Aquatherm piping

Charlie from wmass

I asked this on the main wall, thought maybe I would get more input in the commercial HVAC. I am looking at doing a forced water system in a small commercial building. The owner is interested in using Aquatherm piping. Does anyone have any experience good or bad with this product? You can post here, private message me, or give me a call. My cell number is listed below. Thanks.

SWEI

I've posted about it here a few times

I'll repeat one of them here:



Aquatherm

is our preferred choice for sizes over 1" nominal for both hydronic

heat/cooling and DHW.  If the largest pipe in the job is 1", we specify

ProPEX for everything.  On larger jobs, it's still easier to use PEX for

the small stuff and transition around ~9 GPM to Aquatherm.  The

flexibility and cost of saddle welding are tough to beat.  Watch out for

the transition fittings -- over 1" they get spendy fast.















I'll shoot you an email with my cell number if you want more details.

Charlie from wmass

When you get a chance give me a call

My cell numbers right on all my posts. looking to just have 3/4" take off to the units from a reverse return main lines on each floor with a simple return set up floor to floor. Zone valves for each unit and common areas with flow setters and constant circulation off outdoor reset controls and variable speed circulators. I always used the 4 feet per second rule to keep the head low, does this apply to Aquatherm as well?

meplumber

Aquatherm

Charlie,



We had an engineer up here spec'ing it pretty regularly for a while.  It does have its advantages, but I am not a fan of the larger diameter stuff.  Over 4" the set time makes it a bear to work with in position.  Everything looks great when you are doing it on the ground.  But when you are 15' - 20' in the air, things get interesting.  Also, above 4" plan on spending some serious cash in a hurry. 



In my opinion, for closed systems, I am still a fan of Victaulic on large diameter stuff.  We are doing an 8 story addition to a hospital now.  We went through the process to submit on Victaulic even though Aquatherm was on the original spec.  Aside from the cost savings, our comfort level, despite a bunch of jobs using Aquatherm, was higher on the large diameter chilled water and hydronic piping using the Victaulic connection system.  This job has a lot of 16" and above piping.



Good Luck.

Youngdogs2

PP is a product that will last much longer that any metals and this is why you are going to start seeing it on specs. It's not going away and if anything it is going to become the piping material that engineers and building owners are going to require. If you are looking at just socket weld or butt weld processes than you're missing the boat on the labor savings. There is a system out there that has electrofusion as a complete system with couplings, 45's, 90's, reducers and other items that is a huge labor saver. Plus on top of that they're offering a 30 year warranty. Ask if any of the metal products have a warranty? Some contractors are going to be left behind on this as PP is here to stay.

Don_197

We have been using Aquatherm on hydronics for a few years now..............love the looks, love the price (as long as there aren't a LOT of fittings) and love the insurance policy. The last commercial job however we compared AT to ProPress and the ProPress pricing was significantly lower. this was 2 and 2.5" piping. I was shocked.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Aquatherm is a good product but very pricy, up to 2" ok, 2 1/2"-4" watch out over 4" you better own a bank. Tools are very expensive "electrofusion fittings" you have to be kidding. There the only way to do the big stuff up in the air. You can kill yourself trying to get the machine 12-15' up but the cost of electrofusion fittings will make your heart stop.

Read the installation manual carefully especially on heat, you will double your# of hangers and there supposed to be plastic coated, it will look like a snake does not self support at all. Not a big fan and we tried it on some big jobs.

Charlie, I'm about 5 miles from you. The suppliers around here tend tosay they have the fittings--but when you need them they don't. I have herd that Plimpton Hills was going to carry it, Independent pipe no longer carries it. We bought from METropolitan pipe in Boston. Theres a big distributor in Baltimore that sells a lot of it--Can't remember the name Gates maybe??, had to get fittings overnight from them many times.

Is someone else around Springfield selling it? We may still use it sometimes.

Charlie from wmass

Plimpton and hills would be my source. Where are you located?

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Charlie sometimes East Longmeadow, sometimes Chicopee a long story. If you decide to use it I would check out how much Plimpton's has. Last time I checked they didn't stock much but that was a year or so ago.

I will say one good thing about Aqua the stuff is tough as nails. We had some on a glycol system outdoors in the winter and do to a lousy hanging job the stuff was bent like a pretzel in cold weather and not only did it not break it doesn't "take a set" you could easily push it back into alignment. I am talking about (2) 2" risers with elbows at the top and the elbows were twisted close to 90 deg and when the hangers were fixed it went right back into place.

Unfortunately that is a double edge sword, it needs a lot of hangers to make it look decent. Can't have everything I guess.

Charlie from wmass

This is an old thread btw. I am now certified and I am using Propress. I usually hit the Big Y in East Longmeadow and the Walmart in Chicopee. So I know both areas, lol.

EBEBRATT-Ed

LOL, a lot better than Springfield Wal-Mart!!!

Youngdogs2

Guys,

I'm curious as you mention that you use ProPress system. I priced up a job and ProPress fittings on 3" & 4" was 30% to 42% higher than the electrofusion PP product. Also the ProPress tool to do up to 4" was about $4600 and the Electrofusion machine was half that price. How is this cheaper for you folks as I want to learn more on doing things quicker and less expensive.

Thanks

Charlie from wmass

Faster installation and you can dry fit propress also tool will work for lots of different things like PEX, rear and cast iron cutting

Charlie from wmass

Rebar cutter