UFH manifold cabinet - any point?

[MortarThePoint]

My manifolds are all going to be in cupboards, so is there any point in putting them in manifold cabinets? I can see them being useful if in a rental property (locked) or having the manifold in a room not inside a cupboard. The only reason I can think I could justify using one is to save the manifold getting knocked by someone tossing Henry (or Harry) into the under stairs cupboard. I don't think it would stop spiders of dust.

 

Does it look unprofessional not to have one? What did others do?

 

[Russell griffiths]

No, what for. 

Build another cupboard for Henry. 

[Nickfromwales]

I’ll be fitting 2 of these on my current project where I’m fitting 2x manifolds, one above the other, in the back of a general use cupboard in an utility room. 
The plastic flow gauges and capillary wire for the thermostatic probes are easily damaged, so if anything is routinely taken in / out then there is merit in protecting them imho.

Can be done with 2 bits of 50x50 and a removable panel of MDF. 

[MortarThePoint]

I'll just be screwing my manifolds to the walls. In two places this will be blockwork walls so I anticipate using masonry screws like the ones below with some appropriate steel washers.

 

When mounting on a studwork wall, should I use some form of vibration isolation as I could imagine the plasterboard acting as a sounding board. Screwed to the studs, but still. 

 

 

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easydrive-pan-concrete-screws-6-x-60mm-100-pack/9665r

https://www.toolstation.com/masonry-torx-frame-fixing-screw/p16209

[MortarThePoint]

Under the stairs I think I'll struggle a little for height as 6 steps to the half landing this will be under. That means only 1200mm of space and the bottom of the manifold needs to be 600mm above FFL. Here's hoping the stair timber will be 200mm or less. I could mount (hori or vert) a couple of pieces of 4x2 to the wall and then put the manifold on that. This could allow a tiny bit more height, or if needed remove the top bit of 4x2 when installing the stairs and then screw the manifold to the stair timber.

Edited July 31, 2021 by MortarThePoint

[joe90]

3 minutes ago, MortarThePoint said:

and the bottom of the manifold needs to be 600mm above FFL

why?

[MortarThePoint]

Just now, joe90 said:

why?

 

Straight from the WUNDA installation blurb. To allow space for connecting and disconnecting all the pipes I guess.

 

 

[joe90]

I used Wunda stuff and I must have missed that!!,! Mine is lower than that and no problem connecting pipes. My half landing is 1100mm, top of manifold 800mm and plenty of space. 

[MortarThePoint]

1 minute ago, joe90 said:

I used Wunda stuff and I must have missed that!!,! Mine is lower than that and no problem connecting pipes. My half landing is 1100mm, top of manifold 800mm and plenty of space. 

 

 

Thanks!

 

Do you know what the section of the timber labelled with the red arrow below is? 4x2, 6x2 or 8x2?

 

Have you mounted your manifold on a board (if so of what) or neatly not painted an area?

 

 

[MortarThePoint]

Don't quite follow what this is saying. What does "Trimmer between walls mean"?

https://stairs.bwf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Toolbox-talks-SPLIT-5.pdf

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by MortarThePoint

[MortarThePoint]

I shouldn't need any pumps at the actual manifolds (ASHP setup), but I would like to space my bars appropriately should I need to retrofit. Looks like that means I'll have the bars at their maximum spacing of 230mm.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by MortarThePoint

[joe90]

1 hour ago, MortarThePoint said:

Do you know what the section of the timber labelled with the red arrow below is? 4x2, 6x2 or 8x2?

 

Have you mounted your manifold on a board (if so of what) or neatly not painted an area?

I built my own half landing, used 6x2 bolted to the walls, and joist hangers, oak boards to match the stairs

 

i mounted the manifold on a board (old piece of laminate on ply) because I Mounted it all before the plastering was done, plastering then up to the thickness of the board.

[PeterW]

1 hour ago, MortarThePoint said:

I shouldn't need any pumps at the actual manifolds (ASHP setup), but I would like to space my bars appropriately should I need to retrofit. Looks like that means I'll have the bars at their maximum spacing of 230mm.

 

 

Don’t do it…!!!! Fit the pump and the blending valve from the outset. 
 

Do not rely on the ASHP to blend the UFH - it just ain’t worth it. You also have no control of the flow as  when the zones start to close down you will be restricting the flow on the ASHP and you will get ASHP flow errors. You need to make sure you have a decent bypass valve too. 

[joe90]

6 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Fit the pump and the blending valve from the outset

+1 ?

Edited July 31, 2021 by joe90

[MortarThePoint]

I'm going to leave enough space to fit a pump set on each manifold. The plan (which may be wrong) is set out in the diagram below which I shared with WUNDA. Three prallel circuits each with their own 2 port control valve but one or no additional pump. I have wondered how the flow is regulated into each parallel branch given two of the manifolds have 10 or 12 ports used and the third only 3 used.

 

If it's all pressure driven, then the parallel configuration should be OK with one pump, perhaps integrated into the ASHP.

 

[dpmiller]

no bypass at all?

 

[MortarThePoint]

3 minutes ago, dpmiller said:

no bypass at all?

 

 

They didn't question that. Where would the bypass go, across each manifold or in parallel with the three manifold circuits?

[joe90]

28mm copper!, that will be expensive, I used copper from ASHP to pump, tank etc then I ran the rest mainly in plastic 22mm (but I only have one manifold and 5 loops).

[PeterW]

10 hours ago, MortarThePoint said:

I'm going to leave enough space to fit a pump set on each manifold. The plan (which may be wrong) is set out in the diagram below which I shared with WUNDA. Three prallel circuits each with their own 2 port control valve but one or no additional pump. I have wondered how the flow is regulated into each parallel branch given two of the manifolds have 10 or 12 ports used and the third only 3 used.

 

If it's all pressure driven, then the parallel configuration should be OK with one pump, perhaps integrated into the ASHP.

 

That won’t work. 
 

ASHP will find the path of least resistance 

[ProDave]

As a minimum that needs blending valves and pumps on each manifold, AND an automatic bypass valve to maintain flow to / from the ASHP when not much is in use.  Don't under estimate the flow rate an ASHP needs all the time.

 

"Wiring Centre A, B, C" are not plain wiring centres but manifold control units that have a few relays in them, usually to turn on the manifold pump when one or more zones calls for heat, and to provide a volt free call for heat contact to the ASHP (or other heat source)