Scott K

So the company I work for does a fair amount of installations, mainly hydronics, using Aquatherm Pipe (http://www.aquathermpipe.com).

As you may recall the fusion thread I started late last year in the Pictures section, this is a German Polypropolene Pipe that is fused together using Irons.

Well one curiousity of mine, and many others who use the product I'm told, is if we can use this stuff for the vents of high efficiency appliances. What peaked my interest first off was it's noted properties that they list as its benefits. And then learning that the Coaxial pipe offered by Viessmann for their boilers is Polypropolene.

Here in BC, all vent pipes used for the exhausts of high efficiency appliances must meet the S-636 standard. In a lot of peoples opinions, it's just another line of BS as we know PVC and CPVC pipe has worked fine for years, but I guess just more justification for someone or some company (Ipex for example) to gain a monopoly on the manufacturer of a pipe for a while where they can charge out the arse for it. For example, 4" CPVC pipe I was told recently was priced at $20 PER FOOT!!! But I guess when you factor in the $$$ it costs just to get the S-636 stamp theres probably some solid justification behind some of that pricing too.

So I recently contacted Viessmann and learned that their Coaxial Polypropolene pipe has just achieved/passed the S-636 standard.

So I have contacted Aquatherm about their climatherm and asked them about it (getting their pipe to meet S-636), I was told that the Germans (who make this stuff) like to offer their pipe with an insurance policy of at least 10 years (they actually don't offer it with a warranty, they offer it with an insurance policy instead at least for the hydronics/water end of it), of which in venting applications no Insurance company will touch any kind of insurance policy on it for obvious reasons.

So I responded to him that I didn't think anyone who sold S-636 pipe offered any kind of real warranty other then the conventional defects in workmanship or materials but the typical wear & tear/environmental factors aren't covered. And this kinda got me thinking.

So I ask, are there any manufacturers, 636 or otherwise, who offer a warranty or insurance policy on plastic vent pipe of high efficiency appliances???

Also, my question is how does this stuff react to situations where there might be an extreme issue with the boiler where it is firing with very rich or lean fuel mixtures and causing potentially dangerous combustion mixtures going up the flue?

My reasoning behind this is I first off honestly think that the Polypropolene pipe is a way more environmentally friendly pipe ,and in my opinion is probably better suited to exhaust venting than PVC or CPVC in the long run, plus there are no VOC's when installing that you have to inhale (the CPVC 636 glue will just about knock you off your ladder!!)