Jan. 8, 2024
Why We Chose Uponor PEX-a Plumbing for the TPC Toronto – Osprey Valley Clubhouse Project
by Jon Carter, Field Operations Manager, Opus Mechanical
WOODBRIDGE, ONTARIO (CANADA) — Founded in 2017, OPUS Mechanical Services Ltd. has already established itself as a leading mechanical contractor in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), specializing in industrial, commercial, and institutional projects. The company’s preferred material for water-supply piping has historically been a metallic material — typically copper — while for hydronic piping, their choice has usually been threaded or grooved steel.
However, if a project were piped with some other material, such as a plastic, OPUS would opt for a like-for-like retrofit.
Until recently, such projects represented OPUS Mechanical's only exposure to crosslinked polyethylene piping, or PEX, for water-supply and hydronic lines, and these projects were few and far between. But in 2022, the company chose to use PEX-a piping for a gut-and-repipe renovation of a long-term-stay facility at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto.
Involving both plumbing and hydronic distribution lines, the experience proved a highly successful one for OPUS, both in terms of the pricing of PEX versus copper as well as the speed of installation. The latter primarily derived from using an expansion-type connection system featuring Uponor F1960 ProPEX® fittings.
The labour savings were especially critical on this project that, like so many these days, had a very demanding construction schedule. The superior flexibility of the PEX-a material also enabled OPUS to repipe in areas where the open space to run pipelines was extremely tight.
OPUS Mechanical’s latest project featuring PEX-a pipe and ProPEX connections is the new clubhouse at TPC Toronto – Osprey Valley, one of Canada's premier golf destinations, featuring three of the nation’s top 100 courses. Measuring 25,000 square feet on three levels, the project devotes its entire domestic water system to Uponor PEX-a pipe and ProPEX fittings — and not just the smaller diameters, but also up to three inches for the system mains and risers.
Jonathan (Jon) Carter, who has worked at OPUS since its inception — “I was the first hire on the plumbing side” — serves as field operations manager and oversees the company’s work on the Osprey Valley Golf Clubhouse project. He cites four key reasons why Uponor PEX-a became a favoured water piping material for OPUS so quickly:
Installation speed: PEX-a “definitely cuts down on the install time,” notes Carter. “This clubhouse job had a very aggressive schedule. We chose PEX-a pipe, including the larger diameters, to keep pace with the schedule and perhaps even accelerate it. Our guys doing three-inch water mains on the horizontal were just ‘flying’ down the hallway with it. There’s no way we could have done that with soldering copper.”
No leaks: “With copper again, we might have 10 to 15 percent leakage on our soldered joints when we test them,” Carter remarks. “With PEX-a, as long as the guys put that fitting properly inside that joint, we found absolutely no leaks. We always pressure-test, of course, but we're not really worried about leaks when using PEX-a.”
No hot work permits needed: As the installing contractor, OPUS must pull “hot work permits” when doing soldering, welding, or any other heat-related activity. “Using PEX-a eliminates that requirement,” says Carter. “That’s one less permit to worry about. Plus, it’s a relief to run piping through tight spaces and difficult areas with no chemicals and no hot work to worry about. With the ProPEX expansion fittings, it’s all dry.”
Certified training and prompt support: “The product support Uponor has provided is first-rate,” says Carter, noting that “our local rep [Uponor Technical Sales Representative Justin Van Noort] has been on site, training our crews on how to install PEX-a properly. Any time there’s an issue, he rectifies it very quickly.”
The new clubhouse is only one of several major property renovations and developments that will likely occur at Osprey Valley over the next several years. As a result, the opportunities for OPUS Mechanical and PEX-a piping systems should be considerable, according to Carter, not only for this site but also for many others:
“All in all, PEX-a is a very positive product, and we are happy to use it.”