aquatherm red

aquatherm red: sprinkler and fire protection piping system

The first plastic sprinkler piping system certified by VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH. Pipe and fittings are fused (socket fusion) into a homogeneous, leak-tight single piece with no gaskets or sealing elements. It can be cast directly into concrete for an invisible sprinkler installation.

First VdS-certified plastic sprinkler pipe
Fusion welded — no gaskets
SDR 7.4, 25–125 mm
Cast-in-concrete installation

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aquatherm red

System description

In a wet system, corrosion is the weakest point of steel

aquatherm red MF HI: fusiolen PP-R FS. Flame-retardant, corrosion-resistant polypropylene developed for the specific requirements of sprinkler systems. For sprinkler / fire protection lines only; not suitable or approved for drinking water.

High corrosion resistance (none of the corrosion metal pipe suffers in contact with wet concrete)

Short installation time (fusion joint; e.g. 12 s welding time for 40 mm outside diameter)

Low weight compared with metal

Invisible fire protection (cast into concrete)

No sealing elements required

High impact resistance

Can be processed at temperatures below 0 °C

No waiting time after welding; the joint can be pressurised immediately

SDR 7.4

single pressure class

25–125 mm

DN15 - DN90

5.8 m

pack length

B1 / B-s1,d0

building material class

Colour: red body, 4 green stripes. Type code: MF = multilayer fibre-reinforced composite pipe; HI = hardly inflammable (building material class B1, flame retardant). Images and technical data: aquatherm GmbH (aquatherm.de, aquatherm red catalogue 7/2026). Values are as published by the manufacturer; the current catalogue governs project calculations.

Technical data

SDR 7.4 pipe table

Catalogue pipe table; the support spacing and fire load columns for the same diameters are added from the catalogue.

Outside dia.	Wall (mm)	Inside dia. (mm)	Water (l/m)	Weight (kg/m)	DN	Pack (m)	Support spacing (cm)	Fire load (kWh/m)
25 mm	3.5	18.0	0.254	0.249	DN 15	116	140	2.69
32 mm	4.4	23.2	0.423	0.400	DN 20	58	160	4.32
40 mm	5.5	29.0	0.660	0.621	DN 25	58	180	6.73
50 mm	6.9	36.2	1.029	0.968	DN 32	29	205	10.48
63 mm	8.6	45.8	1.647	1.521	DN 40	17.4	230	16.46
75 mm	10.3	54.4	2.323	2.165	DN 50	17.4	245	23.42
90 mm	12.3	65.4	3.358	3.101	DN 65	11.6	260	33.55
110 mm	15.1	79.8	4.999	4.642	DN 80	5.8	290	50.19
125 mm	17.1	90.8	6.472	5.974	DN 90	5.8	320	64.63

Fire load: net calorific value of polypropylene Hu = 12.2 kWh/kg (DIN V 18230 T1) × pipe mass; combustion factor m = 0.8; fibre layers included. The product page and the catalogue pipe table give SDR 7.4; catalogue p. 12 also mentions SDR 11 and the Spanish DIT documents refer to an SDR 11 (S5) variant, for which the catalogue has no product table.

aquatherm red diameter range: 25–125 mm (DN15–DN90)

aquatherm red SDR 7.4 pressure class diagram

Source: aquatherm GmbH.

Approvals

Certificates and standards

Only documents held in the aquatherm.de certificate archive are listed. Certificates apply under the legislation of the country concerned; acceptance by the project's fire consultant governs.

VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH · Germany

VdS approval

Plastic piping system for sprinkler systems; aquatherm red is the first plastic sprinkler piping system certified by VdS. The certificate PDF is a scanned image; details must be read from the document.

VdS approval number G4050042 (the number cited in the catalogue for the compensating joint)

Certificate PDF (14.10.2024)

LPCB (BRE Global Ltd.) · United Kingdom

LPCB approval

Certificate No. 684a, Issue 04 — LPS 1260 Issue 3.1 (plastic pipes and fittings for use in automatic sprinkler systems). First issued 01.02.2006; Issue 04 dated 03.01.2019. The certificate annex lists a maximum working pressure of 12 bar for Red Pipe and fittings.

Certificate PDF (aquatherm.de)

Body	Country	Document	Date
IBS (Institut für Brandschutztechnik und Sicherheitsforschung)	Austria	—	08-2013 (file name)
CNBOP-PIB	Poland	—	08-2021 (file name)
VKF / AEAI	Switzerland	—	12-2029, valid until (file name)
DIT (Instituto Eduardo Torroja)	Spain	DIT 526R-19 / 592R-19 (S3.2, SDR 7,4; sprinkler ve BIES), DIT 617R-19 / 618R-19 (S5, SDR 11; BIES ve sprinkler)	25.11.2024 (file name)
SBSC	Sweden	Sertifika no. 14-430	07-2029, valid until (file name)
VNIIPO (All-Russian Research Institute for Fire Protection)	Russia	—	03-2022 (file name)
SAI Global	Australia	SMKP20464.4	07-2030, valid until (file name)
AON	New Zealand	4681/001	07-2013 (file name)
ZIK	Bosnia and Herzegovina	—	07-2027, valid until (file name)
ZUS	Czech Republic	—	2019 (file name)
SCC	Ukraine	—	07.09.2026 (file name)
Belarus certificate	Belarus	—	12-2022 (file name)

FM Approvals or UL listing do not appear on the source pages or in the catalogue and are not claimed. DNV-GL, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, RINA, KRS, CRS and SRU type approvals are listed as documents common to green/blue/red (shipbuilding), not sprinkler approvals. Product page: further national or local certifications are in progress.

DIN 4102-1 B1DIN EN 13501 B-s1,d0DVS 2207-11 / 2208-1VdS CEA 4001ISO 9001 / 14001 / 50001

Catalogue pp. 16–17 "International Approvals" list Iceland, Spain, Germany (G4050042), Russia (VNIIPO), Poland, New Zealand, Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Ukraine and the United Kingdom (LPS 1260 / LPCB 684a); the certificate-product assignment must be checked against the current document on aquatherm.de. No Turkish-specific certificate (TSE etc.) appears on aquatherm.de.

Sprinkler application

Application limits and design rules

Topic	Rule
Inside suspended ceilings	25–75 mm (DN15–DN50) as range and distribution pipe
Cast in concrete	25–125 mm (DN15–DN90) as range and distribution pipe; fittings in the corresponding diameters
System type	Wet-system sprinkler installation; cast in concrete or in F30 ceiling zones. Also suitable for low-pressure fine spray technology (product page).
Design rule	For cast-in installation the aquatherm red technical catalogue and VdS CEA 4001 (sprinkler systems — planning and installation) apply. See CEA 4001 for deflector-to-ceiling distance.
Hydraulic calculation	Friction loss by the Hazen-Williams formula; C = 150 for sprinkler pipework and water supply calculations.
Test pressure	10 bar (preliminary test 18 bar)
LPCB max. working pressure	12 bar

From the 'Approvals as line and distribution pipes' note in the catalogue pipe table. The approval document it belongs to is not stated; check the valid document for each country against the current certificate on aquatherm.de.

Fire protection requirements and standards for sprinkler systems vary locally. The use of aquatherm red must always be coordinated with the local or national fire protection authority, the contractor and the building insurer.

Suitability for dry-pipe systems and an operating temperature table for sprinkler lines are not given in the manufacturer's sources; written confirmation is obtained from the manufacturer per project. A general nominal working pressure or pressure-temperature table for the system is not published separately in the catalogue.

Cast-in-concrete installation

Pipe and PP fittings are cast into the concrete for a space-saving, invisible and corrosion-resistant sprinkler installation. The sprinkler outlet box (lower part, upper part, plug) is screwed to the formwork; after concreting the lower part is pulled and the sprinkler is connected directly to the thread.

The pipe must be covered by at least 60 mm of concrete above and below.
All sprinkler connections are fixed with cable ties and supported from below during the pour; the outlet box must be in the correct position and re-aligned and re-fixed if necessary.
Pipe sections are fixed every 1.5–2 m (hangers or tie cord) to prevent sagging; the pipe must be fully embedded without voids.
Concrete vibrators are used with care near the pipe; impact is avoided, especially below +5 °C.
Open pipe ends and connections are closed before the pour.
During the pour the pipe is kept pressurised at the permissible working pressure so that damage shows immediately. The gauge must read 0.1 bar and is fitted at the lowest point of the system.

Compensating joint: for correcting misaligned sprinkler connections in concrete ceilings (max. correction angle 12°) and compensating the distance between connection thread and sprinkler thread (max. 3 cm), with an adjustment tool. Max. working pressure 18 bar, tightening torque 29 Nm.

Fire compartmentation: any firestop system with a suitable approval can be used with aquatherm red. Solutions named in the catalogue: Rockwool Conlit 150 U pipe section (R30–R90 penetrations; with ROCKWOOL 800 / Teclit PS Cold), Flamro AWM II fire collar, Hilti. All boundary conditions of the abP/aBG documents apply.

Branches

Weld-in saddle

The main pipe wall is drilled with the aquatherm drill; the concave face of the welding tool goes into the hole and the saddle onto the heating sleeve. Because the saddle fuses with both the outer surface of the pipe and the inner wall of the hole, the joint is highly stable.

30 s

heating

15 s

pressing

10 min

cooling

Branch diameter	Drill / hole saw
25 mm	Art. no. 9800050940
32 mm	Art. no. 9800050942
40 mm	Art. no. 9800050944
50 mm	Art. no. 9800050946
63 mm	Art. no. 9800050948
75 mm	Art. no. 9800050987
90 mm	Art. no. 9800050988

The welding tool must have reached 260 °C; surfaces must be clean and dry.
After 10 min of cooling the joint can take full load; the branch pipe is joined to the saddle socket by conventional socket fusion.
The LPCB annex lists weld-in saddles in the range 40/20 … 125/63.

Manifold fabrication with weld-in saddles

Installation

Socket fusion: steps and parameters

Heated-tool socket fusion (general rules of DVS 2207 Part 11 apply); DVS 2208 Part 1 for equipment and tools. Welding temperature 260 °C.

1
Cut the pipe square to the pipe axis; remove burrs and chips (aquatherm pipe shears or a suitable cutter).
2
Mark the welding depth on the pipe end with the template; mark the fitting position on pipe and/or fitting.
3
Push the pipe into the tool up to the welding depth mark without turning, and the fitting up to the stop. The heating time starts only when both parts are fully seated.
4
When the heating time has elapsed, remove the parts quickly from the tool and join them immediately without turning, until the mark is covered by the PP lip of the fitting.
5
No axial movement during the cooling time; incorrect pushing or positioning of the pipe causes joint defects.
6
75–125 mm pipes and fittings are welded only with welding device art. no. 9800050341 or machine art. no. 9800050148.

Outside dia.	Welding depth (mm)	Heating (s)	Joining (s)	Cooling (min)
25 mm	16.0	7	4	2
32 mm	18.0	8	6	4
40 mm	20.5	12	6	4
50 mm	23.5	18	6	4
63 mm	27.5	24	8	6
75 mm	30.0	30	8	8
90 mm	33.0	40	8	8
110 mm	37.0	50	10	8
125 mm	40.0	60	10	8

Before welding, check the tool temperature with a fast-reading thermometer (aquatherm measuring device art. no. 9800050188) or the aquatherm thermo-colour pen (tolerance ±5 K; colour must change within 1–2 s). The first weld is made no earlier than 10 min after the welding temperature is reached (DVS 2207-11).

Leakage test (test pressure 10 bar)
Stage	Pressure	Duration	Rule
Preliminary test	18 bar	3 × 5 min	To let the pipe expand and relax; the system is depressurised between cycles.
Main test	10 bar	15 min	Immediately after the preliminary test; the test pressure may drop by at most 0.5 bar.
Final test	10 bar	60 min	Immediately after the main test without changing the pressure; the pressure read at the end of the main test may drop by at most 0.5 bar.

The gauge must read a 0.1 bar change and is fitted at the lowest point of the installation. A hydraulic pressure test report is drawn up and signed by client and contractor with place and date; the aquatherm form is completed and sent to info@aquatherm.de. The 10-year warranty takes effect with this documented test.

Welding jig and machine

Electric welding jig for 63–125 mm; used in hard-to-reach places such as below ceilings or in narrow shafts. The clamping depth is marked at welding depth + 2 cm; the jaws are not released before the cooling time has elapsed; after heating the machine is backed off 3–7 mm to relieve jaw tension.

Prisma-light welding machine for 63–125 mm; the temperature lamp flashes at 260 °C; the heating time starts when pipe and fitting are fully seated in the tool.

Repair

The damaged section is cut out and welded like a new installation, or repaired with the pipe repair stick (art. no. 3090000012; tool art. no. 9800050307 / 9800050311).

Prefabrication

aquatherm red range and supply pipes required for a project can be prefabricated by aquatherm, reducing the number of welds on site. The leakage test is carried out in the factory and the pipes are delivered to site ready for installation.

Images and technical data: aquatherm GmbH (aquatherm.de, aquatherm red catalogue 7/2026). Values are as published by the manufacturer; the current catalogue governs project calculations.

Applications