Email: see Home

• economic

The amounts to be invested are usually smaller than in the case of conventional systems, in particular if in well-insulated office buildings the ceilings are also used for heating purposes.

Compared to conventional air conditioning plants, the operation costs can be cut by up to 50%.

Capillary tubing systems are almost maintenance-free and the occuring pressure drop is about 70% less than that of conventional tube systems.

source: http://eande.lbl.gov/CBS/NEWSLETTER/NL4/RadiantCooling.html

• space-saving

In comparison to conventional air conditioning plants, the owner can gain up to 20% more rentable space out of the same building size because the hollows in the ceilings need to be just 10 to 15cm (4 to 6") deep, and the engine rooms and air ducts can be designed considerably smaller.

Reason:

For cooling rooms only by ac-systems an air change rate of  5-8 per hour (or much more higher) is a must

b u t

chilling by radiant ceilings reduces the air change rate to the hygenic air change rate (a.c.r.) of 1-2 per hour. So the ac-systems (ducts and air plants) are reduced to a minimum of size and volume.

• comfortable

It is most adventageous for human physiology to remove heat by radiation. This is perfectly caused by the radiant capillary mat system.

In additional to that, modern air conditioning plants basing on cooling ceilings (and panel heatings) do not produce draught and are absolutely noiseless (a.c.r. max. 1-2 per hour).
Air room pollution by bacteria, viruses, and allergens is minimal because fresh air is used.

• invisible

Due to their low installation height of 4mm, capillary tubing systems are entirely integrated in the room-enclosing surfaces. No radiators or air conditioning units are required and the usual cost of maintenance and repair connected with them can be saved.

Even if just thinly covered by plaster coats, capillary mats are permanently concealed. Thanks to the use of polypropylene capillary tubes, no staining of the plaster finish, the so-called copper shadow, can occur, as is so often the case if metal tubes are sealed and backfilled with plaster.

• flexible

Capillary mats are flexible and can be adapted without problem even to vaulted surfaces. Very few restrictions are imposed on the architect.

• easy to install

The low installation height and weight of the capillary mats (just 920 g/m² = ca. 1,7 lb/sq yd including water) require no special supporting structures and permit quick backfitting of existing ceiling elements.

• safe

Capillary tubing mats are manufactured of high-quality polypropylene tubes providing a maximum amount of reliability and safety.

Each mat is subjected to a hydraulic pressure of 20 bar  = ca. 290 psi for half an hour and checked for leaks under water.

The 20 bar test pressure represents ten times the average working pressure.

The capillary tubing mats are either installed under a pressure of 10 bar, or hydraulically tested with 10 bar after installation.

• long-lived

Stress/time-to-rupture tests and material tests have proved that the service life far exceeds 50 years.

For any capillary mat, the customers are granted a 10-year full warranty that includes replacement of defective products as well as mounting and demounting and consequential loss.

The warranty applies globally and is secured by a well-known insurance company. This means zero risk for the owner or owners contractor (plant builder).

Source: manufactory Clina / ClinaX     -      world wide guarantee

• obstruction-free

In capillary tubing systems, a stainless-steel heat exchanger always separates the water circulating within the capillary tubing mats (secondary circuit) from the primary water circuit.

This secondary circuit exclusively contains non-corrosive / corrosion-resistant materials such as plastic, red bronze, brass, and stainless steel, zink or else is prohibited, so formation of deposits of oxidation products in the capillaries is definitely excluded even if oxygen diffuses through the polypropylene tube walls.

Also, microorganisms cannot grow and leave deposits because there are none of the phosphorus and nitrogen compounds that they need to live. Just as well, furring is physically impossible at working temperatures between 16 and 40°C (61 - 104°F). Capillary tubing systems guarantee that the water is absolutely free of solid matter even after decades of operation.

• easy to repair

Should a capillary tubing mat be damaged, for instance by being bored into, the water will drain off until the system is relieved of its pressure burden.

The amount of water leaking out depends on the size of the expansion tank and normally is just a few liters.

The damaged capillary tube can easily be uncovered and sealed using a soldering iron or heat reflector for butt-welding.

Using capillary tubing systems it will never become necessary to replace whole panels, as it would be the case with conventional tube systems.

• quick-reacting

The capillary mats are only thin covered by e.g. gipsum with a maximum thickness of
8-12 mm = ca. 5/16" - 1/2".

A change of the desired value will within minutes result in a perceptible change of the room air conditions. Each room can individually be controlled by simple control circuits.

• dew-point safe

Rooms equipped with capillary tubing mats have a dew-point protection which by switching off the cooling ceiling prevents damage to the ceiling due to water condensation.

This can only occur if the humidity control system of the room via fresh air fails.

As long as the relative humidity of ambient air remains at the desired value, the dew point cannot be exceeded.

• self-ventilating

Thanks to the small diameter and the surface tension of the water, the capillary tubes are self-ventilating.

Even at vertically downward flow the air bubbles are driven in front of the water during the filling process and also later when the plant is started.

Therefore, the slope of the mats needs not be taken into consideration when installing them in the ceiling. The main pipework of the mats must be state of the art.

• ecologic

In contrast to conventional tube systems, cooling or heating of the surfaces by means of capillary tubing mats is exceptionally even due to the small distance between the capillaries of 10 - 30mm = ca.  0.4" - 1.2".

Consequently, energy transmission to the room is maximal.

The perceived temperatures are 2 to 3°C lower or higher than the room air temperature if radiant cooling or heating is applied.

Therefore, the use of capillary tubing systems can save considerable amounts of energy while at the same time enhancing comfort.

More energy is saved because of the lower energy for air renewal in comparison to conventional air conditioning systems and because of the low pumping capacity required for the cooling and heating water if mats are used instead of tube systems.

In the case of the cooling ceiling with source ventilation the energy saving compared to an air-only plant can be 40%.

• environmentally-friendly

Capillary tubing mats are manufactured absolutely free of noxious matter. Neither polluted waste air nor polluted waste water are produced. All production waste is completely recycled and reused.

Referred to other materials, the production of polypropylene (PP-R) consumes substantially smaller amounts of primary energy.

!  These amounts are 5.5 times higher for copper and even 8 times higher for aluminium  !

The production of polypropylene is considerably more environmentally-friendly than the production of metals such as copper, steel, or aluminium.

Environmental impact of polypropylene production compared to copper:

Capillary mats of PP-R can easily be deinstalled and very usefully recycled when selectively cutting down the size of buildings, and thus comply with the basic requirements of the German Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz [law concerning recycling] in force since 1996.

As polypropylene consists exclusively carbon and hydrogen atoms, no dangerous substances are produced when it is burned. In particular, no combustion products develop in the event of fires that could critically injure persons or animals and result in high expenses for decontamination of the buildings.

• range of application

The capillary tubing system is used wherever the well-being of people plays an important part. This applies not only to teller halls of banks and insurance companies, meeting rooms, and executive floors but also to offices, production facilities, etc.

Mats can be used in new buildings as well as for renovation and modernisation.

The capillary tubing technique has proved its unique worth especially in the field of concealed cooling and heating for attic flats or penthouses.

Another field of application for capillary tubing systems is the restoration of historic buildings. The rooms of such buildings can be comfortably heated by concealed heating systems even if the historical facade does not permit the installation of a conventional insulating layer.

technical data of capillary mats

Source: manufactory Clina / ClinaX