Onix Tubing Installation Manual

page 6Watts Radiant: Onix Installation Manual
Welcome to the exciting world of radi-
ant floor heating. For some, this manu-
al will be an introduction to installing
floor heating and snowmelting proj-
ects. For others, these jobs are second
nature. This manual is designed to
help both the novice and expert, with
information ranging from basic heat
transfer to more complex system
design and trouble-shooting.
With the ever-increasing sophistication
of the radiant industry, Watts Radiant
offers an expanded product offering
through its worldwide network of
companies. The best of what the
United States and Europe have to offer
can be found at Watts Radiant.
Watts Radiant also offers a wide range
of support options, from local whole-
salers and representatives to our toll-
free number direct to the factory, for
help answering those difficult ques-
tions.
When you select Watts Radiant, you
select an entire support team.
Heat Transfer Basics
One of the goals of this manual is to
enable installers to make better deci-
sions on the job site. These decisions
can range from modifying a layout to
account for a room change to deter-
mining what effect added windows
have on a room.
To better address these types of con-
cerns, you must understand how a
radiant system works. All forms of
heating work on three basic modes of
heat transfer: Convection, Conduction
and Radiant.
Convective Heat Transfer is the most
familiar type of heat. All forced-air
systems are convective heat transfer
systems. This includes hydronic base-
boards and fan coils.
Conductive Heat Transfer is energy
moving through an object. Place a
Introduction
metal pot on the stove and in a few
minutes the handle is hot.
Radiant Heat Transfer is the least
understood, but is the one that is most
important in our daily lives. Radiant
heat transfer is the exchange of energy
from a hot source to a cold source.
The sun is typically used to illustrate
this mode of transfer.
Regardless of the type of heating sys-
tem used, all follow one basic rule.
Hot always moves to cold. Place your
hand under a lamp and your hand
begins to get warm. This is because
the lamp is hotter than your hand and
is trying to lose energy to its cooler
surroundings.
In most cases all three forms of energy
transfer are present in radiant floor
heating systems.
In an Onix
™
Staple-Up
™
application,
Convection is present in the joist cavi-
ty, Conduction moves the energy from
the cavity and tubing through the
floor, and Radiant energy is broadcast
from the floor to the cold objects in
the room.
If these basic principles are under-
stood, then any project will be a suc-
cess. Just remember to think like heat;
moving from hot to cold.
Onix Radiant Piping
This manual is to be used with Watts
Radiant s Onix tubing, an Ethylene
Propylene Diene Monomer or EPDM
for short. It should not be used to
install PEX tubing.
Onix was created as a solution to some
of the more challenging radiant instal-
lations. It was engineered with
increased flexibility, crush and abra-
sion resistance, higher temperature
limit and aramid fiber reinforcing.
These features allow Onix to be
installed easier and faster into more
confining and challenging environ-
ments, such as crawlspaces and stair-
ways slabs.
Onix s unique multi-layer construction
gives it added ability to resist jobsite
abuse as well as extreme weather con-
ditions. With an Aramid reinforcement
layer, at normal operating tempera-
tures, Onix s burst pressure more than
doubles other radiant tubing. This
equates to a longer life span and lower
maintenance requirements.
Even though radiant floor applications
will be where Onix is used the most,
Watts Radiant has taken extra steps to
design Onix for other applications,