UPP® Fuel Pipework – Technical Information & Application Guide
Manufactured by Franklin Fueling Systems, UPP® is a semi-rigid polyethylene fuel pipework system using electrofusion welding to connect pipe, fittings, terminations and containment components into an integrated, watertight system. It has been used in fuel installations around the world for decades and is particularly well suited to applications where corrosion resistance, secondary containment and dependable underground joints are important.
Why Choose UPP® Electrofusion Pipework?
UPP combines the installation advantages of semi-rigid polyethylene pipework with a purpose-designed electrofusion joining system. Pipe, fittings and containment components are welded together rather than relying on conventional threaded joints or mechanical connections throughout the buried system.
- Purpose-designed for fuel installations – suitable for product, fill, vent and vapour pipework applications.
- Corrosion resistant – PE100 construction avoids the corrosion problems associated with buried metallic pipework.
- EVOH barrier technology – primary pipe incorporates a clear EVOH resin barrier for excellent hydrocarbon and vapour permeation resistance.
- Electrofusion welded joints – creates permanently fused pipework connections throughout the system.
- Single or double wall systems – allowing secondary containment and leak monitoring where required.
- Semi-rigid construction – combines flexibility for routing with sufficient rigidity for fuel system applications.
- Wide range of fittings – including couplers, elbows, tees, reducers, terminations, entry seals and secondary containment components.
- One pipework platform – suitable for petrol, diesel, HVO, biofuel applications and AdBlue® installations.
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UPP® Pipework Applications
Although UPP is perhaps best known as a petrol filling station pipework system, its combination of fuel compatibility, large pipe sizes, corrosion resistance and secondary containment makes it equally useful across commercial and critical fuel infrastructure.
Petrol Station & Forecourt Pipework
UPP is widely used for underground forecourt fuel systems including pressure product lines, suction lines, remote fills, offset fills, vent pipework and vapour recovery systems.
Fleet & Commercial Fuel Installations
UPP provides a practical underground fuel pipework solution for bus, HGV, logistics, plant and commercial fleet refuelling facilities, particularly where tanks and dispensers are separated by significant distances.
Data Centres & Critical Power
For data centres, hospitals, telecommunications facilities and other critical power installations, UPP can be used as part of diesel fuel transfer and distribution systems serving standby generators, bulk storage tanks and associated fuel equipment.
Large Heating Oil Systems
The range of available diameters makes UPP particularly useful where substantial underground heating oil distribution pipework is required between storage tanks, plant rooms and heating equipment.
AdBlue® Pipework
UPP can also be used to create dedicated AdBlue® pipework systems, making it possible for fuel system contractors to use the same core electrofusion installation technology across conventional fuels and AdBlue installations.
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Fuel, HVO, Biofuel & AdBlue® Compatibility
UPP pipework is designed specifically for demanding fuel system environments. The primary pipe uses PE100 polyethylene with an EVOH resin barrier, providing the mechanical strength and permeation resistance required for fuel applications.
The system can be used across a broad range of liquid fuel applications including:
- Petrol / gasoline
- Diesel
- HVO and renewable diesel applications
- Biodiesel and biodiesel blends
- Fuel ethanol blends
- Heating oil
- AdBlue® / DEF
This versatility is particularly useful for fuel system contractors working across forecourt, fleet, commercial and critical-power projects: one core pipework and electrofusion system can cover a very wide range of applications.
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UPP® Pipe Sizes – 32mm to 110mm
PFS Fueltec supplies UPP pipework covering the principal sizes required for UK commercial fuel installations, from 32mm (1") through to 110mm (4").
| UPP Pipe Size |
Approx. Nominal Connection Size |
Typical Fuel System Uses |
| 32mm |
1" |
Smaller fuel and AdBlue lines, generator and ancillary fuel pipework |
| 50mm |
1½" |
Product, suction, vent and commercial fuel lines |
| 63mm |
2" |
Forecourt product lines, diesel systems and general fuel transfer |
| 90mm |
3" |
Higher-flow fuel, fill and vent applications |
| 110mm |
4" |
Fill lines and large-volume fuel transfer applications |
Pipe is available in a combination of coils and straight lengths depending on diameter and application, allowing long pipe runs to be installed with fewer intermediate joints.
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Single Wall & Double Wall Fuel Pipework
UPP can be configured as either single wall primary pipework or as a double wall / secondary contained fuel pipework system.
Single Wall UPP
Single wall pipe provides the primary fuel-carrying line and is suitable where the installation design and applicable requirements do not call for secondary containment.
Double Wall UPP
Secondary contained UPP provides an additional outer pipe around the fuel-carrying primary line. The resulting interstitial space can be tested and, where required, connected to an appropriate leak detection system.
UPP's Gemini™ secondary containment fittings are designed around standard one-piece primary fittings, helping reduce the number of separate fittings and welds required. The primary connection can also be welded and tested before the secondary containment is completed.
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Automatic UPP® Electrofusion Welding
One of the strongest practical advantages of the UPP system is its fully automatic electrofusion welding process.
Unlike systems which require installers to scan fitting barcodes or manually enter weld parameters, the UPP welder requires virtually no weld-setting input from the installer.
After the pipe and fitting have been correctly prepared:
- Fit the pipe and electrofusion fitting together.
- Connect the UPP welder leads to the fitting.
- Press the weld button.
The welder identifies the characteristics of the connected fitting from its electrical resistance and calculates the energy required for the weld. It also takes ambient temperature into account and automatically compensates the welding cycle accordingly.
No barcode scanning. No manual weld-time entry. No selecting a pipe diameter or fitting type.
This considerably reduces the opportunity for incorrect welding parameters to be entered and gives installers the same simple welding procedure across UPP pipe diameters, electrofusion fittings and entry seals.
Free UPP Welder Loan for New PFS Fueltec Customers
If you are moving to UPP for the first time, the cost of purchasing specialist installation equipment should not have to be a barrier.
PFS Fueltec can provide qualifying new UPP customers with a UPP electrofusion welder on free loan for their first installations. Speak to our sales team when discussing your project and we can explain the loan arrangement and the installation equipment required.
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UPP® Technical Specification
UPP primary fuel pipe is manufactured from PE100 polyethylene and incorporates a clear EVOH resin barrier. Key system performance data includes:
| Primary Pipe Material |
PE100 with EVOH resin barrier |
| Primary Pipe Pressure Rating |
10 bar / 145 psi |
| Primary Pipe Vacuum Rating |
-0.9 bar / -26.6 inHg |
| Temperature Rating |
-40°C to +50°C |
| Secondary Pipe Pressure Rating |
5 bar / 72 psi |
| Primary Pipe Construction |
Black PE100 with green identification stripes and clear inner liner |
| Joining Method |
UPP electrofusion welding |
The range includes electrofusion couplers, 45° and 90° elbows, tees, reducers, end caps, BSP threaded terminations, flanged terminations, stainless steel transitions, entry seals and secondary containment fittings.
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Why Buy UPP® From PFS Fueltec?
UPP is a system rather than simply a length of pipe. Missing one termination, reducer, secondary sleeve or electrofusion component can stop an installation, which is why our service is built around helping contractors get the complete system to site.
Large UK Stockholding
We hold significant stocks of common UPP pipe sizes, electrofusion fittings, terminations and accessories, with next working day delivery available on many stocked products.
We Sense-Check Your Order
Our team understands how the different components of the UPP system fit together. When we process larger UPP orders, we will sense-check the material list before dispatch and flag obvious omissions or unusual combinations.
This does not replace the installer's system design responsibility, but it can catch something as simple as a missing coupler, termination or secondary fitting before the delivery arrives on site.
Free Loan Welding Equipment for New Customers
For qualifying customers adopting UPP, we can provide the specialist UPP electrofusion welder on free loan, helping contractors trial and adopt the system without immediately purchasing a welding unit.
Fuel-System Technical Support
PFS Fueltec supplies the wider equipment around the pipework too, including tank fittings, pumps, dispensers, leak detection, tank gauging, fill points, valves and associated fuel system equipment. That means we can look at your UPP requirement as part of the complete fuel installation rather than treating the pipework in isolation.
Need help specifying a UPP system? Contact our technical sales team on 01376 535 260 or info@pfsfueltec.co.uk.
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UPP® Datasheets, Installation Guides & Technical Downloads
Use the technical documents below when designing, specifying or installing UPP pipework. These are English-language Franklin Fueling Systems documents.
Always refer to the latest Franklin Fueling Systems installation instructions and relevant project specifications before installation.
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