Where and how can polyethylene pipes be used for water

Until recently, only ferrous metal pipes were used to install and connect water pipelines. Currently, there are a large number of various options for the construction of plumbing from various polymeric materials, among which not the last place is occupied by water pipes made of polyethylene.

Due to its high performance, they are widely used for the installation of engineering communications during the repair of an apartment or the construction of their own house.

The use of polyethylene pipes in construction and in everyday life

In order to study in detail the use of this type of product, this article will discuss the main performance characteristics, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of polyethylene water pipes.

Also here will be presented a brief instruction, which describes the basic methods of installation, connection and connection of water pipes in the arrangement of utilities in a residential house.

Specifications

The specifications of polyethylene pipes for water supply, declared by the manufacturer, fully comply with all construction, sanitary and hygienic standards, so they can be used in the construction of trunk and consumer pipelines intended for the transportation of both industrial and drinking water.

1. The internal diameter of a polyethylene pipe can be from 10 to 1,200 mm, however, pipes with a diameter of 16 to 50 mm are most often used in home water supply networks.
2. Such products come into retail in coils of 50 and 100 m in length, from which you can cut off the required length when buying at a store.
3. The specific gravity of the material ranges from 0.92 to 0.96 g / cm ?, which is significantly less than the specific gravity of the metal.
4. The working pressure of pressure lines made of polyethylene, depending on the thickness of the outer walls, can be from 6 to 16 kg / cm ?.
5. The operating temperature range of operation is in the range of 0 ° C to 60 ° C, so products made of low-pressure polyethylene should not be used in hot water systems.

For the installation of hot water systems, you need to use pipes made of special polyethylene brand PE-RT. Their price is significantly higher, however, due to the special structure of the material, they can be operated in the range of operating temperatures from 0 ° C to 110 ° C.

Tip! When buying materials, it should be borne in mind that the normal working pressure in an urban centralized water supply system, as a rule, is in the range of 3-6 kg / cm ?, while when water is supplied through pipes from its own well, its value can reach 10 kg / cm ?.

Advantages of low-pressure polyethylene plumbing

In order to evaluate the advantages of plumbing from polymeric materials, its main differences will be further considered in comparison with the usual metallic plumbing.

1. Polyethylene is absolutely not susceptible to corrosion, is not afraid of the effects of stray currents, and when interacting with other materials does not form a galvanic couple, therefore does not require any additional protection. At the same time, its estimated period of operation, even for underground laying, is at least 50 years.
2. Chemically neutral polyethylene does not react with other chemical compounds and does not contribute to the development of pathogens, therefore, it is an environmentally safe material and can be used for drinking water supply.
3. The smooth internal surface provides minimal resistance to the laminar flow of fluid, and a high degree of sound absorption of the material ensures a low noise level of the home plumbing network..
4. Sufficiently elastic material is well subjected to plastic deformation., therefore, in case of freezing of water, the walls of the pipe do not burst, but only slightly expand, and after thawing they occupy the initial position.
5. Ease of use, low cost, low specific weight, as well as ease of installation with your hands and the efficiency of unscheduled repairs allow this material to occupy a leading position among other ways of arranging home plumbing.

Installation and connection of polyethylene pipes

In most cases, the connection and installation of polyethylene pipes for water supply is carried out using special welding equipment.

Depending on the conditions of use, there are three ways to weld the pressure lines of polyethylene.

1. Butt-weld pipe joints are commonly used on trunk lines for splicing large-diameter pipes. At the same time, their ends are joined to each other, and then heated and pressed to each other with the help of a special welding machine, forming after cooling a monolithic seam, which provides a reliable connection.

The use of a welded fitting is most often used in individual construction when installing a home or street water supply network. The ends of the pipes are heated using a special soldering tool, after which they are inserted into the sleeve of the connecting fitting, and after cooling they form a strong tight joint.

1. Fast installation using an electrofusion, which is a connecting fitting for plastic pipes with built-in heating coil. At the same time, the polyethylene water pipe is inserted into the electric coupling, which is connected to the low-voltage electrical network. With the passage of current spiral heats up, and reliably welds all the elements, forming a fully welded monolithic node.

Tip! For quick dismounting of small-diameter pipes, threaded compression fittings can be used, which are designed according to the collet clamping principle.

Conclusion

After reading this article, we can conclude that the use of modern polymeric materials has a number of indisputable advantages compared with outdated water supply systems made of steel water pipes. For more information, you can watch the video in this article or read similar materials on the rental site.