In a plumbing or sanitary installation, it is essential to make a good choice of the piping system that you are going to use, since the durability and proper functioning of the installation will depend on them.
In this week’s blog article, we want to let you know about the types of sanitary and plumbing pipes and their best purposes.
Nowadays, it’s usual to mix different materials in the same installation. There is no need to use only one type of pipe.
Next, we are going to show you the differences between installations that require small diameter pipes and those that require larger diameters.
Small diameter plumbing pipes
In this case, Llaberia Group opts for the multilayer pipe, since its technical features are perfectly suited to a plumbing or heating installation. The conduction temperature cannot exceed 90 degrees.
The behavior of the multilayer tube is very similar to that of stainless steel, since, as it contains an aluminum layer, when the pipe is bent, it keeps its initial shape. On the other hand, cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipes tend to correct themselves and lose their curvature.
If we compare them, we find different uses depending on their purpose. For example, if the customer’s installation is large, a budget made with multilayer will always be higher, since it contains the inner layer of aluminum that will keep it rigid, but in return the customer will get higher quality and durability.
We recommend to use cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing in installations where tubing up to 32mm in diameter is needed, and it will always be cheaper if the client requires it.
PEX tubing withstands very high temperatures, up to 110 ºC. It has high impact resistance, excellent insulating properties and adapts very well to strong temperature changes.
PEX pipes are an off-white, although they are usually painted blue and red to inform about what they carry inside: cold and hot water respectively.
Large diameter plumbing pipes
When we talk about large diameters, we refer to 32mm on. In most of the cases these pipes are used for industrial purposes or to be installed in public works, in auxiliary services, such as firefighting systems, tank cleaning ducts, compressed air or gas, etc. In this type of works we must also consider the pressure to which the pipes are subjected.
PP-R pipes
The use of PP-R is another option for installations with large diameter pipes. The price of this material is quite economical, and it is highly recommended for piping potable water networks, air conditioning, chilled water, heating, and also for the chemical or naval industry.
Thanks to PP-R pipes, there is no possibility of leakage between the joints. Why? Because this type of pipe fuses with the part and becomes one with the fitting that goes with it.
It can be used for almost all possible applications, but it is especially effective for heating, plumbing and air conditioning.