“Larger bore pipes are generally more challenging to work with, but the hydraulic tool REHAU provides does it all for you,” said Gord McLaren, division manager of mechanical contractors at Professional Mechanical Ltd. “Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to make the connections.”
“The system is just bulletproof,” project installer Joe Bell agreed. “With the REHAU tool you literally can’t put the pipe and fittings together wrong; the tool won’t let you misposition anything.”
Choosing PEXa piping that is already pre-insulated further streamlined the installation process. Metal piping must be manually insulated on the jobsite, which becomes costly, labor-intensive and can lead to performance issues if there are assembly errors. As a secure one-piece solution, INSULPEX pre-insulated PEXa pipe reduces the cost of materials and labor while ensuring trustworthy performance.
Additionally, the flexibility of PEXa supports faster installation compared to rigid piping. Installers can easily navigate bends or obstacles without the need for extra fittings or couplings, minimizing potential leak points while maximizing material and labor savings. Bell remarked, “We put in thousands of feet of pipe and had no leaks at all.”
McLaren was also impressed with the hands-on assistance he and his team got from REHAU reps in the field.
“There are always numerous ways to skin the cat, and it’s great to have an expert there to bounce off ideas as far as different ways to lay the pipe, work the joints, connect spools, terminate the pipe and other aspects,” he said. “It definitely gives us an edge as far as ensuring an optimal job, and REHAU seems to go above and beyond what the average supplier of any kind is willing to do. They make themselves available for back-and-forth collaboration and that’s really helpful to us.”
The Clear Answer
Both Hladky and McLaren note that, although they had used REHAU products before for indoor radiant heating applications, this was their first experience with the products in outdoor underground piping.
“In our experience, it’s somewhat uncommon in our climate to bury building heating piping underground, and, of course, corrosion would be a concern for metal piping,” explained Hladky. “Plastic piping like REHAU’s is the clear answer for long-term durability, and INSULPEX comes pre-insulated right from the factory, so we are confident that it’s even, consistent and gap-free throughout. The pipe just rolls out and is ready to go.”
Both men report that there are more REHAU radiant heating projects on their upcoming dockets, and also note that they now know where to turn for piping for district heating and similar applications.
Hladky said, “We will certainly consider specifying INSULPEX for similar applications again in the future.”