With modest beginnings more than a century ago in 1894, Episcopal Homes in St. Paul, Minn., has grown to provide hundreds of residents with senior care while offering a wide variety of amenities, including a fitness center, pool, salon, theatre, cocktail lounge and fine dining. The continued growth with aging baby boomers created the need Read more
Uponor
With modest beginnings more than a century ago in 1894, Episcopal Homes in St. Paul, Minn., has grown to provide hundreds of residents with senior care while offering a wide variety of amenities, including a fitness center, pool, salon, theatre, cocktail lounge and fine dining.
The continued growth with aging baby boomers created the need for yet another expansion, prompting owners to invest $45 million for 168 more units to the ever-growing complex. The project included a seven-story, post-tension, concrete-engineered building, and R.T. Moore Co., a Burnsville, Minn.-based contractor, was chosen for the plumbing and mechanical work.
The plumbing and mechanical piping included PEX in sizes 2″ and down. The plumbing system used 32,000 feet of ½” to 2″ Uponor AquaPEX® pipe along with 2,200 ½” to 2″ ProPEX® engineered polymer (EP) expansion fittings. The mechanical system used more than 4,000 feet of ½” to 2″ Wirsbo hePEX™ pipe along with PEX-a Pipe Support from Uponor. The pipe support, which is listed for plenums, also provides increased hanger spacing similar to copper pipe and helps to limit the natural expansion and contraction of PEX.
Dean Kirchoff, lead mechanical project manager for R.T. Moore, and a master plumber with 30 years of experience in the industry, said using PEX helped them stay on budget with labor and material savings. “Using PEX allowed us the flexibility to route the lines and minimize conflicts with other trades,” he added. “Plus, the pipe can be joined without the use of glues or flame.”
R.T. Moore chose Associated Mechanical Contractors from Shakopee, Minn., to install the hydronic and HVAC system. “The system is a condenser water closed-loop system set up with a dead band on the loop with the water temperature between 76°F and 84°F,” Kirchoff said. “Within that range, there is no mechanical equipment operating – no chiller or boilers. When the condenser water falls below 76°F, the boiler system adds hot water to the system. When the condenser water gets above 84°F, the cooling tower adds chilled water to the system. This allows the heat pumps to work within the dead-band range at the maximum efficiency.”
R.T. Moore worked with Uponor early on to assist with the sizing and sleeve layout locations for each of the plumbing, condenser loop and condensate draining systems. “We maximized the flexibility of the system design using multiport tees with PEX, thus decreasing the amount of joints in the system,” Kirchoff said. “We also installed risers from the first floor to the seventh floor, grouping bathrooms and grouping the kitchens.”
Episcopal Homes was very satisfied with the final result. “This project was successful because of the experience of its contractors and their superior workmanship,” Anne Kamiri, special projects coordinator for Episcopal Homes, said. “The project has received much praise and recognition from the community.”
Now you can grow your business and gain new customers through the Uponor Pro Squad and Phyn Plus smart water assistant + shutoff. With Phyn Plus, homeowners can have complete control over their plumbing systems and receive real-time notifications when changes occur — helping to avoid the devastating damage and expensive costs of water leaks Read more
Now you can grow your business and gain new customers through the Uponor Pro Squad and Phyn Plus smart water assistant + shutoff. With Phyn Plus, homeowners can have complete control over their plumbing systems and receive real-time notifications when changes occur — helping to avoid the devastating damage and expensive costs of water leaks. Be the first in your market to become an Uponor Pro Squad member and offer Phyn Plus. Visit joinprosquad.com to learn more.
Mechanical Hub interviewed Uponor at AHR Expo about the Phyn Plus, here is our video.
https://youtu.be/4fvecIjHpSY
Uponor North America and San Diego, Calif.-based Pestan North America (PNA), a supplier of PP-RCT pipe and fittings, today announced the signing of an agreement naming Uponor the exclusive distributor of PNA’s proprietary PP-RCT (polypropylene, random copolymer, with modified crystallinity and temperature resistance) products throughout the U.S. and Canada. Beginning in 2020, Uponor will market more than 270 of PNA’s Read more
Uponor North America and San Diego, Calif.-based Pestan North America (PNA), a supplier of PP-RCT pipe and fittings, today announced the signing of an agreement naming Uponor the exclusive distributor of PNA’s proprietary PP-RCT (polypropylene, random copolymer, with modified crystallinity and temperature resistance) products throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Beginning in 2020, Uponor will market more than 270 of PNA’s products, making it the only North American company to offer hybrid systems including PEX and PP-RCT. Products will range from 1/2-inch to 12 inches in diameter; up to 24 inches for special product requests. PP-RCT is used in an array of commercial plumbing and hydronic projects.
“We worked diligently to find a partner who offers a quality, differentiated product that is in alignment with Uponor’s business mission and vision. I’m confident we’ve found this and more in Pestan North America,” said Bill Gray, president, Uponor North America. “We’re excited to discover the new doors this partnership will open for our company in the commercial construction market.”
“At Pestan North America, we believe that the transition from metal piping to leading-edge polymer piping is still in its early stages and foresee a significant increase in demand for PNA products in the North American markets,” said Nenad Nastic, co-CEO, PNA.
“Based on the strength of our technology and the world-class team at Uponor, we are confident we will achieve and maintain a leadership role in this sector for years to come,” added Marko Radovanovic, co-CEO, PNA.
Gray also said that the agreement signifies a huge step toward affirming Uponor’s position as the leading polymer pipe solutions provider for commercial plumbing and HVAC, and that the company plans to proceed thoughtfully throughout the next year, building a long-term, sustainable competitive advantage.
“Our approach is to strategically evolve our skills and resources related to this new offering by way of a staggered market approach, as we believe a measured rollout will help ensure both a positive customer experience and long-term business success.”
With plumbing hygiene becoming a bigger concern in our industry, installers and building owners are looking to innovations that will ensure both efficiencies and reduced liability for their domestic water systems. For these commercial plumbing applications, professionals are starting to turn to pre-sleeved PEX in the slab. It’s an innovative solution that offers several benefits Read more
With plumbing hygiene becoming a bigger concern in our industry, installers and building
owners are looking to innovations that will ensure both efficiencies and reduced liability for their domestic water systems.
San Francisco, 2018 install with in-slab, pre-sleeved PEX
For these commercial plumbing applications, professionals are starting to turn to pre-sleeved PEX in the slab. It’s an innovative solution that offers several benefits for the contractor, owner and also the end user, including:
- Shorter pipe runs for less material usage and better pressure to the fixtures
- No hangers for less ladder time and faster installs
- No insulation required for easier, more efficient installs
- Long, flexible coils of pipe to eliminate fittings in the slab
And here’s where the safety factor comes in — because in-slab pre-sleeved PEX systems use shorter runs of pipe embedded in concrete, the water in the pipe is spending less time in the optimal bacterial grow zone (95°F to 115°F). Plus, the shorter pipe runs provide better pressure to the fixtures for higher velocity to minimize biofilm attachment and growth, especially compared to metallic piping systems.
San Francisco, 2018 install with in-slab, pre-sleeved PEX
In general, PEX is a superior product compared to metallic piping due to its corrosion resistance, freeze resistance, superior sound insulation qualities, smoother surface for reduced pressure loss and lighter weight for easy maneuverability on the job site.
Also, because PEX has stable pricing compared to copper, it’s easier to confidently bid a job without having to worry about price increases. And because PEX connections don’t require flame, there’s no need for fire watch requirements on a job site, adding to the cost-effective benefits of the system.
So you can see how adding pre-sleeved PEX in the slab can offer great benefits to your commercial plumbing systems. Now, the next question is, what can you buy and where do you get it?
Some PEX manufacturers offer their pre-sleeved piping with color-coded red and blue HDPE corrugated sleeving to easily identify hot and cold water lines. The HDPE sleeve protects the pipe in the slab and also makes it easier to remove, if necessary, without having to break up the slab. Pipe sizes are typically available from ½" to 1", but can vary by manufacturer.
To learn more about the pre-sleeved PEX offerings in your market, check out your favorite PEX manufacturer’s website; or to learn more about PEX in general, visit one of the plastic piping association websites at plasticpipe.org or ppfahome.org.
Guest Blogger: Kim Bliss is the content development manager at Uponor. She can be reached at kim.bliss@uponor.com.
Apple Valley, Minn.—Phyn, an Uponor joint venture, recently received one of the world’s most renowned, product-design awards on behalf of the Phyn Plus: Smart water assistant + shutoff. The company was honored along with the other prize recipients at the 2019 Red Dot Award Gala, held July 8 in Essen, Germany. More than 1,200 guests Read more
Apple Valley, Minn.—Phyn, an Uponor joint venture, recently received one of the world’s most renowned, product-design awards on behalf of the Phyn Plus: Smart water assistant + shutoff. The company was honored along with the other prize recipients at the 2019 Red Dot Award Gala, held July 8 in Essen, Germany. More than 1,200 guests from the international design scene were in attendance.
With over 5,500 entries this year, the Red Dot Award is one of the largest design competitions in the world. The coveted Red Dot Award is an internationally recognized seal of exceptional design quality. See: www.red-dot.org
Left to Right: Michaela Frytag, Head of Corporate Communications- Construction Germany; Christine Schurz, Director of Brand Management Germany; Anastasiia Trubnikova, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist Germany; Laura Selana, Marketing Specialist Germany with the 2019 Red Dot Award for Phyn Plus.
“The design award affirms nearly a decade of development for Phyn Plus and is an important milestone in the product’s 2019 launch in Europe,” according to Davis Zandersons, Director, Intelligent Water, BLD-E at Uponor. “The Red Dot Award raises awareness of the innovative product among influencers, decision-makers and building owners. It also builds awareness of how smart technologies can break new ground in water management.”
Uponor Corporation and Belkin International, Inc. formed the joint venture company, Phyn, in July 2016 to pioneer research and development for smart water solutions in North American and European markets. Both Uponor and Belkin have 50 percent share in the joint venture, working together to introduce water-sensing and water-conserving solutions.
Launched in the United States in January 2018, Phyn Plus is installed on the main water line of a home or a building after the meter by an authorized Uponor Pro Squad team plumbing expert. Once installed, the product uses programmed data and learns the home’s water-use habits, so it can proactively detect leaks and water problems in real time. Learn more at www.connectwithuponorprosquad.com.
In Europe, Phyn Plus is on the market in Finland, France, Spain and Sweden, and is expected to be launched in Germany and Austria later this year.