MAKING THE CONNECTION. Key considerations for M&Es specifying pipe fittings in 21st century heating and plumbing systems.

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1 MAKING THE CONNECTION Key considerations for M&Es specifying pipe fittings in 21st century heating and plumbing systems.

2 CONTEXT: Thinking about the bigger picture Headlines from across the construction industry remain saturated with doubt around project delays, health & safety breaches and quality issues. And the tragedy of Grenfell Tower for example, quite rightly puts quality control within the supply chain under scrutiny. Put simply, there is a plethora of industry challenges that are perplexing even the most competent of construction bosses and industry bodies. For M&E contractors, balancing the act of running a profitable business, upholding an outstanding reputation and keeping updated on these industry developments is a persistent challenge. You ultimately remain at the mercy of your client s decisions but, to protect your own reputation, you need to have complete confidence that the products installed are going to last for the long haul while sustaining a profitable business. Building services are the lifeblood of any building. But remove the heating, ventilation or access to water for example, and the building would become redundant. This is why it has never been so important for contractors to arm themselves with a variety of modern heating and plumbing techniques as they can truly impact the cost-effectiveness and durability of a given project. Ultimately, you require a solution that is easy to install, reliable and cost effective. With this in mind, this guide advises on some of the incremental changes that can be made with regards to commercial heating and plumbing, in order to reap reward in the future and build on your company s legacy. Drew Clough, Product Manager Building Solutions REHAU UK Ltd

3 SITE CHALLENGES Driving M&E needs PIPE FITTINGS What are the options? When it comes to modern heating and plumbing applications, what are the key challenges that will be impacting your decisions? PRICE PRESSURES Understandably, the complex and convoluted supply chains within construction means price tends to be the driver and decider on a lot of new-build and refurb projects. Value engineering is the construction industry s favourite euphemism for cutting costs but the recent watershed in industry has been highlighted by the likes of Dame Judith Hackitt calling for an end to this corner-cutting culture. LEAD TIMES AND PENALTIES Competing on price is enough of a headache for contractors to deal with but lead times are equally as stressful. It is common to be faced with financial penalties if you don t hit certain targets on time so it is crucial that you are dealing with supply chain partners you can rely on. SKILLS AND WORKING WITH OTHER TRADES BESA was recently quoted to say the UK construction industry simply cannot deliver everything competently in a world of increasing opportunities and demands for higher standards with a shrinking pool of resource and talent. The humble pipe fitting, like many components in a building, is one small cog in a machine that will perform its role with little celebration. However, like any machine, absence or failure of the cog can result in major issues long-term. While they are often overshadowed by the pipe itself, it s the fittings that matter. Fittings leak, pipes rarely do. So what are the options available to an M&E in the way of pipe fittings and how do they work? SOLDERED OR BRAZED JOINTS This traditional method of joining copper tube is with the use of a socket-type, copper or copper alloy fitting into which the tube sections are inserted and fastened by means of a filler metal, using either a soldering or brazing process. COMPRESSION FITTINGS Compression fittings work by the compression of a ferrule between two tapered surfaces and the pipe itself. PRESS FIT (Or interference fit) This is a fastening between two parts which is achieved by friction after the parts are pushed together. PUSH FIT More common in the domestic environment, these fittings work through a series of metal spurs inside that tightly grip the pipes when they are inserted into the fitting sockets. LOGISTICS AND SITE HANDLING CAPABILITIES Storage and logistics go hand in hand with the time and money pressures of an M&E. If you re working on a site in central London, you need to know that you will be able to get everything delivered to site, with easy access and adequate storage. As you well know, there are many hurdles and challenges to face on a build programme, most crucially, working to a rigid timeframe. So, it s vital to arm yourself with information around how the products you are installing and specifying, are going to provide long-term value to a building.

4 COPPER vs. PLASTIC FIVE TOP TIPS Specifying 21st century pipe fittings Throughout history there have been many materials used in the heating and plumbing space. One of the most infamous being lead, due to its toxicity levels. While lead was used over centuries for its stability and malleability, the health risks associated inevitably resulted in it being banned more than 30 years ago. Industry then swiftly evolved to using copper pipe which has remained dominant over the last 70 years or so. However, the advent of plastic technology has created a major shift regarding the materials used for heating and plumbing pipes and accessories. Despite this development and progression of modern plastics, copper is still used across industry. Its specification however, is in decline as the proven benefits of sophisticated plastics become more widely acknowledged. One reason for this growth is that copper is a finite resource and much more expensive material than plastic. Any savvy M&E contractor will opt for these more modern options to remain more profitable in such a competitive industry. Also, it is clearly not as flexible or lightweight of a material which makes it a less attractive option for larger, commercial projects. In general, plastics present a much more convenient option on a busy construction site, especially because contractors are able to colour-code for hot and cold piping. While it is easy for us to list out the benefits of plastic over copper, this is a debate that has long been dividing the building services industry. Granted both materials have their uses, but in the context of wider building issues the advantages for plastic are clear-cut. That said, it is important to note that not all plastic solutions are like-for-like. Let s move on to consider some of the key considerations that will help highlight the best pipe fitting solution for your build. By understanding some of the most important considerations to be made on a modern heating and plumbing installation, it will soon become evident on how they can impact on the costeffectiveness and durability of a given project. TIP #1 Avoid the need for hot works With many sites having restrictions on the use of flames, using a joining option that is heat-free is favourable on any project. Welding copper pipe brings with it a number of health & safety risks which is why most pipe fitting manufacturers have now developed jointing options to bond pipe without the use of welding. TIP #2 Avoid the use of calibration tools With press fit fittings, the specialist crimp tool required to use compressive force to bond the pipe together needs to be regularly calibrated. This creates additional tool downtime as it is taken from site to be calibrated, and this needs to be done on every job. Compression technology eliminates the need for these additional tools which ultimately saves time. TIP #3 Choose an option you can visually inspect When subcontracting to agency staff or other installers, there is often the risk of poorly skilled workers not connecting the pipes correctly. It is only with compression fittings that you can visually inspect the joints and swiftly move onto the next without the need for more tools. Not only is this time consuming, but it is common for the tool to be misplaced and therefore prone to workers omitting altogether to try and save time. This means when they pressure test the system, they are unsure as to whether the joint will leak or not. TIP #4 Fittings with pipe liners will be more reliable when pressure tested There is greater possibility for error when using push-fit or press-fit fittings as they do not contain an inbuilt pipe liner. The pipe liner is a separate layer of protection pushed into the pipe and if not present, can compromise the joint. What s more, upon heating, it can be significantly weakened as the polymer deforms under temperature. This weakens the pipe causing the fitting to blow. While it may still be able to pass the pressure test on cold water, it could cause long-term issues by failing when domestic hot water is constantly flowing through. TIP #5 Fittings with lead in can cause hygiene and fitting failure risks There are many benefits of using polymer fittings, the main one being that they don t feature lead which is: a) an improvement of water quality within the building; and b) it removes the possibility of stress corrosion cracking which under the right conditions was is always a concern with brass fittings. This drive for a lower lead content within a plumbing system is a requirement under a European directive to reduce the amount of metal leaching from fittings into the water supply, thus improving the health of the building occupants. Also, the use of quality materials may seem an initial cost disadvantage but the use of lower quality product, ultimately will affect your reputation later down the line.

5 A NEW GENERATION Compression sleeve technology The pipe fitting continues to be evolved in line with changing building requirements. One such innovation is RAUTITAN an innovation in compression sleeve technology developed by REHAU. It completely eliminates the need for deburring and calibrating pipes and a simple visual inspection is enough to verify a proper connection ahead of the pressure test. The below table provides a snapshot of some of the key considerations we have discussed regarding pipe fittings: Soldered or brazed Press fit Push fit Compression sleeve technology by REHAU No hot works? No calibration? Visual inspection? Pipe liner? No lead?

6 CASE STUDY: BBC Television Centre, London As work continues to transform the BBC s iconic Television Centre building in White City into a vast new mixed use development featuring housing, offices, hotels and leisure facilities, REHAU heating and cooling solutions are being used extensively in many of the new apartments. REHAU underfloor heating has already been installed in nearly 250 of the apartments by Anders Heating Company Limited, with REHAU s PE-Xa pipework being used for the REHAU underfloor heating system. In many of the corridors REHAU s innovative chilled ceiling system is providing the necessary cooling. Replacing conventional plasterboard, the CoolBoard panels feature integrated loops of REHAU s RAUTHERM 10mm PE-Xa pipe with chilled water circulating to deliver fast responding and environmentally efficient radiant cooling. The hot and cold domestic plumbing system that runs throughout the corridors was chosen due to REHAU s EVERLOC jointing technology, which is fast and easy to install and guarantees no leaks. This was key to the specification; with over 750 million REHAU EVERLOC joints already successfully installed worldwide, the client could be totally reassured of the quality and durability. The donut shape of the original Norman and Dawbarn building presents many challenges for the M&E contractors working on the project because so many of the internal walls are curved. This obviously made the flexible polymer pipework a much more appropriate choice than conventional steel or copper for the distribution of the water supply.

7 CONCLUSION: Marginal gains in building services As pressures on M&E teams continue to mount and competitive advantage is more difficult to carve out, it is true what they say about the devil being in the detail. It is important to lean on your supply chain partners and arm yourself with the knowledge to act as an advisory to your client and ultimately drive your business forward. Understanding the features and benefits of 21st century heating and plumbing will stand any M&E contractor in good stead when it comes to profitability and reputation ultimately providing you with more projects to be proud of! CONTACT REHAU REHAU Ltd Hill Court, Walford, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5QN REHAU LTD REHAU Building Solutions February 2019