Tee based arrangements
Heaters are supplied from the main line by branches leading to tees mounted on them. Supply lines are usually located in the floor or on the wall in following arrangements:
Circuit type - heating medium is distributed along the walls where heaters are mounted. This allows the use of masking bars, making this type of system ideal for renovation. Relatively large demand for pipe and the need to go through the construction barriers are the main disadvantages of this arrangement.
Radial type – heating medium is freely distributed from vertical supply line to the heaters without the need of getting through the construction barriers. The pipes are routed from the middle of the room which leads to reduction in their required length.
Tee based arrangements do not give any possibility to replace damaged pipes without forging floors or plaster. Moreover, connecting of additional heaters to the main supply line will gradually decrease the pressure and will cause trouble with flow adjustment on individual plots.
It is the major disadvantage of tee based arrangements in comparison to manifolds.
Manifold based arrangements
The ability to supply each radiator with a separate line that runs straight from the manifold is a specific feature of this arrangement.
Summary of qualities:
- ease of adjustment
- ability to make changes in the installation without the need of forging the floor
- lower risk of failure - there are no connections between the radiator and the manifold located in the floor
- no need of investment in expensive tools - only a simple flat wrench is required for manifold based installation
- fast installation – time savings
Within the Tweetop Home system, there are several brass manifolds available - designed for managing from 2 to 12 supply lines, depending on the actual type chosen.
Manifolds should be mounted in special cases, which can be mounted both directly on the plaster as well as countersunk below it. There is enough room in the case to incorporate cutting valves for every single circuit managed by given type of manifold.
Routing
On the installation design stage, it is important to remember about:
- using coverage/protection pipes
- supplying the heaters from manifolds with shortest possible segments of pipes
- increasing the length of pipe for ease of thermal expansion within the installation
- avoiding very sharp turns and long sections of pipes with many turns
- ensuring the possibility of inner pipe replacement
- possibility of Tweetop PERT pipes bending
- marking the placement of pipes under the floor and in the walls which will help to avoid any damage due to drilling
