radiant heat manifolds

I saw on the PEX supply site that they have pre made manifolds for sale.
The stainless 5 loop costs about 300 bucks. ouch.
Anyway it says it comes with supply for 5 loops ready to go and 5 returns
that are "ready for accuators".
What does this mean.?? That you have to attach shut off valves to regulate out/back to source flow..??? If a pro plumber reads this can you enlighten me..
Do most manifolds use 1 inch pipe for the main rail..??
I am going to run 5 small loops, much smaller than a regular house would..
maybe 500 running feet total of 1/2 inch pex.
thanks

 

Does it matter if I'm not a pro plumber?

The actuator(s) for the manifold are basically zone valves. The 700 series, for example, can open/close the manifold loops based on an external signal. Some of the fancier ones have built-in outdoor reset if you're not providing that with a separate control.

Pricey, yes. But it's the complete package and a huge time-saver over building your own.

Stainless may not be required, depending on how you set up the system and the tubing you use. See also Viega, Watts, Uponor for tubing, manifolds, etc.