Many plumbers, at the behest of their local plumbing/heating wholesalers, have given in to the notion of dabbling in hydronics because, "after all, it is just piping isn't it?"

Plumbing vs. Hydronics. What do these two trades have in common? They both use piping and tubing to transport fluids from one point to another. And in most cases, they both require a certain skill and knowledge of how to solder. Beyond these few similarities, however, there are many major differences that do not seem readily apparent on the surface. Let's examine some of them: