Plastic Pipes and Fittings – Are They the Same As Other Pipe Materials?
With growing concerns on environment plastic pipes and fittings, PVC pipes are fast gaining popularity. PVC is an abbreviation for polyvinyl chloride pipe. This is a man-made commodity that is widely used to manufacture pipes and fittings in numerous industries. PVC pipes come with diverse forms and textures for customized fitment into any architectural style.
There are many benefits of using plastic pipes and are mounting competitively against copper, natural gas and aluminum. This is because PVC is known to be environment friendly as it does not emit dangerous gases or substances when it is used. The main driving force behind the plastic pipes and flexible shapes industry is increasing awareness about the benefits of plastic pipes. Hence, the plastic pipes and flexible shapes industry is expected to gain significant market share over its counterparts in the future. Moreover, the plastic pipes and flexible shapes offer long-term benefits to customers where maintenance cost is kept to a minimum. As plastic pipes and fittings do not deteriorate with time, they are able to withstand extreme weather conditions.
PVC is primarily used for water distribution, irrigation system, cooling and heating systems, construction projects, marine & marine applications, electrical & telecommunication applications, oil & gas applications and industrial applications. PVC pipes are flexible, durable and can be used in high compression and high tension applications. They are also resistant to ultraviolet rays and other chemicals that cause corrosion. In addition, they can resist extreme temperature and moisture levels and are highly resistant to breakage.
PVC is available in both in exposed and in cold formed form. In exposed form, it consists of a single continuous sheet (hence, ‘exposed’). Cold formed PVC is made from two parallel sheets or cut to fit each other and is therefore considered a single piece. The common components include PVC Insulation (the liquid barrier), Copper Tube (canard) and Copper Head (structure). The two pipes mentioned earlier have the common advantage of not inducing stress on the pipe joints due to flexibility.
In plumbing installation and repair, the most popular material used is PVC because it is easy to handle, strong, safe and most importantly, economical. But in plumbing, especially when it comes to water supply, copper is preferred by many contractors and plumbing experts. This is because they feel that copper is a better conductor of heat than PVC. Further, they feel that since copper has greater thermal conductivity than plastic pipes, it will allow hot water to pass through it easily. Further, the pressure carried by hot water would melt the plastic pipes or copper tubes and hence, will not get dissolved in the cold water, which prevents corrosion in both the pipes.
It is, however, important to note that even though both plastic pipe systems and copper pipe systems are thermoplastic, the only difference between them is the process of manufacturing them. Both can be manufactured by means of injection molding, cold roll forming or pressing. Thermoplastic pipes are made by using high-grade plastic materials and equipment to manufacture them. They do not require any special tools during their manufacturing process and are hence very easy to handle and install. On the other hand, since copper piping is made using zinc-plated steel, it is very difficult to handle and install.
Now, that you know that both plastic pipes and copper pipes are thermoplastic, it is important to identify the differences between them, for you to make an informed decision. So, what are the basic differences between them? Well, they are available in different diameters and thread counts. Diameters refer to the diameter of the pipe and its external diameter. Thread count refers to the number of threads per inch, the higher the number of threads per inch, the more durable the pipe will be. Now that you have a basic idea about the differences between these two products, it would be easier for you to identify the best plastic pipe or copper pipe system for your home.
The next step is to find a plastic pipe or copper pipe manufacturer in your area. Do a little research on the Internet. You will be able to get more information about the manufacturers as well as the quality of their products. Take a note of the plastic pipe reviews that you read on the Internet. These plastic pipe reviews will help you determine the pros and cons of the plastic pipe manufacturers. So, once you are done choosing the best manufacturer for your home plumbing system, you will no longer have to worry about which pipe fitting is most suitable for your pipes because you know that they all have the same traits.