Air conditioning
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Pipe jointing revolutionised in AC P
The >B < MaxiPro from Conex Bänninger is increasingly specified in home and overseas markets. In this article Ged Grimes, the UK business unit director, looks at the application benefits that the product brings and highlights its use in two applications – one in a centuries old historic library in Italy, the other a supermarket in South Africa
roduct development is a key element of the Conex Bänninger success story, which has led to it becoming one of Europe’s largest
manufacturers of plumbing fittings and valves for the HVACR industry. The company, founded more than 110 years ago,
is built on experience and innovation and one of its products – the award winning >B< MaxiPro copper range of fittings - has revolutionised pipe jointing for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. Whether it’s in the UK, Europe, or USA, >B <
MaxiPro is widely used thanks to its innovative 3-point press system (up to 1 5/8”), which ensures a secure, permanent leak-free joint suitable for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. Ease of installation has led to many ACR engineers moving away from traditional braze and becoming converts of this much safer and more productive technology. Not only is installation time speeded up, but there are also other significant benefits including no risk of fire (it’s a purely mechanical joint) and, therefore, no hot work permit is required. Only tube preparation is needed prior to installation - resulting in a joint taking just five seconds to create. In addition, the higher certainty of a leak-free installation avoids the expense of searching for, and repairing leaks, which can be costly.
>B< MaxiPro is ideally suited to the higher
pressures that ACR applications tend to operate in – with a maximum operating pressure of 48 bar at
Left: Ged Grimes, Uk business unit director
121°C, and with a maximum operating temperature range of -40°C to 121°C. Its popularity amongst contractors is also down to the fact that they don’t have to lug around heavy gas bottles ‘on-site’ as well as eliminating potential environmental hazards such as brazing fumes, or jointing materials such as solder. Marciana National Library of Venice, Italy A jewel in the Italian crown – this library is a
place of historical significance dating back hundreds of years and houses an outstanding artistic and book heritage. This magnificent building is a fine architectural example of the Venetian Renaissance style and overlooks a lagoon and frames the beautiful Piazza San Marco, together with the Doge’s Palace and the famous Basilica. The installation of an air conditioning system in
the library needed to be carried out in a way that protected it from any potential damage and for the work to be completed in four days – without disturbing the service to users. For these reasons, Isi Impianti Srl specified >B< MaxiPro, as the work could be undertaken without the need for brazing, which was seen as a potential fire risk. Not only could the Conex Bänninger solution guaranteed speed of installation, but it meant that rare and valuable books did not have to be moved. A total of 70 >B< MaxiPro copper press fitting in sizes of 3/8,” 5/8,” ¼”, and ½” were used in the air conditioning installation which utilised 115 metres of piping and included two external Daikin Mini VRVs and seven internal ones – circulating the optimum amount of refrigerant needed at any time for separate climate control of air conditioning zones on different floors and rooms. Breaking into the South African marketplace >B < MaxiPro press fittings were used for the first time in South Africa in 2019 when a refrigeration retrofit was undertaken over a four-week period in a busy supermarket in Johannesburg. The work was carried out by HVACR specialist Cold Control Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, who became aware of the product through online tool retailer Top Dog Tool Shop. Around 150 >B< MaxiPro elbows and couplings in 5/8”and 7/8” sizes were used on pipework to
10 December 2023
convert four Multiplex Freon refrigeration systems in the Pick n Pay store in order to utilise solar thermal cooling technology from Solar Cool SA. The Solar Cool system uses solar energy to add heat to the refrigerant in the pipework, greatly reducing the workload of the unit’s compressor, dramatically lowering the amount of electricity required to power it. According to Mark Hudson, technical director with Cold Control, using >B<MaxiPro was much easier to fit in confined spaces compared to brazing, reducing the chances of the installers burning themselves or a fire starting in the surrounding area. He commented: “You are not having to move heavy oxygen and acetylene bottles around a rooftop, potentially causing damage. There is no cool down time necessary before handling the joints again after pressing, plus it is an all-round greener, more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional welding.
“Utilising the >B< MaxiPro fittings saved us
significant time, approximately two thirds of what would have been spent on standard brazing. It was extremely efficient reducing our overall time spent on-site.” As a retrofit, the downtime to the customer
was minimal. The 495 metres of pipework was completed and comprehensively pressure tested, with no leakages, before it was cut in to connect it to the Solar Cool set up.
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