Although you have successfully finished the shell of the building and it seems that only a small step separates you from completing your dream home, one challenge still lies ahead: installing the heating and the drinking water pipework. To enjoy the warmth and comfort of your heating to the full, you need to invest in good-quality pipe and couplings. As this is an “invisible” long-term investment, choosing reliable, premium accessories will pay you back in the form of trouble-free operation and a long service life.
Make the most of the properties of PEX-AL-PEX pipe
The pipe carries water from the boiler to the underfloor and radiator heating, so it has to meet certain parameters. Five-layer multilayer (plastic-aluminium) pipes (PEX-Al-PEX) combine the best of the worlds of metal and plastic pipes.
As hot water flows through the pipe, it should be durable and of good quality. The multilayer pipe for water, heating and underfloor heating from the HPW brand is suitable for temperatures up to 95° C. To prevent corrosion of the material and blockages, the pipe also has an internal aluminium oxygen barrier 0,25 mm thick. Thanks to its smooth inner surface of cross-linked polyethylene it also has a low pressure loss and resists limescale build-up.
What is more, multilayer pipe is easy to shape, bend and join using press or screw fittings. The most commonly used pipe diameters are 16 and 20 mm.
Making pipe joints easier
If you want to make joining pipes easier, we recommend reaching for screw couplings. They can be used as adaptors between a gas boiler, manifold or water heater and multilayer pipe. The couplings, made of nickel-plated brass, are intended solely for joining PEX-AL-PEX 16 or 20 mm pipe designed for heating and drinking water pipework. An undeniable advantage is that they are fitted without special tools – an open-ended spanner is all you need.
Screw joints and wall plate elbows
Screw joints made of steel can be used as a replacement for press joints. They are easy to dismantle and are available in various sizes of straight couplings and adaptors, elbows and tees. They consist of a body, a nut, a spacer ring and a seating surface made of plastic. Each coupling contains two rubber seals.
A separate group is the so-called wall plate elbow, which is used for connecting a tap to the water supply. We recommend buying it with a single or double universal bracket, which is used to anchor the wall plate elbow to the wall.
When joining pipework, situations can arise where you need to split a pipe run in two. Practical tees come in handy in that case. Various types of adaptors, which help you go from pipe to thread, will also prove useful.
After the theory, a little practice
Before you start joining the pipes, do not forget to calibrate the pipe. A calibrator is used for this; it widens the pipe diameter so that the coupling slides on more easily.
Making the joint itself is very simple: you slide the nut, the spacer ring and the coupling onto the pipe, which gives you a perfect joint. Finally, the coupling is tightened by hand with an open-ended spanner. If you happen to make a mistake during assembly, there is no need to worry. Because the joint can be dismantled, you always get a second chance.
Today’s market offers a wide range of heating products. Take care to choose the right accessories so that you do not have to deal with unpleasant repairs in winter. If you are undecided and need advice, the experts at ATRIA will be glad to recommend the most suitable equipment of the right quality. With suitable tools you will be able to install the heating in your home reliably, quickly and safely.