The challenge

Norwich City Council needed a quick, safe, and effective heating and plumbing system as part of the refurbishment of 40 sheltered accommodation plots and community centre – a total of 270 radiators.

Concerns were raised by the Council’s specifier over traditional systems that require on-site soldering of copper pipes, which would impose stringent and time-consuming health and safety requirements on the installers.

The solution

Working closely with the Council, Wavin devised a quick, safe and high-performance plumbing solution that utilises the company's Tigris K1 multilayer press-fit plastic pipe system.

To support contractors Panks Engineering, Wavin arranged and provided certified training to ensure the team was well-informed and competent in the use and benefits of Tigris K1. Panks had previously worked with other plumbing and heating systems available on the market, but agreed Wavin’s Tigris K1 system worked best for the project.

The benefits

Designed for potable water and heating applications, Tigris K1 is ideally suited for installation on commercial projects such as educational establishments, apartment blocks and hotels thanks to its flexibility and ease of installation. The use of clamping of the product to create joints was a clear benefit for the project over the traditional use of copper pipes.

The aluminium layer in the plastic Tigris K1 pipes reduces thermal expansion, making them comparable to copper in terms of performance, while the cross-linked PEXc inner layer makes the pipes flexible. This flexibility means fewer connectors are needed, further simplifying installation and reducing cost.

All Tigris K1 components deliver long-term performance under the most demanding conditions and temperatures. They are certified by major European agencies including WRAS, KIWA and DVGW.

Testimonials

Don Elworthy, Senior Contracts Manager at Panks Engineering, said: “Meeting with Wavin and talking through all of the benefits of Tigris K1, it was clear that this solution would help us work to a tight timescale on the project. Wavin supported the installation team by providing certified training to ensure the installation can run smoothly with a product we haven’t used before. The team are now confident and we’re looking forward to getting started.”

Neil King, Technical Sales Manager at Wavin, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with both Panks Engineering and Norwich City Council to deliver a solution for this important refurbishment project. Tigris K1 was the perfect choice, providing all the benefits of copper without the hassle of having to have hot works permits and all the extra time on site. We’re looking forward to seeing how the project progresses, and working further with Norwich City Council on more projects where our products and services can help meet its objectives.”