Types and classification
Plastic pipes have long been an excellent alternative to metal products. Such popularity is due to the strength and durability of polymeric materials. In addition, polypropylene pipes have a composite structure, which allows the material to withstand high temperatures and pressure (without deformation), not to corrode, not to react to aggressive components.
In addition, the installation of such pipelines is much easier: plastic is easily processed, soldered by heat welding. In this article, we will analyze the key parameters that will be useful to both the home master and the professional plumber.
Scope of pipes made of polymer material
Considering that polypropylene pipes are able to function in almost any conditions, the products have a wide range of applications. In particular:
Hot and cold water supply in multi-storey and private buildings.
Sewerage.
Arrangement in the house of the "warm floor" system.
Removal of ground and sewage waters.
Creation of drainage, irrigation and reclamation systems.
Ventilation.
Pneumatic systems.
Pipelines for transportation of chemically active substances.
It should be noted that depending on the application, different types of pipes are used. Subject to the conditions of use, these products can serve about 50 years old without loss of functionality.
Physico-mechanical characteristics
Melting point: +149С (GOST21553).
Density: 0.9g/cu.m. see (GOST 15139).
Yield strength (stretching): from 24 to 25 N/kV. mm (GOST 11262).
Tensile strength: from 34 to 35 N/kV. mm (GOST 11262).
Elongation at yield strength: 50%.
Expansion coefficient: 0.15 mm/mmS (GOST 15173).
Thermal conductivity (at +20C): 0.24 W/mS (DIN 52612).
Specific heat capacity (+20С): 2 kJ/kgС (GOST 23630).
Advantages and disadvantages of plastic pipes
Polypropylene has a number of undeniable advantages over metal pipelines. The strengths of the material include the following points:
Long lifetime. Manufacturers claim that pipes used in cold water supply can last at least 100 years.
Low weight. Polypropylene is a lightweight material. If we compare products of the same length and diameter made of plastic and metal, the former will be lighter by about 9 times.
Easy installation. A person who does not have special skills and knowledge can handle the installation of such a water supply system.
elevated sound insulation level. Pipes in residential buildings do not let noise through.
Corrosion resistance. The inner surface of the pipe is processed according to a special technology, which eliminates the appearance of solid formations that reduce the throughput of the pipeline.
In addition, high resistance to low temperatures and dynamic loads can be noted. Such pipes do not require special maintenance, they are sold in an affordable price segment.
The material also has some disadvantages. In particular:
There is a high probability of linear expansion, which requires installation special compensators.
Accelerated aging of the material under the influence of direct sun rays.
Low thermal stability, which implies the mandatory use of insulation.
In addition, sagging of wall-mounted pipelines is not allowed, so the number of fasteners is significantly increased.
Symbols - marking
By marking polypropylene pipes, you can find out about the raw materials used for the manufacture and the technical features of the material. Above were the designations that indicate the ability of pipes to withstand a certain pressure inside the line.
Now consider the marking, which indicates some of the properties of the material. In the construction market, you can find pipes of the following categories:
PPB- products with high resistance to mechanical damage and water hammer, used in "warm floor" systems and cold water supply.
PPH- pipes of large diameter, which are usually used in the installation of ventilation systems.
PPR- universal products, equally effective in hot and cold water supply.
Regardless of the marking, polypropylene pipes are made of plastic. However, manufacturers usually add active additives to the raw material that increase the elasticity and thermal stability of the material.
Types and classification
There are 4 classification groups, which are subdivided according to the working pressure parameters. It looks like this:
PN 10. Are applied to transportation of liquid of low temperatures - to +45 degrees.
PN 16. Suitable for arranging a gas or liquid transport system, provided that the temperature of the coolant does not exceed +60 degrees.
PN 20. Widely used pipes capable of withstanding temperatures up to +95 degrees.
PN 25. Products for supplying hot water and steam, with a heat carrier temperature up to +100 degrees.
The numerical designation of each group indicates the value of pressure in atmospheres inside the line. Design pressure depending on service life and temperature:
| Temperature (°C) | Service life (years) | Pipe type | |||
| PN 10 | PN 16 | PN 20 | PN 25 | ||
| Permissible overpressure, kgf/cm2 | |||||
| 20 | 10 | 13,5 | 21,7 | 21,7 | 33,9 |
| 25 | 13,2 | 21,1 | 26,4 | 33,0 | |
| 50 | 12,9 | 20,7 | 25,9 | 32,3 | |
| 30 | 10 | 11,7 | 18,8 | 23,5 | 9,3 |
| 25 | 11,3 | 18,1 | 22,7 | 28,3 | |
| 50 | 11,1 | 17,7 | 22,1 | 27,7 | |
| 40 | 10 | 10,1 | 16,2 | 20,3 | 25,3 |
| 25 | 9,7 | 15,6 | 19,5 | 24,3 | |
| 50 | 9,2 | 14,7 | 18,4 | 23,0 | |
| 50 | 8,7 | 13,9 | 17,3 | 23,5 | 21,7 |
| 25 | 8,0 | 12,8 | 16,0 | 20,0 | |
| 50 | 7,3 | 11,7 | 14,7 | 18,3 | |
| 60 | 10 | 7,2 | 11,5 | 14,4 | 18,0 |
| 25 | 6,1 | 9,8 | 12,3 | 15,3 | |
| 50 | 5,5 | 8,7 | 10,9 | 13,7 | |
| 70 | 10 | 5,3 | 8,5 | 10,7 | 13,3 |
| 25 | 4,5 | 7,3 | 9,1 | 11,9 | |
| 30 | 4,4 | 7,0 | 8,8 | 11,0 | |
| 50 | 4,3 | 6,8 | 8,5 | 10,7 | |
| 80 | 5 | 4,3 | 6,9 | 8,7 | 10,8 |
| 10 | 3,9 | 6,3 | 7,9 | 9,8 | |
| 25 | 3,7 | 5,9 | 7,5 | 9,2 | |
| 95 | 1 | 3,9 | 6,7 | 7,6 | 8,5 |
| 5 | 2,8 | 4,4 | 5,4 | 6,1 | |
By type, products are divided into reinforced and non-reinforced. For the second group, reinforcement with such materials is allowed:
Fiberglass.
Internal reinforcement with perforated foil.
External - a layer of aluminum.
Composite: internal layers of glass or fiber.
for the arrangement of hot water supply or heating systems, only reinforced pipes are used.
Standard Size Charts
Considering that pipes of this type are used almost everywhere, manufacturers produce products in a wide size range. Product sizes vary within the following limits:
Diameter - from 5 to 400 mm. Small pipes are usually used for laying pneumatic systems, medium pipes for private and multi-storey construction, large pipes for the construction of buildings where a high throughput of engineering communications is required.
Length - the standard value is 4 meters, however, this is not a reference characteristic, it remains at the discretion of the manufacturer.
Wall thickness - 1.9-15.1mm.
It should be clarified that polypropylene pipes can be made in the form of a monolayer and multilayer structure. The second option involves reinforcement: a five-layer structure, where an aluminum gasket is located between the plastic layers. The thickness of the reinforcing layer usually varies within 0.1-0.5mm.
| Outer diameter, mm | PN10 | PN20 | PN30 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner diameter | Wall thickness | Inner diameter | Wall thickness | Inner diameter | Wall thickness | |
| 16 | 10.6 | 2.7 | ||||
| 20 | 16.2 | 1.9 | 13.2 | 3.4 | 13.2 | 3.4 |
| 25 | 20.4 | 2.3 | 16.6 | 4.2 | 16.6 | 4.2 |
| 32 | 26.0 | 3.0 | 21.2 | 5.4 | 21.2 | 3.0 |
| 40 | 32.6 | 3.7 | 26.6 | 6.7 | 26.6 | 3.7 |
| 50 | 40.8 | 4.6 | 33.2 | 8.4 | 33.2 | 4.6 |
| 63 | 51.4 | 5.8 | 42 | 10.5 | 42 | 5.8 |
| 75 | 61.2 | 6.9 | 50 | 12.5 | 50 | 6.9 |
| 90 | 73.6 | 8.2 | 6 | 15 | ||
| 110 | 90 | 10 | 73.2 | 18.4 | ||
See dimension tables for water - gas steel pipes. Learn about nominal bore and how to avoid confusion between inches and mm.
| Equivalent passage, mm | Outer diameter, mm | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel gas pipelines | Steel plumbing | Polymer | |
| 10 | 17 | 16 | 16 |
| 15 | 21.3 | 20 | 20 |
| 20 | 26.8 | 26 | 25 |
| 25 | 33.5 | 32 | 32 |
| 32 | 43.2 | 42 | 40 |
| 40 | 48 | 45 | 50 |
| 50 | 60 | 57 | 63 |
| 65 | 75.5 | 76 | 75 |
| 80 | 88.5 | 89 | 90 |
| 90 | 101.3 | ||
| 100 | 114 | 108 | 110 |
| 125 | 140 | 133 | 125 |
| 150 | 165 | 159 | 160 |
| 160 | 180 | 180 | |
| 200 | 219 | 225 | |
| 225 | 245 | 250 | |
| 250 | 273 | 280 | |
| 300 | 325 | 315 | |
| 400 | 426 | 400 | |
| 500 | 530 | 500 | |
| 600 | 630 | 630 | |
| 800 | 820 | 800 | |
| 1000 | 1020 | 1000 | |
| 1200 | 1220 | 1200 | |
Some important installation details
Installing plastic pipes is somewhat different from metal counterparts. In particular, during installation, the following conditions must be observed:
Polypropylene pipes do not bend at right angles; tees and fittings are used here to change the direction of the line.
Plastic does not collapse under the influence of temperature changes: the pipe increases in length. Therefore, if the length of the pipeline segment exceeds 10 meters temperature compensators must be installed.
Under the influence of high temperatures, the pipes are subject to linear expansion, therefore, rigid fixation of the pipeline inside the wall structures is not allowed: thermal gaps must be left.
For hot water supply, only reinforced products are used, which are less susceptible to linear expansion.
Slight bending of the pipe is allowed. This can be done by heating the surface with a building hair dryer (temperature approx. 140 degrees).
It should be noted that the storage of plastic pipes in open spaces is not recommended. To protect products from direct sunlight, which destroy the structure, canopies are necessarily equipped.
Key selection criteria
To buy high-quality pipes that will easily work out the service life declared by the manufacturer, you must follow the recommendations for choosing:
Choice of accessories.
During installation, couplings, fittings, wiring tees are required. The ideal option would be combined elements with threaded inserts or metal frames. Such products will provide a high-quality transition between plastic and metal pipes.
Manufacturer.
Products are in consistently high demand all over the world, so plastic pipes are produced by domestic, European and Asian companies. Pipes produced by German, Czech and Russian companies have proven themselves well. The products of Turkish and Chinese manufacturers should be treated with caution: low cost implies low quality.
Marking.
Here you need to pay attention to the throughput of pipes, resistance to water hammer and temperature extremes. The best option is to choose a pipe that slightly exceeds the desired values in terms of characteristics.
It should be noted that the durability of the plastic pipeline is affected not only by the characteristics of the product, but also by the correct installation.
Rating of verified manufacturers
Among the companies involved in the production of polypropylene pipes, the following brands are most popular:
WAWIN ECOPLASTIK. A Czech company that has managed to win a high rating from builders around the world. The manufacturer's revolutionary solution is all-plastic FIBER pipes, which have a minimum weight, but at the same time show high strength and resistance to linear expansion.
FV-PLAST. Another Czech company, represented on the market by reinforced pipes with perforated aluminum inserts. Let out production has a wide dimensional range, is ideally suited for arrangement of hot and cold water supply.
PRO AQUA. Russian enterprise engaged in the production of multifunctional polypropylene pipes. The company's products are distinguished by high technical characteristics, while being sold at an affordable price range.
In addition, you can pay attention to the products of such companies: BANNINGER REISKIRCHEN (Germany) and VALTEC (Italy). Plastic pipes of these brands are in the high price segment, but they have almost standard quality.
