Natural thermal resistance

The fusiolen® PP-R (80) has a high thermal resistance value, giving a level of natural insulation to the pipe:
0.15W/mK = 1.04 Btu/in/ft2/F°
R-value = 0.96

This, based on the thickness of the pipe wall, can offer a variety of cost and performance advantages compared to other systems.

Calculated heat loss/heat gain

In an effort to improve efficiency and save energy, most areas use building and energy codes that dictate the required amounts of insulation for a piping system. These codes must always be followed unless permission to follow the guidelines given here is expressly given.

Most energy codes are based around heat loss and heat gain for metal piping systems. The aquatherm piping systems are more efficient than metal systems and have much lower heat losses and heat gains. In order to fully utilize this efficiency, it is important to calculate the heat loss or heat gain of a system and compare it to the acceptable heat loss or heat gain for the relevant code. In almost all cases, a thinner amount of insulation will allow the aquatherm piping system to perform at an equal or higher level of efficiency than other systems under the same code.

The following are the heat loss/heat gain tables:
Heat Loss/Heat Gain

Insulation and energy savings

An efficient piping system will carry its intended medium from point A to point B in the same condition it began in. In other words, if the medium being transported is heated or chilled, it will arrive as close to the starting temperature as possible. That way, valuable energy is not wasted to the surrounding environment.

The natural insulation of the pipe and fittings greatly reduces the amount of thermal energy transfer through the walls. Simply upgrading from bare metal pipe to bare aquatherm pipe can reduce heat loss or heat gain by as much as 50%. In most applications, this provides the same level of energy savings as a quarter inch of standard pipe insulation. Exact figures are given on the pages 5.4 and 5.5. Always verify with local building inspectors that these figures are acceptable before beginning installation.

In many cases, an analysis of the heat loss or heat gain through the aquatherm pipe walls will show that less insulation is needed to reach the efficiency levels of other insulated systems. By finding the ideal thickness of insulation for a project, it is possible to maximize the savings. Excessive insulation costs more energy to produce than it will effectively save over the life of an installation and should be avoided.

Where permissible, it is recommended to use less insulation on aquatherm piping systems than on other systems in order to maximize overall efficiency.