Plastic pipes for different types of water supply systems: types, features

The optimal and inexpensive option for arranging a water supply system is plastic water pipes. Depending on the type of water pipes they are easily used to ensure the delivery of aggressive substances such as acids or for hot water systems. It is also easy to do with your own hands the drainage system in the country: there are special pipes for external and internal installation.

Different types of plastic pipes are used for laying water pipes

Advantages and properties of plastic products

Main advantages plastic water pipes consist in the fact that:

• a system based on pipes made of synthetic material (plastic) has a much lower mass than communications from metal pipes. Installation of a plastic pipe for a water pipe with your own hands is quite real without the involvement of special construction equipment;
• collecting water pipes from a plastic pipe with your own hands, it is not difficult to do without soldering and fittings: a special adhesive composition and the “cold welding” method are used, ideal for upgrading the system in an inhabited country house or private house;
• you can assemble a plastic water pipe with your own hands in a summer cottage without the involvement of plumbers;
• laying the pipe does not take much time, and soon the summer cottage will be supplemented with a full-fledged water system;
• the durability of plastic pipes is much higher than metal pipes, and it is precisely in them that elasticity and strength are organically combined;
• a plastic pipeline has low thermal conductivity and resistance to a sharp decrease in the temperature of the outer layer of the pipe;
• the widespread use of plastic pipes for water supply is easily explained by their availability, due to the different cost of pipes. It depends on the type of pipe and its manufacturing option.

To correctly determine which type of plastic water pipe to use for installation of the system, it is necessary to accurately calculate its length and operational parameters.

Plastic pipes can be connected securely with fittings and glue

Types of plastic water pipes

In the process of manufacturing plastic pipes, various types of additives are used - catalysts of the chemical process, strictly defined temperature and pressure level. As a result, it is customary to divide polymer pipes into several types:

• LDPE pipes are polyethylene pipes made by chemical or electronic polymerization at a high pressure level;
• PESD - pipes are manufactured at an average pressure level, their cost is lower, but they are inferior to high pressure pipes in terms of strength and operating temperatures;
• HDPE pipes are called polyethylene pipes used for cold water supply systems at a low pressure level in the system.

It is customary to divide a plastic pipe for water supply into categories depending on the method of manufacture, the presence or absence of a reinforcing layer and the intended purpose. Accordingly, the cost of the pipes will be different, it depends not only on the type of pipe, but also on the manufacturer: plastic pipes of the same purpose can vary by an order of magnitude in the price range, depending on the country of production or the popularity of the manufacturer. Accordingly, the installation will be different.

Polyethylene pipes. They are usually used for DIY do-it-yourself water supply communications in the country. They differ in operational indicators - the pressure in the system and the temperature of the fluid transmitted through the pipes. This is the best option for arranging a country water supply.From plastic pipes, you can arrange both water supply to the house, and a garden watering system. But there are also disadvantages: these products are critical to the ambient temperature and can become unusable with minor mechanical influences.

Polyethylene pipes are suitable for the installation of temporary communications in summer conditions

Polypropylene pipes. Such products are used as a water supply system for drinking water, due to their resistance to mechanical damage and the absence of harmful oxides on the inner surface of the pipe. A plastic water pipe is made of a thermoplastic polymer, and the thermal diffusion method is used for its joining: the pipes and fittings are heated by a special welding device. After the phytin assembly hardens, a tight one-piece connection is formed.

Reinforced pipes made of polypropylene. They are supplemented with a special layer reinforcing the internal structure of the pipe, for example, metal or fiberglass. This increases the mechanical strength of the pipes and extends the temperature range of their use. The presence of a reinforcing layer makes the pipes less flexible, they are not recommended to bend, otherwise there is a high risk of damage to the structure.

PVC pipes. Designed specifically for use in pressurized water supply systems and drain collectors in the country. Distinguish water PVC pipes and CPVC products (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride). They are ductile and withstand water hammer with ease. Such pipes, thanks to the filler (marble chips) are absolutely non-toxic, do not support combustion and are explosion-proof. It is convenient to mount them yourself, due to the fact that the manufacturer prudently equipped the pipes (for draining used water from the water supply system) with a connecting bell and an internal rubber gasket.

Plastic pipes. This is a good option for installing your own home water system. Do not require a special tool, and successful installation possible even without practical skills. They consist of a metal base, complemented by layers of plastic, internal and external. The disadvantages of plastic pipes are typical for systems based on durable piping systems: they do not tolerate sharp deformations.

For the installation of sewage, PVC pipes are also used.

To understand how to mount a water pipe from a plastic pipe correctly, you should study the recommendations of experienced craftsmen. Especially if you are doing such work for the first time. Installation of this type of pipe is usually carried out in even sections, using docking and branch fittings. Strictly following the rules, you can create your own plastic water pipe, which will last more than fifty years.

Important! Fittings for MP pipes are used self-clamping type, and they are not cheap. It is necessary to choose exclusively high-quality components - due to the temperature difference, the joints can lose their tightness, and installation will lose its meaning.

Quick and high-quality assembly of water pipes from plastic pipes

As a temporary solution, or for the implementation of the plumbing system for cold water in the country as soon as possible, it is customary to use cross-linked polyethylene pipes. Installation of water pipes from plastic pipes occurs with the help of quick-clamping fittings of various types, you can assemble them with your own hands, without a special tool. Even connecting to the existing highway will not be particularly difficult - a combined fitting plus a plastic pipe is used, the water pipe is assembled quickly and effortlessly.

With his own hands, even a novice master will mount the system, for this he needs to:

• calculate the number of angles, frames and transitions;
• outline a sketch of future communications;
• calculate the total length of plastic pipes.

Next, install with a slope from the supply system to the end user.

Due to the sensitivity of polyethylene pipes to low temperature effects, it is recommended to install the pipe at a depth that prevents the system from freezing. Water pipes from plastic pipes do not tolerate frost. In the period when it is not intended to use a water supply system in the country, plastic water pipes can be quickly dismantled, after the pipes are cleaned of water (by blowing), they can be safely stored in a folded state.

For the water supply in the country, you can use compression fittings, this will make it possible to quickly dismantle the system if necessary

They use a plastic pipe for water supply both as irrigation systems and for drainage systems created in the country with their own hands. It is easy to distinguish the technical purpose of the pipe, thanks to the manufacturer's marking:

• the blue strip applied to the pipe along its entire length indicates a plastic pipe suitable for arranging communications working with cold water. Water pipes (plastic) can be completely painted blue, and it is also a water pipe for water not higher than 40 degrees Celsius;
• white colored pipes, most often polypropylene or metal-plastic components, have proven themselves in heating systems in the country or in urban apartments. Use pipes in water utilities operating at high temperatures. The installation of a plastic pipe for water supply when working with polypropylene pipes is significantly different from the arrangement of a system based on metal-plastic pipes;
• red pipes are supplemented with an oxygen barrier and made of high pressure polyethylene. Their purpose is the installation of hot water and floor heating systems. Thanks to quick-fit clamp-type fittings or with a special pressing washer, laying plastic water pipes with your own hands does not take much time for such purposes. You only need to have a set of necessary tools.

Pipes with yellow marking are intended for gas pipelines and are not used for water supply.

Important! Installation of a plastic water pipe for gas supply systems is unacceptable, a small microcrack or poorly welded connection can cause unsafe gas accumulation in the room.

Plastic pipes have many advantages, the main ones are the cost and ease of installation. But it is worth remembering that each type of such products has its own characteristics and scope.