Polypropylene pipes for plumbing in the house

The polypropylene plumbing pipe, currently displaces from the market not only traditional steel structures, but also other types of polymer products. In terms of arranging cold and hot water supply, this material has no equal in most technical characteristics.

In water supply the main competitors of polypropylene are polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene of low or high pressure. But if this alternative can somehow pass for cold water, then these materials cannot withstand the heat of the hot water mains.

What are the advantages of polypropylene plumbing?

Technical characteristics of polypropylene pipes for water supply are the best fit.

In our world, there is no ideal material, but this type of polymer was originally developed specifically for plumbing systems.

• In particular, manufacturers claim that if the instructions for installation and operation of pipelines of this type are observed, they will reliably serve for at least half a century.. This is good, but technical progress in our time is developing at such a rate that in 50 years these systems are more likely to become morally obsolete and require modernization rather than fail.
• This type of plastic easily withstands exposure to chemically active reagents.. Slags are not able to settle on the smooth inner surface of the pipes; as a result, even when used in systems with hard, calcium-rich water, they do not overgrow.
• When the question arises, what is better is metal-plastic pipes for plumbing or polypropylene pipes, it should be taken into account that it is recommended to install metal-plastic in boxes or to let them on the floor, otherwise it sags with time. Plus reinforced polypropylene is able to withstand pressure up to 25 atm, against 10 atm in metal-plastic.
• Polypropylene pipes, unlike metal-plastic, are not afraid of exposure to ultraviolet rays, therefore, can be mounted on the sun.

Important: metal-plastic products are not able to withstand frost, the aluminum core is broken, the walls are stratified and the line becomes unusable. With polypropylene, such problems do not arise, this type of polymer is able to stretch and take on initial forms when thawing.

• In a high-rise apartment building or in an average private house, any owner who knows the piping layout can do the installation of a water pipe made of polypropylene pipes with his own hands.. As for the soldering of the pipes themselves, then with the availability of a tool, this can be learned in 5-7 minutes.
• The cost of a polypropylene pipe for water supply is certainly higher than that of PVC pipes or polyethylene, but several types of this material are produced and it is not necessary to take the most expensive. Knowing the characteristics of your plumbing system, you can choose a gentle option, the price of which you are quite satisfied.

Material selection and system installation

As mentioned earlier, choosing which polypropylene pipes are best for running water specifically in your home, you should, first of all, find out the maximum pressure and the upper limit of temperatures in your plumbing system. Then you can choose from four existing types of material (learn here how to cut the pipe smoothly).

Material classification

1. PN10 - designed for cold water, have the most affordable price. This brand is able to withstand up to 10 atm of pressure, at a temperature in the range of 40 - 45?
2. PN16 - are considered a transitional model, they are more functional. Here the temperature can already reach 60? С and the working pressure reaches 16 atm.
3. PN20 - in private construction and for city apartments this is the most common model for hot water supply. These pipes hold up to 20 atm and feel good at a temperature of 95? C.
4. PN25 - refer to the reinforced, high-strength products. The working temperature here is the same as the previous model 95? C, but they are able to withstand a pressure of 25 atm. Plus internal reinforcement gives high mechanical strength.

Choice of pipe diameter

Naturally, to calculate the working diameter of the line of a particular house, special formulas have been developed, with the help of which you can find out exactly what section of the pipe you need for your home. But for small objects such complexity is unnecessary, the number of nodes of water consumption is not large and with such small volumes of purchase the price difference will be extremely small.

In plumbing there is a well-known law, which states that the permeability of the plumbing system can not exceed the permeability of the narrowest part of the pipeline. Looking at the inside diameter of the mixers and transitional fittings, you will understand that the purchase of products with a large diameter is meaningless.

Experts recommend not to go into unnecessary difficulties. For the vast majority of cottages or apartments with a reasonable amount of plumbing, a pipe of 20 mm is enough. In some cases, a diameter of 25 mm can be used for mounting risers, this is more than enough.

Important points of pipeline installation

Installation of polypropylene pipes for water supply can be conducted both in an open and hidden way. In the first case, the work is much easier and faster to perform, but the hidden wiring looks much better and does not spoil the interior of the dwelling. Naturally, work should be started when you have a detailed scheme of the pipeline, marked the route, purchased the material and there is a tool.

Old wiring must be dismantled. If the object is new, then the route should be marked as detailed as possible. The end points of water consumption, branch points, for which it is necessary to indicate the places of transition to a different diameter and it is desirable to mark the places of fasteners, should be indicated.

For hidden wiring, it is necessary to break through the grooves in advance.

Then you can start assembling the structure with your own hands. The pipes are cut with special scissors, the hacksaw can be used for metal, but the cut will be not quite even and you will need to remove the chamfer. The soldering iron can be rented, it is a specialized tool that has attachments for heating the connected elements.

The heating time of the joints for each type of pipe may differ, as a rule, a set of the right time is included with the soldering iron. It is enough to heat the joined edges and connect them all the way. After which they are held in a fixed position for 5 - 7 seconds.

Tip: the system is better to mount sectors. That is, in a convenient position, separate parts of the structure are soldered, after which the sectors are soldered at the nodal points.

The video in this article shows the subtleties of working with polypropylene pipes.

Conclusion

From the words of experienced plumbers, we can safely say that a polypropylene water pipe is a universal material. If you are limited in means and at the same time are familiar with the basics of plumbing, then it will not be difficult to assemble such a system with your own hands (see also the article The framework of pipes: various versions of structures and methods of their installation).