Water supply, heating in a house or apartment (autonomous or centralized) is not complete without the use of pipes. Many people remember how unattractive metal pipes look, they need to be constantly painted, maintained, and still at any moment they can let the homeowner down, because over time they react to changes in temperature and pressure worse and worse.
The metal is quickly covered with scale from the inside, which significantly slows down the movement of hot water and, as a result, reduces heat transfer. Probably, all the disadvantages of metal pipes prompted scientists, engineers and technologists to develop and implement new models of pipes made from modern materials using advanced technologies.
Today, you won't surprise anyone with polypropylene pipes. They have firmly entered our everyday life, and there is hardly a homeowner who wants to change the old ones.metal pipes to the same new ones.
Advantages of the new material
Reinforced polypropylene is a modern high-tech material that is successfully used in the manufacture of pipelines. It is much lighter than metal, has elasticity and a high level of chemical and corrosion resistance. In addition, the material is environmentally friendly.
Reinforced polypropylene pipes have a fairly low cost and their installation is not too difficult even for non-professionals. It should be noted that pipelines made of this material are attractive in appearance and very rarely leak. Such a nuisance can only happen due to errors made during installation.
In addition to in-house heating and plumbing systems, reinforced polypropylene is used in sewerage, ventilation, outdoor water supply systems, agriculture and industry. There are two varieties of this material. We will consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of them in this article.
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Polypropylene is a plastic with a high coefficient of thermal expansion. Its melting point is +175 °C. However, it softens even at lower temperatures (+140 °C). A pipe made of such material will be guaranteed to operate at temperatures not exceeding +95 °C.
Due to high pressure and hot water, it may be deformed. To increase strength, as well as reduce the level of linear expansion of pipes made of this material, theyreinforced with fiberglass or aluminum. Reinforcement is just a kind of rigid frame that does not allow the pipe to increase either in length or in width. For comparison, we will present you the coefficients of linear thermal expansion of pipes before and after the reinforcement:
- non-reinforced polypropylene - 0.15 mm/mK, about 10 mm per 1 meter at 70 °C;
- Aluminum Reinforced - 0.03mm/mK, up to 3mm per meter;
- glass fiber reinforcement - 0.035mm/mK.
Fiberglass reinforced polypropylene
The material is a three-layer composite. In it, the middle layer of fiberglass is welded to the polypropylene of adjacent layers. The result is a very strong construction with a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion compared to the original material. Due to its solidity, fiberglass-reinforced propylene does not delaminate.
Pipes made from this material have great elasticity. This provides products with flexibility, which greatly facilitates installation. The installation time of the structure is also reduced, since it is not necessary to pre-clean the aluminum layer before welding such pipes.
Aluminium-reinforced polypropylene
In this case, the reinforcement is made of perforated or solid aluminum foil with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm. The foil is placed inside and outside between the layers of plastic. The layers are connected with a special glue. When the foil is outside, under a thin decorative layer of plastic, it is stripped of the aluminum layer before welding with the fitting to prevent metal contact with water and ensure good welding quality to avoid leaks.
A solid layer of foil prevents oxygen from entering the coolant. Its excess often leads to corrosion of heating devices. However, a foil that has a perfectly smooth surface cannot always provide a fairly strong bond to the plastic. For this, a special glue is used and strict adherence to the technological process is required, otherwise water molecules penetrate the walls, accumulate under a layer of aluminum and bubbles can form on the surface.
That is why aluminum-reinforced polypropylene has been produced using perforated foil in recent years. It has holes evenly spaced. The layers of plastic in this case are fastened together securely. The oxygen permeability in this design increases slightly, but at the same time it remains within the normal range.
In recent years, pipes have appeared in which the aluminum layer is located between two layers of plastic. This manufacturing method provides a low degree of oxygen permeability and a lower coefficient of expansion. Some manufacturers claim that such pipes do not need pre-cleaning. However, installers believe that in order to ensure goodwelding quality, they should be trimmed. Otherwise, the aluminum layer will come into contact with water, and over time, this will cause metal corrosion and delamination of the structure. Polypropylene pipe, reinforced with aluminum, is trimmed with special nozzles for a perforator.
Heating
Reinforced polypropylene for heating (more precisely, pipes made of this material) is a truly ingenious invention that is very popular among homeowners. They can be mounted both in an apartment building and in the private sector.
Which pipes to choose for heating?
Today, two types of heating pipes are used, which consist of three or five layers. In a three-layer pipe, the middle layer is reinforced. It can be made of aluminum or fiberglass. Five-layer pipes for heating are arranged somewhat differently. Reinforced polypropylene is used in two layers - outer and inner. In addition, there is a layer of fiberglass (or foil) and two layers of heat-resistant adhesive.
Markings and designations
All pipes are marked, letters and numbers are applied to the body, which allow you to determine what kind of material reinforcement was carried out. Aluminium-reinforced polypropylene pipe is marked with the abbreviations PPR-AL-PPR. Such products are divided into several groups:
- perforated aluminum is in the center and round small holes are located throughout this layer;
- solid aluminum reinforcement (no holes);
- five-layer pipes.
Aluminum(reinforced) layer can have different colors. As a rule, it does not carry information about the characteristics and quality of the product, so you should not pay much attention to it when buying.
It happens that in the labeling the PPR designation is replaced by PEX. This speaks of several different layer structures. The initial letters in this combination designate the outer layer, followed by aluminum and completes the designation of the inner layer.
Disadvantages of aluminum reinforcement
Pipes with external reinforcement are more popular due to their affordable price. But they also have disadvantages. During installation, stripping of the aluminum layer to the length of the connection with the fitting is required. In addition, during installation or careless operation of such a pipe, the outer reinforcing layer can be damaged, which will subsequently affect the technical condition of the structure.
PP pipe reinforced with aluminum inside, more durable. It does not require complex preparation during installation. But it is necessary to take into account another feature of the joints - for reliable and tight soldering, the edges of the parts should be trimmed with high quality, in other words, the pipe cut should be as even and strictly vertical as possible, otherwise the connection during operation will present an unpleasant surprise. After the heating system is filled, the pressure will squeeze out water through even the smallest gaps.
Fiberglass reinforced pipes
These products are marked - PPR-FB-PPR. This means that they are made by a multi-layer method, in which the reinforced layer(fiberglass) is in the center. Often such pipes are called fiberglass. Like the foil layer, the fiberglass layer is available in a variety of colors. This is clearly visible on the cut of the pipe. But even in this case, the color is not a sign of quality or other technical characteristics of the product and does not affect operation.
Many experts believe that fiberglass reinforced polypropylene for heating is the ideal solution. The main advantage of such pipes is easier and faster installation, they do not require calibration and stripping. This way you can save a lot of time. The glass fiber reinforced polypropylene pipe does not delaminate because it has a monolithic structure: the fiberglass is simply soldered into the polypropylene.
Despite the fact that manufacturers claim that such pipes have practically no flaws, they are a little cunning. The weak points of such pipes include a slightly larger expansion when heated, when compared with pipes reinforced with aluminum. However, according to installers, this is an insignificant disadvantage of these products, and they remain more popular than pipes with an aluminum layer.
Pipe diameters
So, to create a plumbing or heating system, you have chosen reinforced polypropylene. What pipe diameters do you need in this case? Manufacturers produce reinforced pipes in a huge range: from 16 to 1200 mm in diameter. However, for domestic water supply and heating systems, pipes from 16 to32 mm, for sewage (internal) - 40, 50 or 110 mm in diameter. The largest polypropylene pipes are used in the installation of sewer external pipelines of multi-storey buildings and even entire microdistricts.
For cold water supply in residential premises, the choice of pipe diameter depends on the number of water supply points and the length of the pipeline. As a rule, the supply pipe has a diameter of 32 mm, for wiring in an apartment, the outer diameter ranges from 16 to 20 mm.
Accessories
When installing reinforced polypropylene pipes, various shaped components are used for connection. All of them are determined in advance according to the drawing of the heating or plumbing wiring. Such necessary parts include: fittings and tees, bends and couplings, valves and so on. They are selected depending on the diameter of the pipes and their characteristics. For example, you cannot purchase accessories for cold water supply for installation in heating circuits.
To connect with other parts of the system made of other materials, use special products with pressed-in metal threaded inserts or with union nuts.
Producers of reinforced polypropylene pipes
It's no secret that when buying pipes, the choice of a well-established manufacturer in the Russian and international markets is of considerable importance. Today we will introduce some popular brands,specializing in such products.
FV Plast (CZ)
The company specializes in the production of polypropylene pipes for heating, hot and cold water supply, heating. The company's products are available only in gray with an aluminum and fiberglass layer.
Metak (Russia)
The company manufactures various products from polypropylene, including fiberglass-reinforced pipes under the Metak Fiber brand. The company's products are ideal for heavily loaded heating systems.
Banninger (Germany)
The German company produces excellent products that are of the highest quality and reliability in operation. The buyer can easily find it on store windows by emerald green color.
In conclusion, I would like to recommend our readers not to buy reinforced polypropylene from unknown companies that do not even indicate their brand name on the label. By saving a small amount when buying, you can lose much more money (nerves, time) when low-quality products let you down. And this happens, as a rule, at the most inopportune moment.
