Oventrop leaving US market? Edit: Not so!

Mith

I have a 400 unit apartment complex (well over 1500 hot-water rads) that's been gradually installing Oventrop TRVs for about 10 years. We're about halfway done.

The mechanical company we use for most of the installation work just reached out and said they can't get Oventrop valves or parts any longer. They say Oventrop is "going out of business".

I don't see any sign of this in a Google search though it looks like there was some major reorganization of their North American distribution in 2022. Does anyone here know what's really up?

If they are departing, I could use some recommendations for another reputable brand of thermostatic valves with NPT threads for the piping and M30x1.5 connection for the adjuster. I know there are adapters available to use Danfoss adjusters on M30x1.5 valves but they don't seem to be generally available through US distribution.

I'd really like whoever's running this project in 10 years not have to go back and start replacing all the valves we installed from 2013 through now...!

Erin Holohan Haskell

@Mith, Oventrop just opened a new headquarters in Connecticut last year. I do not believe they are leaving the NA market.

EdTheHeaterMan

@Mith This is good news for you. Your contractor may be dealing with a supplier that no longer has a factory rep that handles the product line, Ask your contractor if he can source the product from another distributer/supplier. Their website has lots of TRVs to chose from. Worst case is to find a different contractor.

https://www.oventrop-us.com/visual-product-guide

dko

The NY rep and distributors have not heard anything about that, so highly doubt the contractor would know. Maybe the place they were buying from also told him that.. for reasons I don't know.
They're not going anywhere.. they are also the OEMs for many US companies. They also don't only do TRVs.

Mith

That's great news. We've been really happy with their valves, and the price point is a lot nicer than Danfoss. And, well, I won't be around forever and I wouldn't want to leave someone else the problem of replacing hundreds of valves instead of just swapping out the occasional core with that handy maintenance tool (actually, in 10 years with hundreds of valves in service, I think it's only been used a few times).

hot_rod

TRV actuators are fairly universal, or conversion adapters may be available

Mith

I know that M30 x 1.5 actuators are interchangeable (within limits), but there aren't a ton of TRV bodies with M30 x 1.5 actuator connection and NPT threads out there from reputable brands, that I can find at least. Yes, I know Caleffi offers some, but it doesn't look like they offer all the angle/straight patterns Oventrop does. Honeywell / Resideo seems to be rather schizophrenic about whether theirs are available in North America - cut sheets for some of the adjusters list the part numbers for M30 x 1.5 valve bodies in NPT sizes but those part numbers do not seem to be for sale in the US.

Adapters to fit M30 adjusters to Danfoss valve bodies are around, because they're used with various fancy electronic adjusters that are only made in M30. Adapters to fit Danfoss adjusters to M30 valve bodies...less so.

The other thing, of course, is that the valve guts don't last forever. Sure, we've only replaced a few in 10 years, but there's a reason the major manufacturers offer tools for in-service replacement of the guts without having to replace the valve body. So from a maintenance point of view, long term availability of parts for both the hundreds of valves we've installed so far, and the next few hundreds we install, is kind of a big deal.

Mad Dog_2

Ovenproof is a High Qaulity product.  Mad Dog 👌