The first of its kind in North America, the innovative new Uponor AquaPort™ is a self-contained unit that converts a building’s hydronic heating supply to on-demand domestic hot water.
Ideal for multifamily or hospitality low-rise, mid-rise, or high-rise applications, the AquaPort solution eliminates centralized domestic hot water (DHW) and recirculation piping in a structure to provide numerous benefits, including energy and water savings, improved water quality, installation efficiencies, and reduced maintenance.
Compared to traditional pipe-routing methods, incorporating AquaPorts can reduce hot-water energy use by up to 35%, eliminate up to 40% of unnecessary piping, and remove more than 50% of the total DHW volume in a building for improved system performance, efficiencies, and hygiene.
The innovative and simplified design removes gas and electrical supply lines and venting in each dwelling unit to save on both short-term and long-term expenses. Plus, it eliminates DHW supply and return piping for fewer piping supports, fire penetrations, insulation, and accessories required in a building. Removing all these building materials means less product being transported to a job site as well as potentially reducing the number of necessary installers on a job site, helping reduce vehicle emissions on our roads.
The compact, in-wall design is only 25.6" (650 mm) tall by 14.5" (368 mm) wide and 5.4" (137 mm) deep to maximize overall square footage. Additionally, the AquaPort is extremely lightweight at 47 lbs. (21.3 kg) for the 100K BTU/hr. version and 57 lbs. (25.9 kg) for the 180K BTU/hr. version, which makes it easy for one person to maneuver and install (which adds to the potential for fewer installers on a job site).
Uponor is striving to innovate tomorrow’s buildings with high-performing solutions like the AquaPort to save water, minimize energy use, reduce risk, and eliminate waste. We anticipate the AquaPort will revolutionize hydronic heating and domestic water design to elevate building construction to a new, more sustainable standard.
Sustainability
The Uponor AquaPort has the potential to be a complete game changer to the built environment. It changes the way people think about domestic hot water system design by eliminating unnecessary piping and also eliminating the energy and water waste that goes along with traditional piping systems. The plumbing technology uses a proportional control valve (PCV) in conjunction with a double-wall heat exchanger to generate domestic hot water. The PCV is listed to ASSE LEC 2010 and NSF 61, and no other product on the market uses a PCV. What makes the AquaPort revolutionary is the design and technology incorporated into the innovation that helps to save energy, save water, reduce risk, improve water quality, and enable engineers to meet decarbonization goals. The AquaPort works directly off a proportional control valve (PCV) allowing flow through the heat exchanger to generate DHW. The PCV does not require any utility connections and eliminates the DHW heat source, supply piping, recirculation network, pumps, and storage tanks. For energy efficiency, it returns the lowest water temperature possible, enabling boiler systems to reach their maximum-rated efficiency. It provides a more centralized location in an individual unit of a building, which leads to faster hot-water delivery times and reduced water waste, helping to reduce the whole-life carbon for the building. Additionally, eliminating the pumps, DHW storage tanks, and gas and electric connections in building units saves on project first costs and also supports sustainability goals. The compact, in-wall design is only 25.6" tall by 14.5" wide and 5.4" deep to maximize overall square footage and simplify installation. Additionally, it is extremely lightweight at 47 lbs. for the 100K BTU/hr. version and 57 lbs. for the 180K BTU/hr. version, which makes it easy for one person to maneuver and install.
The AquaPort optimizes hot-water delivery times and minimizes water waste to make every drop of water count. Heated domestic water is delivered to the fixtures within a few seconds (approximately 2.5+/- seconds). This is possible due to a constant microflow of heating fluid through the heat exchanger and low volume of domestic water within the heat exchanger. The 20-plate, 3 gpm unit has 0.16 gallons in the heat exchanger, and the 40-plate, 5.25 gpm unit has 0.32 gallons (using conservative numbers). There is a bypass valve on the heat exchanger that is always circulating a small amount of hot water to keep the unit charged. The unit works off a pressure differential, so once there is a call for water from a fixture and the heat exchanger and water within the pipe flushes, you have instant heating hot water. Uponor designs all systems to have <0.8 gallons downstream of the device to ensure proper performance for hot-water delivery and water efficiency. It reduces the amount of DHW and DHW recirculation lines, eliminating standby losses and maximizing boiler efficiency to reduce system energy costs by up to 35%. It eliminates more than 50% of the total DHW volume while enabling higher water turnover and decreased overall surface area of the domestic water piping system. The heat exchanger has a 10-degree Fahrenheit (5-degree Celsius) approach. So, if you need 120°F (49°C) DHW, you need 130°F (54°C) supply. This efficiency allows the system to work off low supply temperatures, which eliminates waste. It supports boiler energy efficiency by allowing low return temperatures to enable higher energy efficiencies in all system types. It supports system energy efficiency by simplifying the DHW piping network, eliminating standby losses and reducing energy costs. It supports net-zero energy use objectives and provides a building-ready solution. Generation is achieved in close proximity to fixtures, preserving water quantities. Eliminating the recirculation line reduces stored energy in the building. Simplified networks with reduced water volumes support the long-term evolution of plumbing codes for sustainability. It is fuel agnostic, so it offers adaptability to any heat source capable of supplying the necessary temperature and power. It promotes higher exergy efficiency: it is highly compatible with low-entropy renewable systems for enabling higher exergy efficiency. There is no venting required, no fuel lines, and no combustion devices. It provides greater reliability due to its simplicity and use of non-electric controls.
Awards
Building Design + Construction Judges' Pick for Top 75 Building Products of 2023
Bronze Winner in Consulting-Specifying Engineer's 2023 Product of the Year (Plumbing Category)
One of Green Builder Media's 2023 Sustainable Products of the Year in the Cooling and Heating Category
GF Building Flow Solutions Americas (formerly Uponor North America) is a division of Schaffhausen, Switzerland-based GF, a leading global provider of sustainable and innovative solutions that enable water to flow to and through buildings. The division was created after the 2023 acquisition of Uponor and provides safe solutions for hot- and cold-water supply and control, noise-reducing wastewater systems, and energy-efficient heating and cooling. The polymer piping systems, branded Uponor PEX, are the industry standard for quality, reliability, and durability that professionals have trusted for long-lasting service and performance.
