52
FEATURES
More recently, however, the SABS has decreed that all
systems must test their products from scratch; that is, every
test in every part of the SANS must be re-tested on products
marketed using a SANS.
Not surprisingly, this proved extremely costly, timeous (some
tests take a year) and, since the SABS didn’t have the
equipment to perform these tests, it was a logistical disaster
for the polymer piping industry.
ALTERNATIVES
Fortunately, alternative testing and certification houses have
been approved to offer certification against the SANS for hot
and cold water piping, and so, certifications to these standards
from AENOR and SATAS, which will both shortly be approved
by SANAS (South African National Accreditation System), will be
available for use in the local market. These certificates are 100%
equivalent to an SABS certificate to the same national standard.
While piping system standards are based on the material used
in the pipes, the fittings can be of other materials and approved
as a system. The mechanics differ from system to system and
from material to material, but most are based on the following
principles:
• Fusion: usually a feature of PPR systems, the fitting and
the pipe are fused with heat and pressure to form a
homogeneous bond;
• Thread: traditional jointing technology usually on metal
fittings, but now also in some polymer fittings;
• Crimping: a metal sleeve is crimped onto the outer layer
of the pipe, while an inner sleeve, or part of the fitting
itself, supports the inside of the pipe;
Table 1
Company Full name of mark holder
and representative
company in South Africa Material Fitting
material DZR Pipe
colour Fitting colour
Atlas Plastics Atlas Plastics (Pty) Ltd PPR PPR Yes Green Green
Eurocelt Plastics Eurocelt Plastics (Pty) Ltd Polyvinyl
chloride Polypropylene N.a Cream/
beige and
white Cream/beige
and white
Geberit Geberit Southern Africa
(Pty) Ltd PE-RTII / AL /
PE-RTII PVDF and
gunmetal N.a Black Black and gold
Grohe Dawn Water Technology (Cobra) Cobra Watertech (Grohe
Dawn Water Technology
Fittings Division) Pex-Al-Pex
(MLP) Brass Yes White Brass metal
Harscan
Distributors Wavin UK represented by
Harscan Distributors PB1 PB1 Yes White White
Marley Pipe
Systems Marley Pipe Systems (Pty)
Ltd PE RT PPSU Yes White White
Rifeng Piping
Systems Rifeng Enterprises Group
and Rifeng Piping Systems
SA Pex-Al-Pex DZR brass Yes White Silver
Serbco SA Johnston Slaghuis cc t/a
SERBCO-SA. Polypropylene
random
copolymer Polypropylene
random
copolymer N.a Green and
red Green
Speedfit Africa John Guest Ltd –
represented by Speedfit
Africa b/PEX PEX Yes White White
Tean Investments CC, t/a
Tean Distribution Group PPR PPR Yes Green Green
Valsir SPA Pex-Al-Pex PPSU / DZR
brass Yes White White / brass
Tean Distribution Group
Valsir Uneeq
October 2017 Volume 23 I Number 8
www.plumbingafrica.co.za