The most important part of any wet underfloor heating system is the manifold, where pipework from each area of a room converges and hot water is fed/blended from the heat source. Choosing, installing and maintaining the right manifold for your needs is crucial, not only for the performance of your underfloor heating but also to avoid problems like leaks and cracks that could compromise the system in the future.

A Manifold connects the Heat Source – a boiler, heat pump or other – with the Water Underfloor Heating Circuits and regulates incoming water temperature via the Mixing Unit for optimised water temperature regulation of between 20 – 60 Degrees Celsius. If the heat source cannot constantly maintain design temperature then an S3 Mixing Unit is required to guarantee this.

An S3 Mixing Unit is comprised of 3 parts – the lower arm, upper arm and circulator. The lower arm pumps warm water from the heat source to the floor circuits, while the upper arm blends the water from the lower and upper arms to ensure that the whole system is maintained at a consistent temperature.

Thermometer and Pressure Gauges – A dual-purpose thermometer and pressure gauge are attached directly to the Manifold, allowing for accurate control and easy usage.

Combined Pump/Blender Valves – On some systems water is pumped and blended locally to the manifold to reduce flow temperatures which can damage sensitive floor coverings such as carpet or vinyl. These valves are typically incorporated into the Manifold’s Mixing Unit, so they can be regulated to guarantee the designed water temperature (between 20 – 60 Degrees Celsius) without risk of over-heating.

Wiring Centre – The central component of a water underfloor heating system, the Wiring Centre controls the electrical aspect and forges a connection between the Manifold’s Actuators, Circulators and any Zone Valves with the Heat Source and thermostat. This enables the Manifold to respond to the thermostat and call the boiler for more heat, whilst simultaneously opening any Zone Valves to allow the warm water to flow through the circuits.

Smart Thermostat – A modern, energy-efficient floor heater can be controlled by an intelligent, programmable thermostat by Warmup to optimise energy use and save you money on your heating bills. This allows a specific area to be heated in a way that is most suitable for the room, reducing the amount of heat needed to maintain a desired temperature and ensuring that rooms are always at the correct temperature for comfort.

Using an existing manifold – If you are using an existing manifold then you need to make sure that it is absolutely compatible with the pipework and all the other components, as well as the controls. The manifold should be sized to the number of zones and the size of your underfloor heating pipework.

The manifold must be located in a position where the pipework from all zones can converge without overheating your floor. This is often achieved by using a ‘flow bar’ on the front of the manifold which is offset to allow all pipework to pass behind it.