Hydronic floor heatingsystems

An in-slab system is where the pipe work is fixed to a layer of the reinforcing mesh in the concrete slab floor. A concrete cover of 50mm (manufacturer recommendation) is then poured over the pipe; when operational the hydronic boiler will supply water at 45 -50°C through the pipework there may be a variant in temperature across the floor due to the water flow temperatures (this does not affect the room’s air temperature). Please note that the engineers responsible for the floor design must be aware that 16mm pipes at 200mm centres will be laid in the floor. *Careful consideration should be given to final floor covering, Timber and carpet are not to exceed and R Value of 0.15 M2/K/W.

The type of actuation required depends upon the application, site facilities and also the physical space available although the majority of actuators used for shutdown valves are of the spring return type due to the fail safe nature of spring return systems.

Suitable for use in heating and cooling applications in residential and commercial applications in accordance with BS EN 1264 and BS 7291.

Pipe work will be installed in a per-determined pattern to give optimum performance suitable for each individual room. Each circuit is a maximum length of 100m and larger rooms may have multiple circuits. There may be a variant in temperature across the floor due to the water flow temperatures, (this does not affect the room’s air temperature).

Hydronicunderfloorheatingtimber floors

For air intake shut down, two distinct types are commonly utilized, i.e. butterfly valves and swing gate or guillotine valves. Because diesel engines ignite fuel using compression instead of an electronic ignition, shutting off the fuel source to a diesel engine will not necessarily stop the engine from running. When an external hydrocarbon, such as methane gas, is present in the atmosphere, it can be sucked into a diesel engine causing overspeed or over revving, potentially leading to a catastrophic failure and explosion. When actuated, ESD valves stop the flow of air and prevent these failures.

A safety shutoff valve should be fail-safe, that is close upon failure of any element of the input control system (such as temperature controllers, steam pressure controllers), air pressure, fuel pressure, current from a flame detector, or current from other safety devices such as low water cutoff, and high pressure cutoff.

Floor coils are particularly effective when coupled with a high efficiency condensing boiler due to the low return water temperatures. Under floor heating systems account for over 60% of the European market due to their high efficiency; running costs are lower due to the heating boiler operating at a lower supply temperature.

Application class 4+5/ 6 bar Max design temperature: 90°C Malfunction temperature: 100°C Design pressure 6/8 bar at 90°C/70°C Fire class: E according DIN EN 13501-1

A diffusion tray system allows underfloor heating to be installed in to a suspended timber floor where normally an underfloor heating system would not be possible. A diffusion tray adds as a spreader plate to distribute the heat laterally underneath the timber sub floor.

In addition to the fluid type, actuators also vary in the manner in which the energy is stored to operate the valve on demand as follows:

At H2O Heating we use two types of under floor heating pipe; Uponor Comfort Pipe PLUS and Rautherm-S Floor heating pipe from Rehau. Both of the pipe systems are German engineered from long standing reputable companies and both offer exceptional warranties of 10 years for installed pipe.

Hydronicunderfloorheatingcost

In a solenoid-operated safety shutoff valve, a spring action closes the valve instantly when an electric current fails and the solenoid ceases to be energized. The solenoid circuit is generally arranged so that it is broken upon failure of any element of the system. This valve cannot be re-opened until the solenoid is again energized. The coil of the valve solenoid must be connected in series with all of the elements. For this to operate, fuel, air and steam pressure can be converted to electrical signals by means of bellows, a bourdon tube, or a diaphragm-operated mercury switch.

Straight-through flow valves, such as rotary-shaft ball valves, are typically high-recovery valves. High recovery valves are valves that lose little energy due to little flow turbulence. Flow paths are straight through. Rotary control valves, butterfly valve and ball valves are good examples.

H2O Heating use only the best products in all its systems but this is particularly important when considering an under floor heating system; only the best products from leading European manufacturers that have been well tested and developed backed by considerable warranties are incorporated into our under floor heating systems meaning you can relax safe in the knowledge your system has been designed and will be installed to the highest standard. All pipe work used by H2O Heating is supplied from leading and reputable manufacturers – either Rehau or Uponor Pe-Xa, Peroxide-Cross Linked Polyethylene Pipe – so we can be confident in the system we are supplying and installing for our clients.

The performance standard of ESDVs may include the specification and testing of a closure time (e.g. to close in less than 10 seconds) and the specification and measurement of an acceptable leakage rate of fluid through the closed valve.[2]

Hydronicunderfloorheatingheat pump

A distribution header will be installed above floor level, inside or outside the building, generally in a central location; the distribution header can be housed in cabinetry as long as it is accessible. Each floor coil circuit can be controlled by an on/off valve fitted to the header which allows for the control of which rooms are to be heated. Further Individual Zone control of each room is available, but must be included at the design stage.

The Rehau S-floor heating pipe is made from RAU-PE-Xa – Peroxide-crosslinked polyethylene (PE-Xa). – with a PE-Xa inner layer and an outer EVOH oxygen barrier with red adhesive for clear distinction as radiant heating/cooling pipe.

Hydronicin slabheating

A blowdown valve (BDV) is a type of shutdown valve designed to depressurize a pressure vessel by directing vapour to a flare, vent or blowdown stack in an emergency. BDVs fail-safe to the open position upon failure of the control system.[1] The type of valve, type of actuation and performance measurement are similar to an ESD valve.

Uponor is an international market leader in Plumbing and indoor climate systems, “designed for efficient performance, long lifetime, easy installation and a low environmental footprint” Taken from Uponor With origins from 1918 Uponor first started manufacturing plastic pipe in 1965 today they continue manufacturing adhering, and often exceeding, to the strict principles set under ISO 9001 ensuring their pipe is manufactured to a high quality.

Rehau is a global leader in the manufacturer of polymer based products with over 50 years experience in the plumbing and heating industry. REHAU has developed a comprehensive hydronic heating solution that systematically addresses the needs of designers, installers, builders and homeowners alike taken from Rehau With a reputation worldwide for research and development and the production of innovative solutions with quality products.

Floor coils systems, like other types of hydronic heating systems, offer increased efficiency through the ability to zone the system using an electronic actuation control system, thus offering a room by room controlled environment in your home.

Hydronic floor heatingpros and cons

PE-Xa pipe with an oxygen diffusion layer of EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol), with an extra outer protection layer in white colour with two blue stripes. Complying with EN ISO 15875 “Plastic piping systems for hot and cold water installation – Cross-linked polyethylene” and fulfils the requirement for oxygen diffusion resistance as per DIN 4726.

Diffusion trays are installed between the floor joists and are approximately 380mm wide so careful planning during engineering is required – for further information at design stage please consult with one of our experts.

However, sudden closing of a valve in a piping system may lead to water hammer or implosion so in special cases there may be additional items connected to the shutoff valve, such as a pressure relief valve or an aerator valve.

Hydronic floor heatinginstallation

The concept of underfloor heating is not new, first used by the Romans; a warm, gentle and sumptuous radiated heat is emitted from the floor warming the room. Under floor heating is ideal for homes where wall space is at a premium – such as large open plan living and rooms with high ceilings as the heat is distributed from the base. Floor coil systems work best in rooms with a concrete or tiled finish floor but can be used with engineered timber or carpet – please consult your flooring specialist for further information.

Pipe positioning boards are a polystyrene based Insulation sheet approx 37mm thick with an R value up to 1.0; the advantage of using pipe positioning boards is that they create a thermal break between the constructional slab and the topping slab/screed, this thermal break increases the efficiency of the system by reducing the heat up time as you are only heating up the secondary layer of concrete/screed which tends to be a reduced thickness.

Shutdown valves are primarily associated with the petroleum industry although other industries may also require this type of protection system. ESD valves are required by law on any equipment placed on an offshore drilling rig to prevent catastrophic events like the BP Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

As shutdown valves form part of a SIS it is necessary to operate the valve by means of an actuator. These actuators are normally fail safe fluid power type. Typical examples of these are:

A floor coil system can be mix and matched with standard and/or designer radiators using a special partage system adding to the flexibility of the system and making the design possibilities endless.

H2O Heating are the experts in all forms of under floor heating systems, whether your requirement is for a single room; extension or renovations; large scale multi-zoned development – car showroom, nursing home or a multi-million architectural residential dream you can be confident that H2O Heating will design a bespoke system that takes into consideration the occupants needs and requirements offering all our clients the same unsurpassed service.

For shutdown valves used in safety instrumented systems it is essential to know that the valve is capable of providing the required level of safety performance and that the valve will operate on demand. The required level of performance is dictated by the Safety Requirements Specification, where eventually a Safety Integrity Level (SIL) is indicated. In order to maintain the level of performance required during the valve lifetime, the Safety Maintenance Manual prescription shall be fulfilled: one of the possible requests is to test the valve. Among the others 2 types of testing methods are:

For fluids, metal seated ball valves are used as shut-down valves (SDV's). Use of metal seated ball valves leads to overall lower costs when taking into account lost production and inventory, and valve repair costs resulting from the use of soft seated ball valves which have a lower initial cost.

Hydronic floor heatingMelbourne

A secondary pour system is where the pipes are located in a second stage concrete or screed pour usually on top of the constructional slab. Most often installed using an insulted pipe positioning board.

A floor coil system is the cheapest form of hydronic heating to run; the running costs are lower due to the hydronic boiler operating at a lower supply temperature – thus resulting in less gas consumption.

A shutdown valve (also referred to as SDV or emergency shutdown valve, ESV, ESD, or ESDV; or safety shutoff valve) is an actuated valve designed to stop the flow of a hazardous fluid upon the detection of a dangerous event. This provides protection against possible harm to people, equipment or the environment. Shutdown valves form part of a safety instrumented system. The process of providing automated safety protection upon the detection of a hazardous event is called functional safety.

This system is not recommended for a polished screed finish due to the possibility of cracking in the finished floor – please speak to one of our knowledgeable sales staff for further information.

Due to the very nature of an underfloor heating system heat is emitted from the lowest part of the room- the floor – and distributed evenly thus eliminating cold spots and further adding to your comfort.

Million metres of RAUTHERM S pipe have proven its quality during installations across the globe in the last 30 years. – Completed by the permanent leak-proof compression sleeve jointing technology, REHAU RAUTHERM S piping system with EVOH oxygen barrier provides a no-worry installation, each and every time.