A central water supply facility provides safe and sustainable (hot) tap water to individual or multiple buildings. Developing a safe and reliable network involves intelligent engineering, quality and professional installation.
Hot & cold drinking water
Every network is unique, and various stakeholders are involved in the design, installation and operation of a tap water scheme. The installation takes place in the public domain and is expected to be smooth and safe. Comfort, reliability and energy performance are key during the operational phase of the network.
Designing a water supply network
Designing a safe and reliable water distribution network starts with the specific tap water demand and available energy sources, followed by smart engineering and the best, cost-efficient materials.
Tap water demand varies during the course of the day, and often consists of simultaneous peaks from multiple consumers. This makes the available network capacity during peak hours, and sufficient circulation during off-peak hours, of utmost importance for hot water supply networks.
Material choice also has a profound effect on the network design. Plastics are known for their smooth inner surface, flexibility and self-compensating behaviour. For distribution networks, this results in a very sophisticated network design with fewer components and faster installation.
Smooth installation
Hot tap water networks typically have a high CAPEX, low OPEX investment profile. This means keeping initial costs under control is key. Extremely flexible pipes and a high degree of project-specific prefabrication result in a massive reduction in installation time, costs and risks.
Advantages of plastic pipes
Performance, flexibility and durability are key to the success of all infrastructural projects. When it comes to durability, the network should be able to deal with varying temperatures, soil movements and pressure from groundwater. For cold tap water, frost protection is key, while for hot water supply a comfortable and safe end-of-line temperature is of the greatest importance.
A well-designed network constructed using a complete and flexible pre-insulated pipe system will deliver all the above. This results in a reliable and comfortable tap water supply for generations to come.
Maintenance and service life
Plastic pipes have the distinct advantage that they do not corrode and suffer from very limited fouling. This means there is no need for maintenance and a long lifespan is guaranteed within the set temperature range. Using only plastic fusion-welded fittings results in a permanent, corrosion-free network.
Professional, fully enclosed heat shrunk insulation sockets mitigate the risk of water ingress and insulation foam degradation.
