How Manifold Plumbing To Radiators Works
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2021
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Today, I’d like to talk about manifold plumbing to radiators. For many years in the UK, we’ve traditionally used branch plumbing to plumb radiators, which is when there’s a series of fittings usually buried in the floor, elbows, t-pieces, and couplers. And these have potential leak paths, and you're joining the pipe together to go from A to B.
If you’re familiar with underfloor heating, manifold plumbing to radiators is a very similar concept. However, instead of taking pipework to loops of pipe buried in the floor, we take individual loops to individual radiators. This means you’ll end up with a central collection point for your pipes which distributes from the manifold to each individual radiator.
One of the biggest benefits of radiator plumbing through this radiator manifold system is that instead of having a traditional TRV to control your ambient air temperature, you can control it from a thermostat that’s positioned away from the heat source.
That means far better comfort levels and controls for the radiator system. For this reason, I would highly recommend manifold plumbing and using a radiator manifold instead of branch plumbing. - Навчання та стиль
At last! This makes so much sense. TRVs just don’t cut the mustard, and having a room stat and actuator on each room is just perfick! Hats off to multi pipe for spotting the hole in the market…..
thanks Neil for your lovely message!
I agree about the TRV's being located next to the radiator not being ideal, but it would require much more pipe to feed each radiator individually from the manifold. Not only is that likely to mean lots more holes through joists, more piping running around the house that could be damaged, but also heat loss from all that piping! Maybe I'm a luddite, but not sure manifolds for radiators is the best way to go, especially when you can now purchase remote controlled TRV's with wall mounted thermostats!
You have some very good points you make. However, having single pipe runs with no fittings underfloor massively reduces the chance of leaks. Agreed, more pipework is installed, but in terms of heatloss, most of the time, you run pipework in the floor void of the first floor. This means any heat radiated is actually a contributor to the room's heating, so it is not technically lost. anything in attics, etc., we highly recommend lagging pipework. the snag with wireless TRV's is batteries require replacement every year. but thanks for your comments!
Doesn’t an actuator controlled system blast the radiator at full any time it’s on? With the TRV you can adjust the radiator to put out just a bit of heat or full.
Many thanks for your message, The main issue with TRV's the the maintenance of the air temperature of where you set it. Yes, they will restrict the flow to keep a warm radiator, but that may not necessarily heat the room to what is required. you are better to reduce the overall water temperature of the system and run as near as you can open loops for a higher efficiency.
Do you need an additional loop not supplying a rad to act as a bypass?
Im thinking about thermostat calling for heat, but rads being closed via TRV (if still fitted), or perhaps the only room calling for heat being a smal bathroom towel rail for example.
the hydraulics is the same if it is a standard branch system (a manifold just centralises the branches) we do recommend a auto bypass is fitted, to stop pump issues. but as more zones shut you may get boiler lockouts, without going down buffers it is hard to avoid this, good rad balancing can really help though.
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A good introduction to the principals behind manifold plumbing, lots of British plumbers wouldn't think to plum rads like this yet it make so much more sense. The benefit of a zone per room can't be overloooked. And no cost for t's or elbows, just an MLC-Copper transition at the rad.
Useful video thanks - when working with radiators - all of my feeds would be going upwards - are there any manifolds with the fittings upside down or do you have to make a few joins in the pipework to change its direction? (that seems wasteful)
There is no reason you cannot fit this manifold upside down. the air vent can be swapped in orientation/ you would vent from the rad.
@@MultipipeLtd Great thank you
Great Video!
If you wanted to run multiple manifolds (one for each floor) what would the configuration be?
We are looking at 3 floors, Firstly is it possible? and if so would you run a manifold closest to the tank with feeds to the local radiators and feed off this manifold to the second and third manifolds or would you run 22mm from the tank to the furthest manifolds and T off at the other 2 manifold locations?
Thanks
You can do either, by running a large manifold in the plant room with feeds to each manifold, you do get more control for balancing etc. But, most of the time, tee off the feed pipe to each floor is more than good enough.
Good video, what's the best way to control a radiator in a bathroom in this setup, if going each room as a zone?
John, thanks for your question! Because all mains voltage controls are dealt with outside the bathroom (where the manifold is located). A simple wireless thermostat will control when the actuator opens and shuts that radiator loop. If you have any other questions, feel free to comment or call us for a quote.
Hi there. I've just bought a new house that needs completely renovating. This sounds like a winner and would go nicely with the planned ufh on the ground floor. Can you balance the radiators via the manifold? can you adapt to different pipe directly from the manifold? Are the actuator sizes a generic size? thanks
Thanks for watching our video, you are correct they work very nice with UFH on the ground floor as the controls can be done in a similar fashion with induvial control for each room giving far greater flexibility. Also, like UFH, the balancing is done at the manifold. If you are not using our UFH/controls we recommend to use our actuators, these have been tested for our valve pitch, but we can do both 230v and 24v so most controls will work with these. I hope this helps. If you wish for a quote just call us.
@@MultipipeLtd sounds spot on. I will definitely be going with this system. Can you adapt to copper, speedfit at the manifold ?
@@1000Mikey Our manifold is a standard 1" BSP, so copper is fine. As for the outlet, we recommend our MLC pipe. It is well priced and much better for thermal expansion.
Looking into replacing current pipework (copper) in a 90s build bungalow with concrete floors. Is there a limit on the maximum length from the manifold to a radiator that's recommended? or would splitting the system with 2 manifolds be a better option? Also, Is this available in Ireland via reseller? Thanks
Derek, thanks for your comment. we normally don't recommend exceeding 15m from manifold to radiator, but this does vary a bit depending on the radiator's output. We cannot arrange an export now. But call us on 01245 227630, and you can arrange your own courier to collect from us.
If using a manifold for rads only does it require a separate pump and mixing valve like a UFH system or is it a direct connection to the feed and return to the boiler?
Hi Alan, thanks for the question. No, you will not need any mixing or pump control as you would always run the Rads at the boiler's temperature. Also, the idea of the manifold system would actually reduce the overall duty, so the boiler pump would be fine. Just try and limit run out to 25m max.
Hiya, this sounds like it would be ideal for us. What mm is the feed into the manifold? And also we are planning on installing an air source heat pump - So would the hotfeed into the manifold come directly from the heat pump or from the hot water cylinder?
Being a universal thread we can offer multiple pipework sizes off the manifold but our standard is 16mm. as for connection it has to come direct from the ASHP (normally there would be some zoning on the system)
Is it ok to locate a 6 port manifold below the floor it feeds, I have no location on the first floor to hide the manifold. There will be 6 rads in total.
A radiator manifold is okay to feed from below because you can remove air from the radiator. I hope this helps.