Metropolitan HC is SPC’s fan-assisted trench heating and cooling range, built to sit within the floor alongside full height glazing. It’s available in heating-only, cooling-only, or combined heating and cooling versions (2-pipe or 4-pipe), giving specifiers a floor-recessed trench heating and cooling option with new dimensions, fans and motor outputs to suit a wider range of commercial projects.
Where a project calls for the format and finish of the existing Metropolitan Powered range, that option remains available; Metropolitan HC adds a further choice within the same trench heating and cooling category, built around updated fan and motor technology. Manufactured in Leicester, the range is suited to commercial and public building projects, including offices, retail spaces and hospitality settings with full height glazing.
What is Metropolitan HC Trench Heating and Cooling?
Metropolitan HC is a fan-assisted trench heating and cooling unit, recessed into the floor and finished with a roll-up grille, that provides warm air along glazed facades in winter and dry cooling in summer from the same installation. Each unit combines a copper tube and aluminium finned coil heat exchanger with one or more crossflow fans, powered by direct-coupled brushless DC (EC) motors.
Unlike older natural-convection and basic fan-assisted trench heaters, the fans in Metropolitan HC actively blow air through the heat exchanger and keep the inlet and outlet separated, preventing short-circuiting and keeping output consistent along the run.
Units are supplied in four standard width and height combinations:
- 245mm x 160mm
- 290mm x 160mm
- 320mm x 130mm
- 360mm x 210mm
Standard lengths run from 900mm up to 3,000mm (900, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2300, 2600 and 3000mm), with non-standard lengths available on request. Individual units are limited to three metres but can be butted together and piped in parallel to fill longer runs precisely.
The casing is 1.2mm mild steel finished in black powder coat, with adjustable support feet on both sides (up to 30mm) and levelling screws at all four corners, so units sit flush and level with the finished floor whether installed in a suspended floor or a concrete screed.
Heating
In heating mode, Metropolitan HC trench heaters throw a buoyant, fan-driven air jet up alongside the glazing to counteract cold down-draughts and offset heat loss along the facade. Because the fans actively drive airflow rather than relying on natural convection, output is more consistent and responsive to changes in fan speed.
Flow and return connections are 15mm copper, with a maximum hot water flow temperature of 85°C. Fan speed is controlled via a 0 to 10V signal, so heat output can be adjusted to suit the space without altering water temperature.
Cooling
Metropolitan HC also provides dry cooling for spaces that need summertime comfort as well as winter heat, giving a genuine year-round conditioning solution from a single trench installation. Minimum chilled water flow temperature is 5°C.
Where chilled water temperatures fall below the dewpoint of the room air, condensation can form on the coil. In these cases, Metropolitan HC units can be specified with an integral drip tray, with an optional condensate pump available where moisture needs to be lifted or pumped away. Many cooling applications are designed around dry cooling, avoiding the need for condensate removal altogether, provided chilled water temperature is properly controlled.
4-pipe Metropolitan HC units provide heating and cooling independently, with separate flow and return connections at opposite ends of the unit. 2-pipe units provide either heating or cooling, or a heating/cooling changeover.
Grilles and finishes
The only visible part of a Metropolitan HC installation is the grille. As standard, units are fitted with an anodised aluminium roll-up grille, constructed from aluminium blades held by stainless steel springs and plastic spacers.
The standard satin anodised finish can be substituted for a range of Anolok coloured bar finishes spanning bronze, gold and blue tints. For higher end applications, or where extra strength is needed, a linear stainless steel grille is available. Units can also be supplied without a grille where an architectural grille is being integrated instead.
Controls
Metropolitan HC is designed for straightforward integration with a building management system (BMS). Fan speed is controlled via a 0 to 10V signal, with valve actuators available on both heating and cooling circuits. Options are also available for manual fan speed switching and master/slave control across multiple units, and units can be wired to suit existing customer-supplied valves and controllers where required.
Accessories and modifications
Metropolitan HC ships as a basic unit without accessories, ready for control as part of the site system. Available options include:
- Thermostats and controllers
- On/off and speed control switches
- 24V valves and actuators
- Drip trays and condensate pumps
Trench units can also be adapted physically to suit the project, including angle and corner pieces, dummy sections, pipework routed within the trench casing, adjustable pedestals for deep trenches, and cut-outs where a run is interrupted by a pillar. Bespoke width and height units can usually be accommodated; contact SPC to discuss project-specific requirements.
Specification summary
| Detail | Spec |
|---|---|
| Heat exchanger | Copper tube / aluminium finned coil |
| Fan type | Tangential (crossflow), brushless DC (EC) motor |
| Power supply | 230V / 1 phase / 50Hz, internal 24V DC conversion |
| Casing | 1.2mm mild steel, black powder coat |
| Water connections | 15mm copper |
| Min. chilled water flow temperature | 5°C |
| Max. hot water flow temperature | 85°C |
| Max. working pressure | 10 bar |
| Noise | NR17 to NR39 depending on length and fan speed |
| Testing | Performance tested in line with EN 164301 |
1 EN 16430: European performance standard specific to trench units.
Full performance data (duty, flow rate and pressure drop by unit size, length and fan speed, for both 2-pipe and 4-pipe configurations) is available in the literature below.
Get in Touch
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. 4-pipe units heat and cool independently via separate flow and return connections, while 2-pipe units can be specified for heating only, cooling only, or as a heating/cooling changeover system.
Four standard width and height combinations (245x160mm, 290x160mm, 320x130mm and 360x210mm), in standard lengths from 900mm to 3,000mm, with non-standard lengths available on request.
Yes. Fan speed is controlled via a 0 to 10V signal to a centralised BMS as standard, with options for local control, manual fan speed switching, and master/slave control across multiple units.
Units used for cooling, where chilled water temperature falls below the dewpoint of the room air, can be specified with an integral drip tray and an optional condensate pump. Many installations are designed around dry cooling to avoid condensate removal altogether.
