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Volume 16 Number 6 November/December 2006

INSIDE■ Woman elected to lead HRAI■ Subdivision combines solar and community heating■ N.S. launches own EnerGuide program■ Project owners attempt reverse auction disguise

This fireplace line offers numerousoptions.Warm up to this on page 17

Limit the mess on those small threading jobs.A tidy solution, page 31

Monitor temperature and humidity without hardwiring.Join the wireless world, page 34

Keep your customers’ bottoms warmwith this heated bench.Comforting news on page 23

AnnualBuilders

Issue

INSIDE■ Woman elected to lead HRAI■ Subdivision combines solar and community heating■ N.S. launches own EnerGuide program■ Project owners attempt reverse auction disguise

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 1

In researching the venting issue I asked a number of engineering types what their material of choice would be for venting gas appliances. To a person, they all had the same answer - poly-propylene. What the heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable chemically resistant thermoplastic that has been in widespread use around the world since the early 1980’s. It is used for appliance venting, potable water distribution, hydronic and chilled wa-ter distribution, chemical and com-pressed, air piping, foodstuff (like milk) conveyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here in Cal-gary to use it extensively is Frank Sco-bie of Tosco Mechanical. Reeling from the recent increases in copper pipe and fittings, Frank did a little searching and found a German company called Aquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylene pipe for use in plumbing and hydronic heating distribution piping systems.

Frank got together with Don Nagel from Emco Limited - the Canadian distributor of this product - and they started to run the numbers. Not only was it less expensive than using metal-lic piping, the more he looked into it, the more Frank became convinced it was a better choice all around for other reasons.

Under normal operating conditions this stuff is chemically inert, corrosion proof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet, and retains heat (less pipe insulation needed). It is easy to install, hangs straight, and looks good. The fittings look very familiar, socket fusion tees, ball valves, elbows and other fittings look like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because it is easy to assemble by gluing. ABS is highly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cement will make short work of it. Unfortu-nately so will other chemicals.

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

funny thing happened on the way to writing my

last article on plastic pipe and venting. In researching the topic, I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general. Although not an expert by any means, I uncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, present and future.

Because of the venting article, some may surmise that I don’t like plastic pipe. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am a big fan of plastics for a number of reasons, and believe that when properly utilized in a hydronic heating system, plastic is almost always superior to metal piping systems.

A quick looks at the past shows that in the vast majority of installed hy-dronic systems, thermoplastic mate-rial is performing flawlessly. The only failures of note are products that were not manufactured according to mate-rial specifications or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me was when Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe was blamed for massive failures that, in re-ality, just did not happen. I really liked Poly B pipe. There were isolated failures of pipe, improperly used, in domes-tic hot water recirculation lines where high continuous flow velocities or high chlorine levels caused deterioration. There were widespread fitting failures, which had nothing to do with the pipe, and there were isolated failures due to excessive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S. attic spaces. There have been wide-

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

spread problems with oxygen diffusion through Poly B and PEX tubing without oxygen barriers, but you can’t blame the pipe - it was the failure of the designers and installers to understand that oxy-gen diffusion could be a problem. Sim-ple precautions could have prevented most of the issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were finished with their class action lawsuits, however, the product was withdrawn from the North American market and is not likely to be seen again, even though it is still used extensively in other parts of the world.

Presently, cross-linked polyethylene - PEX - is the material of choice for ra-diant heating and plumbing systems. Properly applied, it performs without a hitch. The hybrid PEX - Al - PEX tub-ing (aluminum tubing sandwiched be-tween an inner and outer layer of PEX) is the favourite of many hydronics and plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of these materials, however, is that they are not very popular in larger sizes. We tend to use them for radiant panel tubing and smaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distribution piping but not for mains piping. There is some use of PVC and CPVC piping in hydronic and plumb-ing systems, but their toxicity in fire situations and their high thermal ex-pansion rates can create serious instal-lation problems. Polyethylene pipe is widespread in plumbing applications and comes in some pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’t perform well at the higher temperatures common in hydronic sys-tems.

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

Polypropylene is so resis-tant to chemicals that the only practical way to join it is through fusion welding. I have to admit bias here, I have always been a big fan of fusion welding (I used to have a tick-et for fusing polyethylene gas piping). Properly executed, a fusion weld turns two pieces of pipe into one - full stop. No chance of joint failure - pe-riod.

What - you might well ask - is the down side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’t much going against it. The fu-sion tools are expensive if you are starting from scratch, but if you use a lot of this pipe, you should pay that invest-

ment off in a few jobs. Your installers have to be trained to do the fusion welds properly, but once you are set up, it is really no more complicated than doing a proper glue joint on a CPVC fitting. I would like to see some sort of trade ticket for the fusion welding process to ensure consistent quality, and I think the industry has to be extremely diligent that the quality of the material is maintained at the high-est level.

Aquatherm is a German company with diligent engineering and quality control practices that has obtained all applicable approvals on their products (including fire-stopping) for use in Canada. We must stand guard how-ever, against some of the inevitable bad

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

Polypropylene is so resistant to

chemicals that the only practical way to join it is through

fusion welding.

quality knock-offs that will be coming at us. My experience with plastics over the years is that a momentary lapse of quality control and testing can have disastrous results down the road. Not putting in the correct formulation of stabilizers, for example, can result in catastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, the industry must make manufacturers ad-here to the highest standards and see

that their products are rigorously and reg-ularly tested to make sure that everything that gets installed in this country meets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all of this is... what the heck do they have coming at us next?

Roy Collver operates Mechanical Systems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton. He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

A funny thinghappened onthe way to

writing my last arti-cle on plastic pipeand venting. In re-searching the topic,I learned a lot more

about thermoplastic piping in general.Although not an expert by any means, Iuncovered some interesting informa-tion about plastic pipe past, presentand future.

Because of the venting article, somemay surmise that I don’t like plasticpipe. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I am a big fan of plastics for anumber of reasons, and believe thatwhen properly utilized in a hydronicheating system, plastic is almost alwayssuperior to metallic piping systems.

A quick look at the past shows that inthe vast majority of installed hydronicsystems, thermoplastic material is per-forming flawlessly. The only failures ofnote are products that were not manu-factured according to material specifica-tions or products that were misapplied.

One big disappointment for me waswhen Polybutylene (Poly B) pipe wasblamed for massive failures that, in real-ity, just did not happen. I really likedPoly B pipe. There were isolated failuresof pipe, improperly used, in domestichot water recirculation lines where highcontinuous flow velocities or high chlo-rine levels caused deterioration. Therewere widespread fitting failures, whichhad nothing to do with the pipe, andthere were isolated failures due to exces-sive heating of Poly B in Southern U.S.attic spaces. There have been wide-

spread problems with oxygen diffusionthrough Poly B and PEX tubing withoutoxygen barriers, but you can’t blame thepipe – it was the failure of designers andinstallers to understand that oxygen dif-fusion could be a problem. Simple pre-cautions could have prevented most ofthe issues.

Once the ambulance chasers were fin-ished with their class action lawsuitshowever, the product was withdrawnfrom the North American market and isnot likely to be seen again, even thoughit is still used extensively in other partsof the world.

The material of choicePresently, cross-linked polyethylene –PEX – is the material of choice for radi-ant heating and plumbing systems.Properly applied, it performs without ahitch. The hybrid PEX – Al – PEXtubing (aluminum tubing sandwichedbetween an inner and outer layer ofPEX) is the favourite of many hydronicsand plumbing professionals.

The biggest issue with both of thesematerials however, is that they are notvery popular in larger sizes. We tend touse them for radiant panel tubing andsmaller diameter (1 1/2” and less) distri-bution piping, but not for mains piping.There is some use of PVC and CPVCpiping in hydronic and plumbing sys-tems, but their toxicity in fire situationsand their high thermal expansion ratescan create serious installation problems.Polyethylene pipe is widespread inplumbing applications and comes insome pretty mondo sizes, but it doesn’tperform well at the higher temperaturescommon in hydronic systems.

The future?In researching the venting issue I asked anumber of engineering types what theirmaterial of choice would be for ventinggas appliances. To a person, they all hadthe same answer – polypropylene. Whatthe heck is that and where do I get it?

Polypropylene is a highly stable,chemically resistant thermoplastic thathas been in widespread use around the

world since the early 1980’s. It is usedfor appliance venting, potable water dis-tribution, hydronic and chilled waterdistribution, chemical and compressedair piping, foodstuff (like milk) con-veyance, and on and on.

One of the first people here inCalgary to use it extensively is FrankScobie of Tosco Mechanical. Reelingfrom the recent increases in copper pipe

and fittings, Frank did a little searchingand found a German company calledAquatherm that was looking for con-tractors to adopt their polypropylenepipe for use in plumbing and hydronicheating distributionpiping systems.

Frank got togetherwith Don Nagel fromEmco Limited – theCanadian distributorof this product – andthey started to runthe numbers. Notonly was it lessexpensive than usingmetallic piping, themore he looked intoit, the more Frank became convinced itwas a better choice all around for otherreasons.

Under normal operating conditions,this stuff is chemically inert, corrosionproof, non-toxic in case of fire, quiet,and retains heat (less pipe insulationneeded). It is easy to install, hangsstraight, and looks good. The fittingslook very familiar, socket fusion tees,ball valves, elbows and other fittingslook like their metallic counterparts.

Contractors like ABS pipe because itis easy to assemble by gluing. ABS ishighly reactive to a number of chemi-cals, which means that solvent cementwill make short work of it.Unfortunately so will other chemicals.

Polypropylene is so resistant to chem-icals that the only practical way to join itis through fusion welding. I have toadmit bias here, I have always been a bigfan of fusion welding (I used to have aticket for fusing polyethylene gas pip-ing). Properly executed, a fusion weldturns two pieces of pipe into one – fullstop. No chance of joint failure – period.

What – you might well ask – is thedown side of this stuff?

As far as I can see, there isn’tmuch going against it. The fusiontools are expensive if you are start-

ing from scratch, but if you use a lotof this pipe, you should pay thatinvestment off in a few jobs. Yourinstallers have to be trained to dothe fusion welds properly, but once

you are set up, itis really no morecomplicated thandoing a properglue joint on aCPVC fitting. Iwould like to seesome sort oftrade ticket forthe fusion weld-ing process toensure consistentquality, and I

think the industry has to beextremely diligent that the qualityof the material is maintained at thehighest level.

Aquatherm is a German companywith diligent engineering and qualitycontrol practices that has obtained allapplicable approvals on their products(including fire-stopping) for use inCanada. We must stand guard howev-er, against some of the inevitable badquality knock-offs that will be comingat us. My experience with plastics overthe years is that a momentary lapse ofquality control and testing can havedisastrous results down the road. Notputting in the correct formulation ofstabilizers, for example, can result incatastrophic product failure.

To prevent this from happening, theindustry must make manufacturersadhere to the highest standards and seethat their products are rigorously andregularly tested to make sure that every-thing that gets installed in this countrymeets the required specifications.

The only thing I wonder about all ofthis is… what the heck do they havecoming at us next?

Roy Collver operates MechanicalSystems 2000 in Calgary and Edmonton.He can be reached at royc@ms-2000.com.

From left, Tosco Mechanical installers Ryan Cadman and Richie Duke with Matthias Konze,technical sales rep for Aquatherm GmbH, Germany in the colourful mechanical room of theCopperwood condominium project in Calgary. Potable water piping is green while hydronicheating piping has blue stripes.

My experience with plasticsover the years is that a

momentary lapse of qualitycontrol and testing canhave disastrous results

down the road.

Fantastic plasticPlastics gain ground as metallic piping costs increaseBy Roy Collver

Hot Water Heating

Reprinted with the permission of Plumbing & HVAC Product News Magazine.

Fan Plas 4 page.qxd 12/22/06 9:46 AM Page 2

PIPE MATERIAL PP-R Copper Steel CPVC PEXImpact Resistance - -Chemical Resistance* m m - m

Abrasion resistant - - m

Scale resistant - - m m

Free of PVC and Hazardous metals - - - m

Corrosion Resistant - - m m

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Non-toxic combustion products - -Resists chemical leaching into water m m - -50-year rating on both pipe and fittings - - - -

CONNECTIONS AND FITTINGS

Leak-proof connections m - - m

No foreign material like solders or adhesives - m - m

Joints stronger than pipe - m - -Saddle or other low cost branches m - - -Non-toxic connections - - - m

OTHER FEATURES

Controlled thermal expansion - -Recyclable - -Opaque to avoid microbiological growth m m

Self insulating - - m m

Quiet - - No open flames m m Connections usable in < 1 hour - Does not easily sweat - - m m

Stable competitive pricing - m Environmentally Friendly Piping System - - - -GreenPeace “Future Friendly Product” in CA - - - -Large Diameters 5” to 10” OD m - -

Aquatherm’s Polypropylene (PP-R) Piping System with Fusion Connections

Check out the Benefits

Aquatherm CA, Inc.P.O. Box 2624Cardston, AB T0K 0K0403-653-4440

Aquatherm Inc.P.O. Box 777

Provo, UT 84603801-805-6657

www.aquathermpipe.com

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25 years experience in over 70 countriesand backed by a 10 year warranty covering

material, labor and incidental damages

* Please provide details of intended application including chemical(s), concentrations, pressures and temperatures, to verify compatibility