Uponor has launched a new range of tap elbow fittings which remove dead legs, a major breeding ground for legionella bacteria, from plumbing systems.
The new Smart Ends range permits installers to replace traditional T-piece plumbing systems, which have long been identified as a possible contributor in the incubation and spread of legionella bacteria. This is due to their tendency to collect and stagnate water within dead legs at the ideal breeding temperature of 20-60°C.
Uponor’s Smart Ends range, which is WRAS-approved, gives UK plumbers the choice to install either a loop or serial plumbing systems, both of which have long been the plumbing methods of choice in continental Europe. Both methods eliminate the risk of standing water stagnating as they have no dead legs, fewer fittings and connections.
Mark Dowdeswell, Applications Manager – Plumbing, at Uponor UK, comments: “From the outset our Smart Ends range was designed with hygiene in mind. Despite the fact there are hundreds of diagnoses of legionella-related illnesses each year, some of which result in fatalities, the plumbing trade hasn’t really extended its response beyond chemical flushing, which puts the onus on the end-user rather than the installer.
“The launch of Smart Ends now gives UK installers a wider choice of hygienic plumbing systems which do not require flushing or the regular turning on and off of taps to circulate water. A serial or loop installation is not a difficult task to undertake, it just requires a slightly different method of installation. As with all our past product launches, we are offering comprehensive training programmes for installers in order that they can see for themselves how simple a serial or loop installation is.”
Uponor Smart Ends fittings are available in both multi-layer composite (MLC) and PEX pipe and are compatible with a variety of existing jointing methods, such as MLC press-fit, ring tension memory (RTM) fittings and Uponor’s revolutionary Q&E shrink-fit PEX piping system.
The range’s unique inverted U-profile ensures that a system’s water flow rate is also optimised. It also offers installers a much greater degree of installation flexibility, with both wall and surface mounting options, with pre-assembled mounting kits also available. The new fixation design allows the Smart Ends elbow fittings to be fixed to the mounting plates with just one hand, and new guide pins also allow for easy positioning.
Mark continues: “Serial and loop installations are commonplace throughout Europe, and UK installers now have the chance to catch up with their continental peers. As well as providing hygienic benefits to the end-user, Smart Ends are quick and straightforward to install for the plumber.
What’s more, with no T-joints, fewer fittings are required which can save an installer both time and money.
“In short, our Smart Ends range of elbow fittings gives the UK’s plumbing trade a smart way to design-out one of the main breeding areas for legionella bacteria and make the nation’s plumbing systems much more hygienic.”
