Managing UFH Manifold and Mixing Valve

[Paul_B]

For over a year now I've been (very) slowly converting a room to be much more energy efficient by increasing insulation and airtightness. The plasterboard has been replaced with Variotherm Radiant Panels (18mm Fermacell boards with UFH pipes modelled into the board).

Now I need to connect the new manifold to supply the panels (~30-40deg C) to the existing heating system (60-80degrees C). I have the manifold but need to add a mixing valve and pump. In addition I'd like to control the setup via Cortex. Has anyone blogged, documented or had experience of setting up such a system with Idratek and Cortex?

Paul

[chris_j_hunter]

not yet, but been doing our homework, for a system with UFH, DHW, and solar - Wilo do some smart pumps, and Sauter do some good valves - for our situation anyway, for which we're aiming to go manifold-less, so have them on our short list ... ie :

http://www.wilo.com/cps/rde/xchg/en/layout.xsl/1010.htm

http://www.sauterautomation.co.uk/en...nd-drives.html

http://www.sauterautomation.co.uk/pd...s_en474897.pdf

http://www.sauterautomation.co.uk/pd...s_en464050.pdf

http://www.sauterautomation.co.uk/en...ing-pn-16.html

[Paul_B]

Cheers Chris I'll check these out tonight when I can give the docs the attention they deserve. Out of interest why have you chosen to go manifold less?

Paul

[chris_j_hunter]

manifold-less because they are expensive & a fiddle to balance & inefficient in terms of flow pressure-drops & turbulence ... plus Idratek / Cortex allows a smarter approach than has been possible before ...

the Wilo pump self-regulates based on pressure drop, and the Sauter valves + controls respond to 0-10V, allowing good switching & regulation, zone by zone ...

and no room thermostats (large time-lags & difficult to position representatively), but using temperature sensors* on feed & return legs to get more immediate feedback on heating demand (cooler return / larger temperature difference = more heat taken out = more heating needed) ...

* eg:

http://www.rapidonline.com/Electroni...-sensors/76422

[Paul_B]

Chris,

Do you have a reference diagram for how this works? I'm struggling to try and picture it in my mind. Would you have a single circuit or multiple circuits? If the latter how do you control the distibution of heated water, is it centrally or on a ring?

Paul

[chris_j_hunter]

ideally multiple off-takes from thermal store ... else splitter just off the store ... with one pump & one valve per zone & two temperature sensors per zone ...

BTW, AIUI, sensing return temperature, rather than having room thermostats, is not uncommon on the Continent ...

DPS website has useful info' - would give you a link, but their web-site doesn't work that way, so you'll have to dig !