Which water pipes are better: polypropylene, metal-plastic or plastic? Which water pipes 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 healthy and long-term operation of water supply systems.

The leading positions are occupied by products made of polypropylene, HDPE and metal plastic, which begin to displace metal. The selected water pipes depend on the characteristics of materials, prices, operating conditions and financial capabilities of the user. Which are better? Customer reviews are inclined towards products made of polypropylene and metal plastic.

Polypropylene pipe

Making a decision about which water pipes are best to install in an apartment is quite difficult. Most hosts focus on polypropylene products. The pipeline is non-separable, and welded fittings create reliable and durable joints. They can be of different configurations: couplings, angles 90 ⁰ and 45 ⁰ , crosses, tees.

Main tool

For welding, a special tool is used - polyfuse (according to the people - an iron or a soldering iron). 2 nozzles of the required diameters are installed on the heating element. The end of the pipe and fitting are inserted into them, after which they are heated for 6-10 seconds. Then the heated parts are removed and connected to each other. Welding takes place in a few seconds, providing reliable bond strength. It is no longer possible to disconnect the parts after this.

The 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 water temperature is allowed up to 95 ⁰ , and its increase to 100 ⁰ during malfunctions does not reduce the durability of the pipeline.

Advantages and disadvantages of polypropylene products

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

• resistance to active chemicals;
• simplicity and high speed of installation;
• high ductility, preventing the destruction of the pipe during freezing of water in the system;
• durability when used in high-temperature networks;
• environmental friendliness.

The disadvantage of pipes is their rigidity. As a result, their installation requires a larger number of swivel fittings. 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 and underfloor heating.
2. PN 20 - for hot water pipelines with temperatures up to 80 ⁰ (universal).
3. PN 25 - for operation at high temperatures (up to 95 ⁰ ).

The latter type of pipe is reinforced with aluminum foil or fiberglass. Perforation with metal allows you to not use glue to connect the layers. Reinforcement increases the strength and stability of products. The pipe may be coated with metal on the outside or inside. Aluminum is mainly used to reduce thermal expansion.

Fiberglass is applied without gluing layers. It is fused with a layer of polypropylene, providing a high-quality connection.

Plastic pipe

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

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

The five-layer pipe design has a small thickness, due to which the flexibility of the product is maintained. The 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 that often eliminates fittings;
• light weight;
• the temperature of the working medium reaches +95 ⁰ C;
• low temperature deformation;
• resistance to corrosion and aggressive media;
• slight noise when transporting liquids.

The disadvantages of the pipes are as follows:

• flammability of the material;
• the elements have different temperature deformations, leading to delamination of the pipe in adhesive layers and at the junctions with brass fittings;
• the material does not withstand ultraviolet radiation;
• low strength under shock loads;
• narrow limits of diameters - 16-33 mm;
• pipe rupture when water freezes in it;
• high cost of fittings.

Another drawback is the narrowed bore of the fitting compared to the diameter of the pipe. This creates additional resistance to the movement of water.

HDPE pipe

Polyethylene (PE) pipe is used in 2 versions: for industrial 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 . Flexibility, durability and low price have made it popular for water supply systems and watering summer cottages. Pipes are used for a long time, do not overgrow and are not subject to corrosion. Conventional PE pipes are not suitable for hot water, since their operating temperature does not exceed 45 ⁰ . Now crosslinked polyethylene is often used on water pipes. Which is better here is perfectly clear. But their price is much higher, although the quality too.

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

In the market, metal products are gradually being superseded 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 cheaper than metal plastic, but special savings are achieved on fittings. Do not forget also that the installation of pipes requires a welding machine, the acquisition of which must be spent. For a large water supply, the cost of it will not be so great, since a soldering iron is easy to master independently, and attracting specialists will cost much more.

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

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

Metal-plastic water supply is easier to install and it does not require an expensive welding machine. Communications made of polypropylene are non-separable, but the weld points do not differ in strength from the pipe material.

Water pipes in the country

In household plots, water pipes are constantly required for irrigation and personal needs. Which are better in the country? It is obvious that these are HDPE products that outperform other materials in the following ways:

1. Price-quality ratio.
2. Durability, flexibility and ease of handling.
3. Manual installation of fittings does not require special tools, knowledge and skills.
4. The presence of special adapters for installing valves and connecting consumers (shower, sink, irrigation device).

All components and tools are sold in specialized stores. So that the water supply does not interfere with movement around 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 gratings on top. 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 purged, for example, with a vacuum cleaner.

Domestic water supply

What water pipes are best used in the country, in a country house or apartment on the premises? Technical characteristics of polypropylene and metal-plastic pipes allow them to be successfully used for internal use. They are easy to hide behind partitions or under the floor, which preserves the integrity of the interior. Reliable connections guarantee pipes against leaks. If flaws occur, it is mostly due to improper installation or technology violations.

Conclusion

Many owners find it difficult to choose water pipes. It is difficult to determine which is the best of the existing types, since 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 better to install 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. In terms of price and characteristics, they are significantly ahead of competitors.