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PRODUCTS
Elastomeric Thermal Insulation Tubes
The Aerofoam Flexible Elastomeric
Foam.
The Aerofoam Flexible Elastomeric Foam has a very
good dimensional stability and offers excellent protection
against condensation, thermal loss and sound transfer.
Aerofoam Flexible Elastomeric Foam is made from closed
cell elastomeric foam, which has a micro-cell, non-porous
structure and closed cell content bigger than 90%. The
foam covers a wide range of diameters and thicknesses,
matching the most used pipe sizes. The flexibility of the
tubes and the powder applied inside them allows for low
friction movement and improve installation time significantly.
The tubes represent no hazard to the human health, being
used no CFC or HCFC in their production and having a
very low VOC level. They are considered environmentally
friendly products (with low Ozone Depletion Potential –
ODP and Global Warming Potential – GWP) and comply
with the LEED requirements, helping buildings to get more
LEED points. PA
Product item retraction on plastic rainwater tanks
Plumbing Africa published an article in the February issue
regarding water storage tanks listing some comparative
disadvantages of using plastic rainwater tanks compared
to steel. This was taken from the website of the supplier
Aquadam without their knowledge, and has since been taken
down from the website. This contained information which was
either not supported by scientific evidence, was subjective,
untrue or the suggested potential disadvantages stem not from
the nature of plastic water tanks but from simple failure to
match the correct tank to the correct application.
The official body of the rotomoulding industry in Southern
Africa, ARMSA, now clarifies some points which might have
caused confusion:
• Plastic reacts with heat and then produces BPA:
False. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in the production of
polycarbonate. It is not used in polyethylene, either in the
manufacture or as an additive.
• The harmful acid, phthalic, cause allergies, asthma, and
pregnancy complications: False. This chemical is not used
in the manufacture of polyethylene nor is it used as an
additive – therefore is not present in a polyethylene tank.
• Plastics contains chemicals like petroleum: False.
Polyethylene is produced by the polymerisation of
ethylene, which is a gas. This ethylene can be produced
as a by-product of the production of petrol from oil, but is
purified before use. The polymerisation of ethylene does
not produce petroleum.
The Bullet
The JD7 Bullet.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
The JD7 Bullet is a pressurised pipework leak detection
system with hydrophone and CCTV capability. Designed for
4in. diameter pipework and above (including transmission
mains) for complete leakage examination and localising.
Access to pipework is possible through full bore fire
hydrants, 1.5in. (38.1mm) and above fittings, air valves, gate
valves and Quadrina’s at full mains pressure.
The JD7 Bullet offers two modes: free flowing and tethered.
In free flowing mode the maximum distance achievable is
20km. In tethered mode 500m leakage surveys are possible
from a single insertion and this is dictated by the system
tether wire length. The Bullet utilises the flow of water within
the pipe to propel the sensor head along the pipework. All
data is captured on-board the sensor head and automatically
analysed in minutes following retrieval from the pipe. The
system is mounted onto pipework through a selection of
fittings and/or ‘hot tappings’.
@plumbingonline
@plumbingonline
• Plastic tanks are not eco-friendly: False. A polyethylene
rotomoulded tank is fully recyclable and is not a single-
use plastic. The tank is expected to be used for at least
10 years.
• Water stored in a plastic tank becomes smelly, is unfit
for drinking, or that the taste of water is altered, or
algae formed: This is more suggestive of recycled tanks
where the source of material cannot be guaranteed,
or using the incorrect tank for this application. Water
tanks manufactured according to the SANS 1731:2017
Standard requires the manufacturer to ensure that all
components used for the production of a rotomoulded
tank, must meet the requirements of the relevant FDA
and EU regulations for food and potable water contact.
Manufacturers meeting this standard may display SANS
1731:2017 on their products to indicate all requirements
are met.
• Any statements that water from plastic rainwater tanks
are unfit for household work, like washing clothes
and watering plants, or are not good for our skin and
damages the quality of hair, leading to hair fall, must be
supported by scientific evidence, which was not provided.
• The colour of the rainwater tank fades due to sunlight:
This could happen if incorrect pigments are used which
are not stable in sunlight. Similarly, the polyethylene will
be UV stabilised for outdoor use.
• Plastic rainwater tanks are not inherently more difficult to
transport than steel rainwater tanks. PA
This process makes access into the pipework simple
and cost-effective. The acoustic device is capable for
use on all pipe materials and diameters, allowing the
system to be extremely effective for leak detection on
all pipework. The on-board camera technology allows
an overview of the pipework to be understood. This is
particularly useful on the smaller diameter pipework,
however less effective on the larger pipework due to
light levels diminishing.
During insertion the maximum distance achievable will
be influenced by the flow rate, internal pipe conditions
and the number of accumulative bends present. The
JD7 Bullet software is used to analyse all data with
an automatic report generation feature included. The
software displays both video and acoustic data in a
number of detail levels and is extremely simple to
operate. PA
@PlumbingAfricaOnline
April 2020 Volume 26 I Number 02