Hep20 Technical Handbook

Pipes in Concealed
Locations
Hep 2 O ® pipework can easily be
installed in concealed locations in
floors, roof spaces etc. Any
expansion which may occur will
have little mechanical effect, this
being absorbed within the pipe
length as undulation which may be
ignored. Undulation of Hep 2 O ®
pipe which may occur naturally as a
result of expansion, or installation
through joists, will not lead to
airlocks. Installation in difficult
locations is aided by the cabling
ability of Hep 2 O ® pipe. If
adequately supported, Hep 2 O ® in
concealed locations needs only to
be clipped for system alignment e.g.
at changes in direction.
Where convenient, cable ties can be
used to restrain pipes for system
neatness (care should be taken not
to overtighten the tie). The pipe
should be able to slide freely
through the tie to facilitate thermal
movement.
Pipes in Exposed
Locations
Hep 2 O ® pipe expands as
temperature increases causing it to
undulate along its length. This can
be visually unacceptable in the case
of long exposed runs. Long runs of
exposed pipe are unusual in new
build where pipework is generally
concealed, but may occur in
refurbishment.
If the pipework is exposed there are
a number of options open to the
installer to ensure that a neat, tidy
job is achieved:
• Hep 2 O® pipework, if exposed,
can be boxed in (PVC-U trunking
or preformed plywood profiles
are generally used).
• Long runs of exposed Hep 2 O®
may be unsightly as a result of
expansion and therefore the
installer may choose to use
copper pipe in this instance.
Pipes Through Walls and
Floors
Whenever Hep 2 O ® passes through
brickwork, stone or concrete the
pipe should be sleeved. The annular
gap between the pipe and the sleeve
should be filled with a resilient
material to provide effective fire
stopping and prevention of noise
transmission from one room to
another.
Pipes Through, and
Adjacent to, Metalwork
When running Hep 2 O ® adjacent to
or through metalwork, it is
important to ensure that the pipe
cannot make contact with any sharp
edges as this could cause damage
during thermal movement. Any of
the following preventative measures
would be acceptable:
•
For a pipe passing through a
small hole drilled in metalwork,
fix a resilient grommet in hole.
•
For a pipe passing through a large
hole in metalwork or adjacent to
a sharp edge, fix an extruded
flexible profile to metalwork.
• Provide sufficient local pipe
clipping to prevent contact
between pipe and metalwork.
• Run pipe within a conduit.
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