Home Owner Information

Multipipe do not provide DIY products, and therefore all our pipework and underfloor heating systems should be installed by a qualified, professional tradesperson.
As suppliers to professional tradespeople, we are not able to offer end-user support beyond what is shown below and in our user guides.
If you cannot resolve your issue after reading the User Guides, please contact a trusted tradesperson for further advice.  User guides can be found here.

Underfloor Heating Systems

Homeowner FAQ’s

Our FAQ’s are aimed at the end-user and are all small tasks you can do to help resolve any issues with your underfloor heating system. If, however, these tips don’t fix your problem, we recommend getting a qualified installer to help you.

One of my rooms is cold.

If a whole room is cold and worked previously, this usually indicates a fault with the thermostat in that area. Try switching down all your thermostats and leave it for 5 minutes. Then, get the thermostat (if working) to call for heat in the affected area. Leave for 3 minutes. Your boiler should be working and sending hot water to the manifold by this time. The manifold is where all the UFH pipes go back to. It should be warm on the top bar in the loops for that room. If not, the thermostat is not giving the signal to work and might need new batteries (if wireless) or replacement if wired.

One large room area is cold, and everything else is ok.

If one area is cold, it normally means there is a fault with a thermal actuator. Actuators receive signals from your thermostat in the room. They then open and shut the loops on the manifold. You may have multiple loops for one room when you have a large area to heat. However, when one loop stops working, it is usually due to one of two issues. Either the pin under the actuator is sticking or the actuator has burnt out.

An occasional high-pitched squealing noise comes from the manifold and then disappears.

You may have fitted a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV). TMV’s regulate the temperature going into your floor. If you can hear a squealing sound, it usually means excessive pressure is pushing against the valve. As the valve tries to shut (and cannot because of the pressure), it vibrates. The vibration sounds like a squeal, and as the valve closes, it vibrates more, and the pitch gets higher until it shuts.
If you experience this, ask your installer to return and fit an auto bypass valve or a close couple tee to reduce the pressure on the valve. However, this issue may have caused damage to the valve and may mean the valve needs replacing too.

I seem to be using a lot of energy. I thought UFH is more energy-efficient.

It is! However, you must run the system correctly to achieve the efficiencies. The following blog post explains how you can get the best from your UFH.

https://www.multipipe.co.uk/running-your-underfloor-heating-system/

My house is cold! All the rooms are cold, but the boiler seems to be working.

If your boiler is working, the issue is probably related to a series of motorised valves that separate the different parts of your system. An actuator (not the one on the manifold) will fail from time to time. A failed actuator means the UFH is trying to get heat, but the valve blocks the way. Try to locate the UFH valve (it tends to be a white plastic or silver metal box on the pipe). The UFH valve has a leaver labelled with “auto” and “MAN”. Push the lever over. The valve is shut if you experience resistance.

To get temporary heat into your system, keep pushing it all the way over, push upwards, and let it come back on the latch. This action means water can pass through the valve. You will then require a plumber/electrician to replace the valve and check the wiring. If the lever feels (for want of a better word) broken, then the valve is open and not at fault. You will need a professional to diagnose the problem.

This document also details some of the most common issues that can occur with an underfloor heating system and the best ways to resolve them.

Heating Controls

Please note that we only supply Multipipe (Rio or Quantum) products. For any other manufacturer systems, please refer to their websites.

For help with programming your Multipipe heating controls, User guides can be found here.

There’s a solution to every problem.

We highly recommend that you always consult a qualified tradesperson for any issues you may encounter.
It is likely that the fix will be simple and won’t involve any significant construction work.
Multipipe systems are highly reliable, which is why many designers and architects chose to install them.
All heating systems should have regular boiler servicing to ensure they operate at maximum efficiency. 

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