Corzan® Piping Systems
Backed by Lubrizol Corporation's 60 years of experience with chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), Corzan® Piping Systems is trusted by the most demanding industries.
Capital Health Plan (CHP), a nonprofit managed care organization, is a nationally-recognized provider of comprehensive preventive, primary and specialty healthcare services for its members in the seven-county Greater Tallahassee, Florida, region. Plumbing and mechanical contractor Scott-Burnett, Inc. won the bid to provide Corzan® CPVC piping for the plumbing in CHP’s new Metropolitan Health Center project, a three-story building of 72,000 square feet comprising physician offices, urgent care, imaging, lab services, wound care and a center for complex care.
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Merriam-Webster defines generic as “anything that is not sold or made under a particular brand name.” But when it comes to materials, what’s in a brand name, and how does a branded material differ from a generic? For instance, in some product categories, a generic version of a material may well be an acceptable choice to accomplish the function at hand.
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Delve deeper into CPVC's capabilities, benefits and performance in HVAC applications.
As commercial/non-residential buildings that have been vacant for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic return to use, care needs to be taken to prevent inadvertently exposing employees and the public to another respiratory risk factor: Legionella. Legionella is the bacterium that causes the serious and sometimes fatal respiratory infection Legionnaires’ disease. Generally present in local water sources in benign amounts, Legionella microbes are capable of colonizing in warm non-circulating water systems and becoming disease carriers through widespread inhalation of contaminated mist or vapor by building occupants.
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In multi-story construction, designers not only need to consider expansion and contraction for horizontally run pipe, but also the design and installation of the vertical piping. One school of thought when installing Corzan® CPVC for hot water riser systems is to use expansion loops similar to horizontal installations to account for thermal expansion.
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Thermoplastic Corzan® CPVC pipe and fittings are designed to meet the temperature and pressure requirements of HVAC applications and withstand the internal stresses that result from conveying fluids over time at various operating temperatures, up to 180°F, in these complex projects.
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The transformation of San Diego’s North Embarcadero waterfront into the Portside Pier development was a joint project by the Port of San Diego and its restaurant partner Brigantine. Pacific Building Group (San Diego, California) was selected as the general contractor to oversee construction of the new concrete piles and a concrete pier with a two-story framed structure atop it, housing four dining establishments. For the hot and cold domestic water supply to these restaurants, the plumbing specification called for piping to be below the pier, and for this piping below the pier to be corrosion-resistant CPVC ranging from 3" down to ½".
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Inquiring minds need to know: How did Corzan® CPVC transition from use in aggressive industrial pipe applications to becoming a trusted material for decades of reliable service in commercial plumbing and hydronic HVAC applications?
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Interested in history, chemistry, biology and having a positive impact on society? Plumbing may be the career for you.
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A question commonly asked about CPVC piping is what could cause a failure once it is in service. It is not necessary to have a materials science degree to gain an understanding of the factors involved. Essentially, certain conditions must be present for a failure to be set into motion. In this post we will look at what these conditions are and how they may interact with each other.
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How do you define Corzan® Piping Systems? Is it a product? Is it an ingredient of a product? It’s a good question, with an even better answer for specifiers, installers, distributors and our partners in the plumbing and HVAC industries.
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Manufacturers develop instructions for installing or using their products for good reason. In the case of solvent welding of CPVC piping, a general disregard for the piping manufacturer’s installation recommendations will – sooner or later – give the system a lack of resiliency that will manifest itself in a shortened service life.
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For 45 years, federal law has required potable water suppliers to protect their customers from waterborne pathogens while minimizing health risks from disinfection and the byproducts of disinfection. The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish minimum standards to protect tap water, and requires all owners or operators of public water systems to comply with these health-related standards.
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NSF/ANSI/CAN Standard 61: Drinking Water Systems Components – Health Effects establishes minimum requirements for the control of adverse human health effects in materials, components, products and systems that have direct contact with drinking water (from source to tap) or drinking water treatment chemicals.
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Merriam-Webster defines a plastic as “any of numerous organic synthetic or processed materials that are mostly thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight and that can be made into objects, films, or filaments.”
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Chillers … air handlers … boilers and air separators … pumps and heat exchangers … condensate drains in plenums. Every one of these HVAC applications is a candidate for a piping material known around the world for its smooth, corrosion-resistant interior surfaces.
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Should the extra cost of expansion loops drive your decision making about which plastic pipe to use for your next commercial plumbing project? If you are thinking of using polypropylene piping instead of CPVC for that reason, read on.
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Contrary to what some may assume, Lubrizol Advanced Materials does not produce the final CPVC products used in plumbing and hydronic service. Instead we engineer and manufacture CPVC compound from PVC resin, as the chart below depicts.
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Corzan® CPVC | Health & Safety
Management of risk by building teams is an ever-growing area of professional concern. Complicated systems can have unseen impacts unless a holistic approach to the project is adopted at the start.
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One of PHCPPros’ key plumbing trends for 2019 is tied to a strong growth area in the construction market – hotel rooms. That trend, prefabrication of building modules, is proving to be beneficial to the plumbing trades, where labor shortages have made jobsite-built projects more unpredictable and costly. And the latest data on rising construction costs, up 4.48% from the same time last year, points to worker shortages as a main factor in that increase.
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CPVC pipe and fittings are the material of choice for commercial and institutional plumbing and HVAC applications around the world thanks to their reliability and efficiency. But not all CPVC piping systems are equal. Differences in a CPVC compound’s manufacturing, material science and chemical processing mean that the resulting piping and fitting products may or may not be compatible with all ancillary construction products such as thread sealers, gasket and gasket lubricants, firestop products and cleaners.
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In a field that's historically been led by metal, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) is gaining tremendous traction as the piping material of choice for commercial plumbing and HVAC applications. This is thanks to CPVC's:
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The benefits of getting more for your money while keeping a piping project on track should be obvious to any plumbing and mechanical contractor. This is especially true as skilled labor shortages are plaguing the industry. Containing labor costs is more important than ever, so it should be as much a factor as any other in comparing piping materials. That’s why having Corzan® Piping Systems in your construction arsenal is a win-win situation.
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All piping materials expand and contract with temperature changes. When those changes are significant, and a run of pipe is constrained at both ends, the compressive stress can damage the pipe. This may lead to frequent repairs, downtime and shortened service life.
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The simplicity of working with Corzan® CPVC is renowned by installers of plumbing and HVAC piping systems. Once trained in proper techniques, they come to find that most projects can be completed with only a few handheld tools. So when the need arises to integrate CPVC pipe into existing systems of copper, stainless steel, carbon steel or galvanized steel, the same installation basics make the job cost-effective and straightforward.
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The demanding applications for Corzan® CPVC pipe require specific performance characteristics from the pipe once placed in a plumbing or HVAC system. But before pipe goes into service, it must be stored, handled and installed without breaking, and it must possess what is known as impact strength or impact resistance.
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In the building community, one of the greatest commodities a specifier possesses is confidence that materials will perform as expected. For HVAC applications, a material must be rated for the operating temperature and pressure of the hydronic system to ensure that it can withstand the internal stresses placed on it by the fluid being conveyed over time and at various temperatures. For thermoplastic CPVC, the International Mechanical Code and Uniform Mechanical Code dictate conformance requirements.
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One of the most misunderstood aspects of CPVC pipe is how its pressure rating is calculated and what that rating really communicates to the end user. A common assumption is that the pressure rating is determined by increasing the pressure in a pipe until it bursts. The reality is that CPVC intended for use in pressure piping systems must empirically prove its pressure bearing capability in a surprisingly rigorous data collection and analysis process.
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When choosing a piping material, it is important to look for a partner that will be with you beyond the initial sale. You can expect help during the product evaluation and specification stage, but can the manufacturer be counted on to provide expert, timely support throughout installation and over the life of the piping system?
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Choosing a building material always carries with it the question of whether to take a “lowest-cost” perspective or to broaden one’s sights by taking the long view. The latter depends greatly on consideration of a total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis that may not be readily available.
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Noise reduction is an ongoing challenge in buildings where there are multiple occupants, such as hotels, college dormitories, hospitals and apartments. The noise associated with water flow and water hammer (a pressure surge or wave caused when flowing water is forced to stop or change direction suddenly) can disturb or even wake neighbor occupants during a late-night trip to the bathroom or shower.
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Long-term reliability and performance in piping systems are paramount considerations in materials selection, which is why engineers, building owners and facility managers have relied on Corzan CPVC for decades. Also in the mix are the contractors who appreciate this fact: Corzan is so versatile it can be installed using either chemical (solvent welding) or mechanical joining methods. Lubrizol engineered the CPVC compound nearly 60 years ago, and we have not stopped honing and evolving its capabilities.
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Many factors contribute to the design and specification of a piping system, from size to pressure to layout. It’s just as critical to think about what’s inside the pipes—the quality of the water and the disinfection treatments that will be used on that water over the life of the system. The additives used for primary and secondary disinfection can often have an impact on the integrity of the pipe.
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Health & Safety | Sustainability
For 30 years, the environmental movement and the green building emphasis that grew out of it have focused on the role of manufacturing in emitting waste byproducts to the air, water and land. As interest in green buildings has grown, so has the interest in the potential for environmental impacts across every phase of a building product or system’s lifecycle.
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In the mid-2000s, the project team for the new W Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Fla., decided to make a big change, switching the project’s piping system from copper to CPVC to help alleviate cost increases. It’s a move that, a decade later, continues to prove its value.
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To accommodate the influx of conference attendees visiting the new Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), a major hotel chain started construction of a new, $50 million hotel. Built nine stories high with 290 rooms, city officials were deeply invested in its progress and success. Hotel decision makers were committed to making sure the hotel was on budget—and opened on time. Their dedication influenced every aspect of the project, including project design, construction, and installation of plumbing systems.
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The lower thermal conductivity of CPVC and other plastic piping materials compared to steel and copper often leads specifiers to wonder whether the material alone is sufficiently insulating for pipe in commercial plumbing and hydronic heating applications. Corzan CPVC’s thermal conductivity is 1/300th that of steel, so this is a reasonable question, especially given pipe insulation’s materials and labor cost. The reality is that it depends on the application.
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In all areas of a building project, specifiers, engineers, and contractors need to pay attention to compatibility — how will one material react to another. For example, new types of treated wood containing copper will cause some types of metal fasteners to corrode. Some siding materials can’t be installed against concrete because of moisture absorption. And the list continues.
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As legionella outbreaks continue to rise throughout the country, plumbers, builders, and facility managers are looking for solutions to manage existing buildings.
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Fire and life safety is a vital consideration for many aspects of residential and commercial design and construction. But often left out of the equation is the piping system.
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Solvent welding is an effective, time-tested installation method for CPVC piping systems, using chemistry to form a reliable, long-lasting bond. But like any building material, it’s important to follow instructions and best practices to ensure your CPVC pipes are fitted properly and will perform as designed. This includes something as simple as the application dauber you choose.
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A large project that your company would be perfect for just opened for bid. As expected, the list of options is long and daunting. So, what’s next?
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Copper piping is a go-to material for many plumbers and builders. But before specifying, it’s important to consider the health and safety aspects of each piping system; many pros don’t realize the risk of corrosion posed by copper and other metallics—factors that can lead to failures and even health concerns down the road.
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Each month, new headlines blare about legionella outbreaks leading to illnesses and, in some cases, deaths.
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GF Piping Systems, a Corzan® CPVC licensee, has introduced the ChlorFIT Schedule 80 Piping System, a line of highly robust pipes, valves and fittings ideal for hot- and cold-water supply lines in commercial and institutional projects. GF Piping Systems’ new line allows for a complete Corzan CPVC system without need for transition to copper stub-outs while offering numerous advantages over other piping materials, including use in hot temperatures and resistance to chlorine and corrosion.
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Over the past few years, Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., has been expanding dramatically, with the addition of cancer treatment center and a cardiovascular and neurological services center. But less visible have been some key renovations to the existing 35-year-old hospital tower, a 1-million-square-foot general care facility with 600 medical and surgical beds, that are just as vital to the facility’s ability to conduct quality patient care.
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Solvent welding is a straightforward, affordable installation method that forms a chemical bond. In fact, a properly installed Corzan fitting is the strongest part of the system.
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When a new facilities manager started work at the Oquendo Center, a hands-on veterinary training facility in Las Vegas, he quickly got in touch with Frank McCourt at Jenni Plumber to discuss some potential issues he discovered.
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As steel prices continue to climb, plumbing engineers, contractors, specifiers and project owners are finding a reliable, more stable alternative in plastic piping products such as Corzan® CPVC.
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Mike Prior and Breeden Mechanical in Virginia have been using CPVC piping systems for 40 years, relying on the material’s affordability and ease of installation, as well as the service and support behind the brand.
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In most commercial buildings, the areas above the suspended ceiling used for air circulation are identified as air plenums. These cavities are particularly challenging during a fire, explains Sewell Direct: They contain a lot of fresh oxygen that can make a fire grow quickly and because the air is forced, smoke and fumes can spread throughout the building.
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Corzan CPVC is more than just a piping material. We are a team of scientists, engineers, master plumbers and mechanical contractors dedicated to being your partner. Watch this video to learn how the Corzan Piping Systems team delivers reliability in everything we do to ensure you a dependable system that you can trust.
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Chlorination is frequently employed to control the growth of harmful bacteria in cooling towers and recirculating systems. But many may not realize that this type of disinfection, relied upon to maintain healthy HVAC systems, can accelerate degradation of some types of pipes.
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When it comes to hydronic heating and cooling applications, Corzan CPVC offers an ideal combination of durability, reliability and affordability. Corzan CPVC pipe, valves and fittings are designed to meet the temperature, pressure and size requirements of commercial heating and cooling systems, and they have a proven track record in commercial hot water heating and cooling systems in hospitals, retail and multifamily projects, to name a few.
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Before 1959, using plastic for plumbing pipes was uncommon. Materials like steel, copper and lead were trusted to deliver drinking water all over the world. Like many new innovations, plastic piping faced skepticism when it made its industry debut, as many worried that plastic was not as durable as commonly used metal materials.
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When designing a sustainable building, topics such as energy efficiency and indoor air quality are often top of mind. But just as important is the consideration of resource efficiency and the sustainability of the components that make up the building—and the components that make up those components.
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Corzan CPVC offers high-quality, reliable functionality backed by 60 years of science. But as with nearly any material, it’s important to keep in mind how its chemical makeup reacts and responds to other materials that touch it. Here’s what you need to know about chemical compatibility to ensure the pipes perform as intended.
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In the mid-2000s, the project team for the new W Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Fla., decided to make a big change, switching the project’s piping system from copper to CPVC to help alleviate cost increases. It’s a move that, a decade later, continues to prove its value.
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A recent memo from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services directed state agency directors to reduce the risk of legionella in healthcare facility water systems.
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No torches. No welding. Just a reliable, long-lasting connection you can trust. Corzan pipes and fittings are joined with a method called “solvent welding,” which uses chemistry and geometry, rather than heat, to produce a permanent molecular bond.
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When visiting a hotel, most guests pay attention to what they can see: decor, cleanliness, a pool. But without reliable piping systems, what's behind the walls can quickly come to the forefront. For hospitality projects, it’s essential to select piping materials that reduce noise, offer long-term reliability, and ensure the health of visitors. Corzan is backed by nearly 60 years of installation history and has a reputation for outperforming competitors in its water quality, cost savings, and much more.
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Sizing a water piping system for a commercial space requires consideration of a number of factors, including water pressure, friction losses, and number of fixtures. In addition, the pipe material itself plays a role.
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Though tucked behind the walls, piping system choices can play an important role in green buildings, from energy efficiency to water quality to resource conservation. For projects seeking LEED v4 BD+C certification, FlowGuard Gold and Corzan piping systems can contribute toward credits under several headings.
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How often do you consider what’s behind the walls? When it comes to piping systems, out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind. Choosing the right plumbing material for your commercial project can influence installation times, water quality, and long-term performance.
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Lubrizol has launched a new Design Calculator Tool and an Expansion Loop Calculator. The tools, available online via desktop or mobile, use straightforward, easy-to-use interfaces to aid in the design and sizing of Corzan® and FlowGuard Gold® piping systems for water supply applications. The Design Calculator Tool is based on the Uniform Plumbing Code; the calculators are ideal for West Coast projects.
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For the owner of the Hilton Garden Inn® franchise in Romulus, Mich., every detail involved in the construction of the hotel had to provide premium quality for its guests. According to Webb Meyers, director of construction and renovation for Cooper Companies, Memphis, Tenn., their goal was to build a premium business travel destination leveraging and maintaining the long-lasting reputation of the brand.
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In the summer of 2016, the Jackson family reached its wit’s end: Their home in Battle Ground, Wash., a little over 10 years old, experienced a third pipe leak in just a couple of years.
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Water-saving strategies such as lower-flow fixtures have become a vital tool in the conservation movement and in green buildings. But like many advances, even positive changes such as water-use reduction can have unintended consequences. There is rising evidence that lower flows may contribute to the formation of biofilm that provides opportunity for bacteria growth.
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When the new cardiovascular neurological services hospital opens in northern Florida in late 2017, it will include some of the most advanced healthcare and technologies, along with some of the industry’s most well-known practitioners. What won’t be visible are the high-tech materials behind the walls that ensure the facility provides safe, reliable water supply that is so essential to day-to-day operations and care.
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