Aquatherm UK

Aquatherm’s TI range (pre-insulated) is ideal for district heat networks as it is anti-corrosive, has superior insulation values, is 100% recyclable, and available in sizes ranging from 32mm up to 355mm (larger sizes available upon request).

Aquatherm’s TI pipe range is comprised of polypropylene (PP-R) carrier pipe which is insulated with polyurethane (PUR) rigid foam and enclosed within a jacket pipe of polyethylene (PE). This composition provides the following benefits:

Speed and reduced labour costs – Material union by thermal fusion ensures a leak-free system and faster jointing times. For example, a 10” butt fusion joint only takes around 30 minutes which includes the cooldown time. Therefore, with two machines and two operatives you could get 2 x  10” joints completed and ready for pressure testing after 30 minutes.

In addition, polypropylene is light and has a degree of deflection making it easy to manoeuvre into the trench and around unforeseen obstructions such as existing services and does not require any expansion provisions when buried.

Increased health & safety – Aquatherm piping is lighter than comparable metal systems and easier/safer to handle manually. During cutting and fabrication, no hazardous or dirty materials are present. No oils, solvents or adhesive materials are required and COSHH assessments and hot works permits are not necessary.

Life expectancy & product warranty – The extrapolated service life for Aquatherm pipe systems is typically over 50 years, extending to 100 years on the 5th generation low-temperature networks. As the entire system is made from polypropylene (no metallic parts, solvents/glues), any damage to the outer casing (either during installation or from excavation works etc) which may allow water to enter, ensures no damage will occur to the pipe system as it will not corrode or scale. This is a benefit to the life cycle as no build-up can occur on the pipe’s internal walls ensuring pumping costs and flow rates are sustained throughout the whole life cycle.

All Aquatherm products are covered by a 10 year manufactures warranty. The warranty starts on the day of pressure testing and covers damage to property, personal injuries, and financial losses up to a value of €20,000,000 (warranty extensions are available for particular projects).

Thermal properties – Aquatherm’s polypropylene has a thermal conduction value of 0.15 W/mK which is significantly lower compared to steel (54 W/mK) and copper (401 W/mK). This is for bare pipe without the added insulation, so these potential energy savings can be hugely beneficial and provide a big cost saving/incentive within the district heating market.

Trench depths (reduced civils) – Aquatherm pipes have been tested according to DIN EN ISO 9969 and have a ring stiffness of ≥ 16 KN/m2. Thus, they are classified in the ring stiffness class SN16, which corresponds to the highest standard category. This enables Aquatherm pipes to be installed at 500mm from crown of pipe to surface to meet SLW 60 (60 tons). Within the UK, pipe systems installed under carriageways are typically designed with cover depth in accordance with standard highway loadings as advised in the ‘Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’ (typically covering 44-tonne gross weight vehicles).

Expansion control not required – Due to the material properties of PP-R, no consideration for expansion is required (no expansion loops, foam pads, etc.). Polypropylene absorbs any expansion forces within the material itself when buried beneath the ground.

Network pipe size / Velocity limits – Velocity restrictions are necessary for metal pipes to avoid erosion/corrosion. Due to the natural noise attenuation of Aquatherm pipe and the ability of the pipe to absorb the forces of water hammer, as well as the full bore diameter of the fittings, we can increase the velocities of the flow in the pipe without compromising the ability of the pipe to prevent noise generation and water hammer.

Aquatherm has published pressure loss and velocity tables to around 4.6 m/sec., far higher than any metallic pipe system can provide.

Prefabrication – Aquatherm has the widest array of fittings available of any PP-R manufacturer and offer a custom prefabrication service. If you require specific degree bends,  pre-insulated air vent assemblies to suit pit dimensions or even an entire prefabricated system then this a service which we can provide.

Carbon footprint – An important component of Aquatherm’s corporate success is consistent environmental protection. All processes are focused on conserving resources, minimizing the use of energy, and avoiding or recycling waste. For example, the waste resulting from the production process is recycled to the greatest possible extent and then processed into new products. This is made possible by our material being 100% recyclable.

Our EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) compiled with NSF and Think Step shows the carbon production of Aquatherm is up to 8 times less than metallic systems. This results in the use of Aquatherm being able to provide LEED v4 / BREEAM points.

In addition to complying with legal requirements and regulations, we have committed ourselves to a continuous and systematic improvement in environmental performance. This is confirmed by, among other things, our ISO-certified environmental and energy management systems. Through various measures, both large and small, we work every day to reduce electricity and water consumption as well as CO2 emissions within the production process.