What are water coil circuits?

We get this question a lot. Circuits are related to the number of tubes in a coil being fed from the header. For example, if the header is connected to 12 tubes, that coil has 12 circuits. Coils with 24 circuits have 24 tubes connected to the supply manifold, and the hot or chilled water (or refrigerant) in the header/manifold simultaneously feeds 24 tubes.

Another question - why are there different numbers of circuits? To make sure the right amount of heat transfers, the water or refrigerant must travel through coils at the right speed. Water or refrigerant travelling too quickly through the coil leads to inefficient heat transfer, while water travelling too slowly through the coil leads to little or no heat transfer, called “laminar flow.” Selecting the appropriate number of circuits lets you control the speed.

Basically, fewer circuits speed up the water in the coil, while more circuits slow it down. It’s similar to the drop in water pressure someone would experience trying to take a shower at the same time a toilet is flushed and the automatic sprinkler system turns on.

Let Emergent Coils help you decide the most efficient number of circuits for your hot water coils or chilled water coils. Simply give us a call at 1-855-Coil-Now.