Underfloor Heating
Underfloor Heating
It’s easy to bring underfloor heating products to market and there are many companies in the UK market simply selling products. What they can’t bring to the marketplace quickly however, is knowledge. Jupiter has years of experience having completed hundreds of projects and it is this experience that you benefit from when you come to us for a solution.
Why Dry is Better
Dry installed, panel-based systems have one fundamental advantage over traditional pipe in screed systems: response time. Whether heating up or cooling down, screed based underfloor heating systems can take hours to respond – a key complaint by owners of such systems. As dry installed systems respond far more quickly they can be turned off at night rather than simply set-back for a few hours. This aspect of non-screed systems represents a significant saving in energy costs – an estimated 14% saving.
Faster Response Time
Traditional pipe in screed systems are notoriously slow to heat up (and cool down) and, because of this, these systems are normally kept on 24/7 albeit with a night time setback. Rather than switching off the heating at bedtime, the system stays on at a slightly reduced temperature until the early hours when the temperature is increased again. This approach requires the boiler to run continuously. With lightweight, dry installed systems the boiler can be completely switched off at night saving an estimated 14% in energy costs.
Our Pipe
Without sounding too obvious the pipe is at the centre of any underfloor heating system. From the very beginning we have only ever supplied German-manufactured multi-layer composite PE-RT (Polyethylene Raised Temperature) pipe. Composite pipe is relatively rigid and has a memory which makes it easy to install, holding the shape of the circuit once laid. Using a pipe dispensing reel makes installation even easier. It is easy to form bends in the pipe by hand, however bending springs should be used for particularly tight bends to prevent kinking.
Our pipe contains an aluminium core which serves as a barrier preventing 100% of oxygen ingress. The aluminium layer is overlap-welded to ensure a strong and well-structured pipe. The inner and outer polyethylene layers prevent scaling and corrosion of the aluminium, protecting it from the heating water, and also external influences. The special combination of aluminium and polyethylene (PE-RT) ensures that JUPITER MLC pipe is a true full-strength plastic alternative to copper, giving the installer the advantages of both metal and plastic, but with none of the disadvantages.
Product Specification:
Applications:
JUPITER Multi-layer Composite (MLC) pipe is the perfect solution for many types of plumbing and heating installation. Suitable for use in plumbing systems, radiator connections and underfloor heating.
Authority:
Full certification from all relevant testing and approval bodies. The manufacture is to the highest quality control including BS EN ISO 9001: 2000. It is manufactured in Germany according to DIN 16836. All MLC pipe manufactured in Germany has a minimum design life of 200 years and a manufacturer’s guarantee of 10 years
Description:
The five-layer composite pipe offers product advantages that are second to none: the aluminium core is 100% oxygen diffusion tight. It compensates and reduces snap-back forces and heat expansion with changes in temperature. The system is designed for easy, safe and fast pipe installations; simply bend, cut-to-length, bevel, join and press.
Dimensions:
JUPITER MLC pipe is available in sizes between 16 mm and 63 mm for a multitude of domestic and commercial applications, from battened walls to riser pipes.
Performance:
The inner and outer polyethylene pipes prevent scaling and corrosion and its special combination of overlapped aluminium and raised temperature polyethylene (PE-RT) ensures that JUPITER MLC pipe is a full strength plastic alternative to copper and now gives the installer the advantage of both metal and plastic, but with none of the disadvantages.
The advantage of PE-RT pipe is its increased flexibility over PE-X (tighter bend radius) and its 100% airtightness.
PE-RT has a maximum temperature / pressure rating of 70º C at 10 Bar.
Bending Radius:
Notes on Other Multi-layer Pipes:
For plastic pipes (PB, PP-R, PE-X, PE-X-MD), DIN 4726 defines the diffusion rate requirements that have to be satisfied in order to claim that a pipe is diffusion-protected. According to this standard diffusion-protected pipes must have an oxygen diffusion rate of <0.10 g / L / day at 40° C, where d is the internal diameter of the pipe.
Under ideal conditions a newly manufactured pipe that has not been damaged through exposure to ultraviolet light, abrasion etc. should have an oxygen ingress rate of approximately 0.005 g / L / day.
Depending on the system temperature etc., the oxygen ingress rate can rise.
PE-X tubes only fulfil the standard but technically are not 100% diffusion safe as pipe with an aluminium core is.
Panel-based Systems
Panel based underfloor heating systems began to appear in the early 1990’s in Germany. Their introduction complemented other trades within the ‘dry-building’ sector. Dry building techniques vastly improve construction time as wet trades such as plastering and screeding are avoided. In addition to reduced installation time panel-based systems offer a faster response time and a more even heat.
Traditional Screed Systems
Traditional pipe-in-screed type systems remain useful in a few circumstances, and JUPITER can design and professionally install a system to suit. Where a Type C waterproofing (cavity drain membrane) is to be installed, the mass of a screed is required to keep the insulation adequately pinned. A polished concrete finish also benefits from the traditional approach.
Wall Heating
When there is not enough floor space to provide sufficient heat output Jupiter has considered the walls as a potential additional area. Not hindered by thick carpets or fickle timber floors, walls can produce high output without the normal surface temperature limitations associated with floors. System VERTICAL can be served by the same manifolds as floor heating and can be thermally mapped to ensure clients don’t hang pictures in the wrong place!
Manifolds and Controls
Controlling an underfloor heating system can be complicated – but we can make it simple. Whether you are using a heat pump or a gas boiler, whether you want to control your underfloor heating via smartphone or just a simple dial thermostat we can advise you which is best.
Don’t forget designing an underfloor heating system is about getting the room temperature right. Having underfloor heating installed doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have a hot floor – in most cases our clients don’t notice the floor is even on – but yet they are comfortable in the room. That’s good design.
Heat Output Calculator
Our newly launched heat output calculator allows you to quickly and simply determine what heat output it will be possible to achieve with your choice of final floor finish, desired room temperature and chosen JUPITER system.
