Which water pipes are better: polypropylene, plastic or plastic? Water pipes which are better in the country and in the apartment?

Sooner or later, people are faced with the question of how to replace water pipes. Which is better to choose, the owner of the house or apartment decides, and this affects the serviceable and long-term operation of water supply systems.

Leading positions are occupied by products from polypropylene, HDPE and metal-plastic, which begin to displace metal. The chosen water pipes depend on the characteristics of materials, prices, operating conditions and financial capabilities of the user. Which are better? Comments of consumers are inclined towards polypropylene and metal-plastic products.

Polypropylene Pipe

Decide which water pipes are best installed in the apartment is difficult. Most owners stop on products made of polypropylene. The pipeline is not collapsible, and welded fittings create reliable and durable connections. They can be of different configurations: couplings, angles 90 ⁰ and 45 ⁰ , crossings, tees.

The main tool

For welding, a special tool is used - polyfuse (iron - iron or soldering iron according to the folk). Two nozzles of the required diameters are installed on the heating element. They insert the end of the pipe and the fitting, after which they are heated for 6-10 seconds. Then the heated parts are removed and connected together. In a few seconds, welding takes place, ensuring reliable connection strength. After that, it is already impossible to disconnect the parts.

Special properties of polypropylene allow it to be used for heating and water supply. One of its varieties, Random Copolymer, is the most heat-resistant and is used where the water temperature is allowed to be 95 ⁰ C, and its increase to 100 ⁰ C in case of malfunctions does not reduce the pipeline's longevity.

Advantages and disadvantages of polypropylene products

The pipes have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of polypropylene pipes are as follows:

• Resistance to active chemicals;
• Simplicity and speed of installation;
• High plasticity, preventing the destruction of the pipe when the water in the system freezes;
• Durability when used in high temperature networks;
• Environmental friendliness.

The disadvantage of pipes is their rigidity. As a result, a larger number of rotary fittings are required for their mounting. In addition, the polymer has a large temperature deformation, which should be taken into account during installation. In the absence of temperature compensators, the pipeline can deform and even collapse.

Polypropylene pipes are divided into 3 types:

1. PN 10 - design for cold water supply and underfloor heating.
2. PN 20 - for piping hot water with a temperature of up to 80 ⁰ C (universal).
3. PN 25 - for operation at high temperature (up to 95 ⁰ С).

The latter type of pipe is reinforced with aluminum foil or fiberglass. Perforation with metal allows you not to apply glue to join the layers. Reinforcement improves the strength and stability of products. The pipe can be covered with metal outside or inside. For the most part, aluminum is used to reduce thermal expansion.

Fiberglass is used without gluing layers. It fuses with a layer of polypropylene, providing a quality connection.

Metal-Plastic Pipe

The construction of the pipe consists of 2 layers of polyethylene PE-X and an aluminum layer located between them. The metal is connected to the plastic by special glue. Its quality depends on the quality of the product. All manufacturers have their own glue compositions, which they constantly improve. The polymer creates flexibility and smoothness, and aluminum - strength and reducing the thermal expansion of the pipe when heated. The best technical characteristics are the products of Germany, Belgium and Italy.

Between each other, the pipes are connected by compression or press fittings. In the first case, only a wrench is needed, and in the second case a special tool is needed.

The five-layer construction of the pipe has a small thickness, due to which the flexibility of the product remains. Aluminum interlayer is very thin and more like a foil than a metal layer.

Advantages and disadvantages of metal-plastic

Products have their pros and cons. The positive properties of the pipes are as follows:

• Flexibility, which allows you to often dispense with fittings;
• Light weight;
• The working medium temperature reaches +95 ⁰ С;
• Low temperature deformation;
• Resistance to corrosion and the action of corrosive media;
• Slight noise when transporting liquids.

Disadvantages of pipes are as follows:

• Combustibility of the material;
• The elements have different temperature deformations, leading to the bundle of the pipe along the adhesive layers and at the junction with the brass fittings;
• Material poorly withstands ultraviolet radiation;
• Low strength at impact loads;
• Narrow limits of diameters - 16-33 mm;
• Pipe rupture when water is frozen in it;
• High cost of fittings.

Another disadvantage is the narrowed cross-section of the fitting in comparison with the diameter of the pipe. This creates additional resistance to water movement.

HDPE pipe

Polyethylene (PE) pipe is used in 2 versions: for technical and drinking water. It is elastic and is sold in bays. Due to this, fewer fittings that are made of plastic are required for installation.

PE pipe is mainly used for outdoor water supply. It is resistant to low temperatures up to -50 ⁰ C. Flexibility, strength and low price have made it popular for water supply and irrigation systems of country plots. Pipes are long maintained, do not overgrow and are not susceptible to corrosion. For hot water, conventional PE pipes are not suitable, since their operating temperature does not exceed 45 ^° C. Cross-linked polyethylene is now often used for water pipes. Which is better, it is quite clear. But their price is much higher, although the quality too.

Which water pipes are better - polypropylene or metal-plastic pipes?

On the market, metal products are gradually replaced by plastic. If you want to purchase water pipes, which are better, are determined by price and quality. In this case it is necessary to take into account the cost of not only pipes, but also other components. Polypropylene costs a little less than metal-plastic, but special savings are achieved at the fittings. Do not also forget that the installation of pipes requires the presence of a welding machine, the purchase of which must be spent. For a large water pipe, the costs for it will not be so great, since the soldering iron is easy to learn by yourself, and attracting specialists will cost considerably more.

Polypropylene pipes are produced in a wider range of diameters in the direction of their increase, starting from 63 mm. For large diameters, the question of which water pipes are better - plastic or metal-plastic, is not worth it. Obviously, polypropylene should be used here.

Metal-plastic products have a significantly lower coefficient of temperature expansion than polymer ones due to the presence of a metal interlayer (5-6 times lower). Therefore, for polypropylene pipes, thermocompensators are required in the form of loops. The presence of materials with different thermal expansion in one system reduces the lifetime of metal-plastic pipes at frequent thermal effects.

Metal-plastic water pipe is easier to mount and does not require an expensive welding machine. Communications from polypropylene are not made up, but the welding places do not differ in strength from the pipe material.

Water pipes in the country

In the backyard for watering and personal needs, water pipes are always required. Which are better in the country? It is obvious that these are products made from HDPE, which benefit from other materials in the following indicators:

1. Price-quality ratio.
2. Durability, flexibility and ease of processing.
3. Installing fittings manually does not require special tools, knowledge and skills.
4. The presence of special adapters for the installation of shut-off valves and connecting consumers (shower, sink, watering device).

All components and tools are sold in specialized stores. To ensure that the water supply does not interfere with the movement along the site, it can be buried in the ground. To prevent damage to the pipe with a garden tool, a trench is laid for it from plastic trays covered with grids. The pipeline can be installed annually, but it is also left in place. Then for the winter period, water is drained from it, and the system is blown, for example, with a vacuum cleaner.

Internal water supply

Which water pipes are better to use in the country, in a country house or apartment in the premises? Technical characteristics of polypropylene and metal-plastic pipes allow them to be used successfully for internal use. They can easily be hidden behind partitions or under the floor, which preserves the integrity of the interior. Reliable connections guarantee pipes from leaks. If there are shortcomings, then this is mostly due to improper installation or violation of technology.

Conclusion

Many owners find it difficult to choose water pipes. Which is better from the existing species, it is difficult to determine, because metal-plastic and polypropylene products have their pros and cons. All this is reflected in the characteristics of the product, which should always be studied in detail. Which water pipes are best placed depends on the quality, technical characteristics, preferences of the owners and their financial capabilities.

HDPE pipes are more suitable for cottages and outdoor water supply. For price and performance, they are much ahead of competitors.