased.
  • When installing at a closer pipe spacing than 200mm (to achieve greater outputs) the bend should be shallowed out to form a ‘C’ shape (light bulb shape), thus ensuring the bend radius is no tighter than that achieved with a 200mm spacing. Please note that the minimum bend radius is 5 times the diameter of the pipe.
  • Ordinarily, no pipe would be installed below Kitchen Units.
  • Ensure you label each end of the pipe to easily identify its flow and its return ends and
    to identify which rooms it feeds.

• Fixing Pipe to manifold – Once your pipe is laid onto the floor you can connect both ends to the manifold. The Flow manifold is the top section manifold (Red colour) and the Return manifold is the bottom section (Blue colour) All pipe connectors (Connector Cores) are included with your manifold.
  To fix the pipe to the manifold do the following: Flow (top Section) manifold first:
  • Firstly, cut the pipe square and to the correct length by lining it up to the manifold
    connector port.
  • Insert the pipe reaming tool into the cut end of the pipe and rotate it 2-3 times. This ensures the pipe is rounded and chamfered and also removes any sharp burrs from the pipe. Note – not using the pipe reaming tool may result in damage to the connector seals and ultimately a leak at this point of the system.
  • Slide firstly the nut section then the olive section of the supplied Pipe Connector Core over the cut end of the pipe. Then push the “male” end of the supplied pipe Connector Core into the cut end of the pipe. Now move the pipe into position of the manifold port and push the end of the pipe with the Connector Core fitted, into the connection port of the manifold. Slide the Olive and Nut up the pipe and screw onto the manifold. Use a spanner to tighten.
  • Now do the same procedure to connect the other end of the pipe to the Return (Bottom Section) manifold.
• NOTE: ensure all loops of pipe are connected to the same corresponding port of each part of the manifold. I.e., connect the first loop to port 1 of the flow manifold and Port 1 of the return manifold.
• Complete this procedure for all pipes.

3. Filling the System

1. At the manifold, remove the shrouds from the flow meters by sliding them up and off the clear plastic flow meters.
2. Shut all circuits fully by firstly closing all Flow meters (Wind them all down clockwise at the black cap until closed)
3. Then shut all return valves by winding the blue caps clockwise so that they wind downwards and close the pin completely.
4. Shut the main large blue ball valve located to the left of the return manifold
5. Connect a hose to the drain valve on the right side of the return manifold – other end of the hose should be routed downhill to an outlet drain or similar. Water will now only flow in from the red ball valve on the top manifold.
6. Now open ONLY one flow meter fully by rotating the black cap anti clockwise until approximately 5mm of black plastic thread can be seen rising from the brass-coloured hexagonal nut on top of the manifold.
7. Open ONLY the return valve of the same circuit number that you have just opened on the top manifold circuit, fully by rotating the blue cap on the return manifold anti-clockwise (e.g., If you open the first circuit on the flow manifold, then open the first circuit on the return manifold)
8. Open the small blue ball valve located just above the drain valve on the right side of the return manifold.

4. Controlling the System

• Simple Radiator Extension Systems
  If you’re connecting your underfloor heating to an existing radiator run (i.e., you are going to remove a radiator then connect the Underfloor Heating to the 2 radiator pipes), then the system will operate at the same time as the radiators are programmed to operate. We have 2 optional systems for this type of install.
  
  Option 1 is a simple radiator extension system – this system relies on your existing pump to circulate the water and is supplied with a Danfoss TRV type valve to control the water flow through the system. There is no room thermostat as temperature is controlled via the TRV valve (much like the valve on the side of a radiator). Maximum coverage is 15.0m².
  
  Option 2 gives superior water and room temperature control and is supplied with its own pump, blending valve and room thermostat. Whilst this system still relies on your radiators operating to enable it to heat the floor (as it is still connected to radiator pipes), the supplied room thermostat allows you to control the room temperature effectively (switching the system off when room temperature is achieved) whilst not effecting the radiator supply. Maximum coverage is 28.0m².
• Larger and Multi Room Systems
  For larger rooms and multiple rooms, it is advisable to run a new flow and return from your boiler, out to the point where the underfloor heating pump and manifold will be installed. This install will enable you to control your underfloor heating totally independently to any existing radiator circuits.
  
  • To enable this optimum control over each zone or pipe run, actuators are
    installed on the manifold (they screw straight on). The manifold port actuators are
    controlled by a thermostat (singly or in multiples). For maximum control a separate room thermostat can be installed within each room to control each port / zone, by opening/closing the relevant actuator/s as required.
    Thermostat options range from a standard dial type thermostat, through to digital programmable, Wireless and App Controllable (useable on smart phones) choices. For wired systems a 3 core and earth cable will need to be run from the manifolds to thermostats. Usually, the cabling is run from a wiring centre (our 4 zone or 8 zone options are standard) which is ideally installed alongside the manifold. The wiring centre then becomes the hub of the control system – the pump, actuators, thermostats and boiler are all easily connected to this. The wiring centre then operates the underfloor heating system by switching on/off the relevant zones, pump and boiler, as and when called for by the relevant thermostats.

5. Commissioning the System

Switch on the power supply to the wiring centre (or thermostat if no wiring centre is installed)

• Ensuring all thermostats are switched off, in turn switch on 1 thermostat (turn it up so that it calls for heat). Ensure that the turning on of each thermostat, triggers the pump to start up, and begins circulation of water through the loops. The boiler should also start up although this is dependent on water temperature and may not be immediate.
• In turn ensure that the operation of each thermostat triggers the appropriate manifold actuator (if fitted) to open. Note that the actuators are designed to open slowly and take approximately 3 minutes to fully open and therefore function is not immediately obvious – these are not instant on /off switches so give them time to perform their duties. Actuators MUST be screwed on tightly to ensure the ports are closed fully when required.
• The thermostatic mixer blends the flow with the return to moderate the heat in the pipes and is adjustable to increase or decrease overall output too. Initially the setting for the mixing valve should be set to 35 degrees C and slowly increased by 2 degrees C per day, up to a maximum 50 degrees running temperature.

Just like radiators can be adjusted, the flow through each loop of underfloor pipe can be adjusted (at the manifold) to balance the system. The flow gauges give an indication of the rate of flow through each port. The length of each run of pipe will effect what flow of water should be put through it in order to balance it with other runs of differing lengths.

The flow rates should be adjusted in the following way:

• Fully open all Blue coloured valves located on each port of the return (Bottom) section manifold, by winding them anti-clockwise
• Remove the Red coloured plastic shrouds that sit over the clear plastic flow meters on the top section manifold by pulling them straight upwards.
• In turn open all flow meters to maximum flow by turning the flow meters anti-clockwise (grip them between your fingers from the base of the flow meter). Once fully open they will have risen upwards to a point where approximately 5mm of plastic thread has unwound and risen from the manifold body.

• Once fully open, the lengths of each loop of pipe will need to be established (by
  looking at the markings indicating the meterage, on the side of the pipe.
• The flow through each individual loop should now be adjusted as detailed in the table
  below. Turning the flow meter clockwise will reduce flow and anti-clockwise will increase
  flow through the underfloor heating loops:

Note: The above table is intended for guidance only. Balancing of the flow is not an exact science as the flows are constantly changing on an underfloor heating system. If 1 room reaches temperature, it will switch flow off to the corresponding loops, thus increasing flow through the loops which are still open. When adjusting, remember that underfloor heating changes temperature more slowly than radiators and you should make small adjustments each time.
The sign of a good underfloor system is that you forget it’s there, and that you don’t have to mess around with the stat all the time, if you try to push too much heat into the floor you will be getting up to turn the stat down, if you push too little the room will never be warm regardless of what you do with the stat. Of course, it will be harder to get a good set-up in the middle of summer or a heat wave. Therefore, sometimes you need to wait till it gets cooler to get it just right. With under floor small steps and patience will be the most productive way of finding the perfect balance.

The company is the world’s best Floor Heating Pipe Clips supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.