Polypropylene pipes for heating. Which ones to choose?

The demand for polypropylene pipes is constantly growing. The reason for this is a number of advantages:

• Durability
• Abrasion resistance
• Low density
• High hardness
• Corrosion resistance
• Low price

Polypropylene pipes are popular among professional and amateur builders for their relative ease of installation. The market offers a large selection of pipes and fittings with installation kits from many companies.

Among the leaders in production, the most notable companies are from Germany, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and China. The domestic production of polypropylene began in 1981 in Tomsk, the largest Russian production is located in. Domestic manufacturers close the top five.

Germany

German products are represented by Rehau, Banninger, Wefatherm, Aquatherm.

Rehau

The company produces pipes with high wear resistance, resistance to scale and deposits, and low noise levels.

Range of polypropylene pipes:

• Universal pipe RAUTITAN stabil - for water supply and heating, diameter range from 16 to 40 mm;
• Universal pipe RAUTITAN flex - for heating and water supply, resistant to oxygen diffusion, with a diameter of 16 to 63 mm;
• Heating pipe RAUTITAN pink - only for heating systems, elastic, diameters - 16 - 63mm;
• Pipe for drinking water supply RAUTITAN his with a diameter from 16 to 63 mm, designed for drinking water systems.

The company produces a full line of fittings, sleeves, connecting and mounting elements. The work will be facilitated by rotation angle clamps, fire cuffs and brackets.

Banninger

The Bänninger Reiskirchen company is one of the leaders in the production of PP pipes not only in Germany, but also in Europe. In our country, pipes of this brand are inferior to Rehau products, but not in terms of technical characteristics, but in terms of availability in retail chains.

The corporate color of pipes and components is juicy green.

Working pressure of Bänninger pipes:

• For cold water at 20°C up to 20 bar
• For warm water at 70°C up to 10 bar
• For heating at 70°C up to 3 bar

The company's production program includes pressure pipes with a diameter of 20 to 500 mm, fittings for welding, threaded transition fittings, pipeline fittings, fasteners and processing tools.

The only German company producing polypropylene brand PP-RCT - an innovative material with improved properties.

Wefatherm

The main raw material for the production of Wefatherm pipes is copolymer polypropylene Random (PP-R 100) with high extraction and temperature stability. This type of polypropylene operates at temperatures up to 100° C. The service life of the company’s products is 50 years.

Pipeline products are represented by a wide range:

• Pipe WEFATHERM SDR 11 - pipelines for cold water, air conditioning and ventilation systems;
• Pipe WEFATHERM SDR 6 - for cold and hot water;
• Pipe WEFATHERM-Stabi SDR 6 - for cold and hot water, heating system;
• WEFATHERM-Stabi SDR 6/UV pipe - for hot and cold water with the possibility of open installation, used for heating systems;
• WEFATHERM-Faser pipe is a universal pipe reinforced with glass fiber.

As befits a large manufacturer, Wefatherm produces all the necessary components: fittings, adapters, threaded connections, welded seats, shut-off valves. To simplify installation, the company offers mounting kits, couplings, mounting clamps, and connecting elements for radiators.

Aquatherm

Aquatherm GmbH began its activities with the production of pipes for underfloor heating systems. The constant search for new solutions and technologies led the company's engineers to the discovery of a new polypropylene PP-R 80. Called Fusiolen®, this material became the main raw material for subsequent production.

Benefits of fusiolene:

• Resistance to chemical compounds;
• High levels of impact strength and abrasive resistance;
• Good heat and sound insulating properties;
• Stability when exposed to high temperatures;
• Good welding properties.

Aquatherm was the first to use color identification of its products for various purposes. Pipes and fittings for cold and hot water supply, heating, technical water supply and sanitation have their own production lines and brands.

The range of pipe diameters is the widest in Europe. From 20 to 630 mm.

The company's products are in deserved demand not only for their high quality, but also for their wide range of pipes, fittings, fasteners and shut-off valves.

Aquatherm products are represented on the Russian market quite modestly, especially in the regions. This explains the low sales.

Features of installation in a private house

When installing a heating network in a private house, a 2-pipe system is usually installed. Work begins after selecting the boiler. In cottages and other similar buildings, solid fuel is used. In addition, gas and electric heating equipment. Its type depends on the type available.

PP heating system in a private house

In private homes, the heating system can be performed with natural and forced circulation of coolant. In the first case, an expansion tank and air outlets are used, and in the second option, a pump is built into the network.

Radiators are connected to the heating circuit using a bottom, side or diagonal connection. The first option is often used in cottages and mansions. The second connection method is most often performed in multi-storey buildings.

The diagonal connection is effective when the pipelines are long and at least 10 radiators are installed. This option allows you to reduce heat loss by up to 2%.

Czech

The Czech Republic is represented on the domestic market by Wavin Ekoplastik and Fv Plast

Wavin Ekoplastik

The Czech company Wavin Ekoplastik uses random, a PP-R copolymer, for cold water supply pipes. And for heat-resistant pipes - high-quality heat-stabilized PP-RCT, similar to those from German manufacturers.

The products of this company are in demand in the domestic market due to high quality fittings and shut-off valves. Additional components allow you to lay a pipeline of any configuration. The price of Wavin Ekoplastik products is not much different from their German counterparts, and their reliability is not inferior to them. The only disadvantage of products from the Czech Republic is the not very attractive gray color of the products, which requires decoration.

Fv Plast

FV-Plast pipes are inferior to Ekoplastik in popularity due to the poorly developed dealer network in our country. The quality is no worse than that of its closest competitor. The pipes of this company are designed for use in cold and hot water supply pipelines, underfloor heating and heating systems.

It is necessary to note the exceptional lightness of FV-Plast pipes, which facilitates the installation of heated floors.

The FV-Plast company has made the production of reinforced polypropylene pipes a priority. The technology involves reinforcement with aluminum foil and fiberglass.

The manufacturer has provided a wide selection of related parts: fittings, shut-off valves and pipe fastening systems.

Conclusion: Having examined both options for Czech pipes, we can state that they do not differ in quality from German ones, and the price is still lower. The only indicator in which they are inferior is the fairly large coefficient of thermal expansion of unreinforced pipes.

How not to make a mistake

If you have chosen polypropylene pipes for yourself, go to the manufacturer’s official website before purchasing. You will need:

• Remember what the logo looks like, what font is used, what letters it contains, what color they are written in, how many capital letters. In general, you need to study the logo and its spelling. Those who make fakes deliberately make some mistake in the name, change/omit/double some letter. This is done so that claims cannot be made - the letter is different, the brand is different.
• Next, you need to study the assortment and choose what you want to purchase. Then carefully examine the color and location of the markings. If the store offers you a product of the desired campaign in a different color, size, etc., but this is not available on the official website, then they are selling you a fake. It's better to leave and look for another store.

  
  All walls must be perfect

• Please review product samples before purchasing. Pipes and fittings from normal companies have smooth walls (both external and internal). There should be no sagging, depressions or other signs of poor-quality casting.
• Look at the cut of the pipe or fitting. The wall thickness should be the same. If these are reinforced products, then the reinforcing material is surrounded by polypropylene rings of equal thickness. If the difference is noticeable even by eye, you should not buy such products.

Overall, you should have a positive impression of the quality of the products. Only if all the “tests” are passed, you can buy.

Türkiye

Turkey, one of the first countries producing polypropylene pipes, conquered the Russian construction market. Among Turkish manufacturers, the most recognizable are TEBO, PILSA, VALTEC, KALDE, JAKKO.

TEBO

TEBO technics polypropylene pipes comply with all European standards and have a number of competitive advantages:

• High quality raw materials supplied from Germany and South Korea;
• Wide range of models;
• Long service life;
• No marriage.

A wide range of pipes and related materials provide a full cycle of installation operations for engineering communications for any purpose. The TEBO technics brand produces pipes with diameters from 20 to 160 mm, fittings, manifolds, shut-off valves and components. The service life of products for hot water is 30 years, for cold water - 50.

In addition to conventional PP pipes, the model range has been expanded to include reinforced pipes. Pipes reinforced with aluminum have a minimal coefficient of linear expansion. Fiberglass provides increased lateral stiffness.

PILSA

The most famous brand among professional builders. PILSA Plastik Inc. widely represented in 50 countries around the world. PILSA Plastik Inc is part of the Wavin industrial group, the largest European manufacturer of polypropylene products. Of particular interest to consumers is the versatility of using Pilsa pipes at temperatures from -10°C to + 95°C. The elastic material prevents frozen water from destroying the pipes.

Pilsa brand products have a number of advantages:

• Low thermal conductivity;
• High heat resistance;
• Good throughput;
• Pipes and connections do not require maintenance;
• Attractive appearance.

The range of pipes and additional elements is perhaps the richest of all possible. Excellent quality and low price guarantee the company great demand among customers.

But popularity carries with it danger. In the markets you can find fakes from Chinese handicraft workshops.

VALTEC

VALTEC offers consumers single-layer and multi-layer pipes and fittings made of high-strength polypropylene PPR-100 with diameters from 20 to 110 mm. The pipes are intended for drinking and domestic cold and hot water supply systems, as well as for process pipelines transporting non-aggressive liquids and gases. The company produces multilayer polypropylene pipes VALTEC PP-FIBER, reinforced with glass fiber and PP-ALUX - aluminum foil.

The form of delivery of pipes is 2 and 4 meter sections. A fairly modest set of fittings and shut-off valve elements.

The construction market reacts sluggishly to the products of this brand.

KALDE

KALDE is well known for its quality products. The line is represented by unreinforced, aluminum and fiberglass reinforced pipes with a diameter of 20 to 110 mm.

Advantages of KALDE reinforced pipes:

• Reduction of linear expansion by 75%;
• Increased throughput by 20%;
• High impact strength at low temperatures;
• High stability.

All pipeline elements are made of white and gray polypropylene.

The range of fittings includes polypropylene, combined with metal, threaded brass, compression and press fittings. In addition to pipe products, there is no shortage of manifolds, wall kits, ball valves and valves on the market. The manufacturer offers coarse filters, equipment for installation and welding.

JAKKO

Jakko was founded in 2002 in Kazakhstan as a joint venture with Turkey. The company quickly established a wide dealer network in the CIS and ensured the supply of high-quality products. In 2006, it switched to its own production in Turkey.

This brand produces a standard set of polypropylene products in the diameter range from 20 to 125 mm. The brand is little known, the products are little studied, and the reviews are contradictory. For this reason, it is very difficult to recommend Jakko products. Practitioners refer to the identity of Jakko products in terms of quality and range of related materials with VALTEC. And here the price of products in a particular region can play a decisive role.

China

The products of most Chinese enterprises are not of good quality. The building materials market is no exception. But there are two companies worthy of attention.

BLUE OCEAN

The Blue Ocean International Holdings group of companies (UK) is currently one of the largest producers and exporters. Products under this brand are sold in 42 countries. Production is located in China.

The market offers a full range of unreinforced and reinforced pipes for the installation of cold, hot water supply and heating pipelines. Pipes and fittings are manufactured with diameters from 20 to 160 mm for operating temperatures up to 60°C and pressures up to 1.0 MPa.

The manufacturer claims thermal versatility and the ability to use pipes for coolant with temperatures up to +95°C.

The main advantage of Blue Ocean products is their relatively low price. Among the shortcomings, one can note the heterogeneity of the color of the pipes and different shades of color in the batch, as well as a large number of fakes of this brand.

DYZAIN

A large range of unreinforced and reinforced polypropylene pipes is presented by DIZAYN Grup. The product is produced in strands and in coils of two colors - gray and white. The product line is complemented by a wide selection of fittings, fasteners, feedthroughs and tools.

Good quality and reasonable price are the main advantages of this brand.

Diameters of polypropylene pipes for heating

The main characteristic of products is the cross-sectional size - diameter, measured in mm. The home heating network consists of different sections, which for better effect are equipped with pipes of different diameters:

• from 100 to 200 mm are used for centralized supply of hot water to multi-storey buildings and public civil buildings.
• from 25 to 32 mm are used for connecting private houses and small buildings.
• Hot water is supplied through horizontal sections of distribution with a diameter of 20 mm, vertical risers are equipped with a diameter of 25 mm.

The presented table clearly shows the gradation of diameter changes depending on the amount of heat flow.

Russia

Domestic manufacturers of polypropylene pipes on the construction market are represented by the companies POLITEK, RVK, PRO AQUA, SANTRADE and HEISSKRAFT. Good quality, a wide range of products on store shelves and a clearly structured supply chain distinguish the top three.

RVC

The RVC trademark belongs to Orenburg. The company produces unreinforced pipes PN 10, PN 20 with diameters from 16 to 125 mm. Reinforced with aluminum “speciAL” (PP-R/AL/PP-R) in the range from 20 to 63 mm and fiberglass “PBK-ORANGE” (PP-R/GF-PP-R/PP-R) with a diameter of up to 125 mm.

The company produces a full line of fittings and fasteners.

The main drawback of RVK pipes at first was the failure to maintain the exact diameter of pipes from different batches. Today, according to the company itself, this flaw no longer exists.

PRO AQUA

The only manufacturer producing polypropylene pipes capable of withstanding a pressure of 79.5 atm. This safety margin guarantees a long service life of the pipeline. The pipes are designed for an operating temperature of +95°C.

According to test data, the strength of PRO AQUA pipes is 1.6 times higher than that of Chinese analogues.

Pipe diameter from 20 to 125 mm. The company produces a full set of fittings, bypass elbows, fasteners and installation parts, valves, ball valves and filters.

HEISSKRAFT

HEISSKRAFT began producing polypropylene pipes in 2005. The company has installed modern equipment from leading European companies. It allows us to produce products of the highest quality and a wide range. Pipes of this brand are used for cold and hot water supply and high-temperature heating. Most pipes are designed for a liquid operating temperature of +90°C.

In addition to pipes and fittings, HEISSKRAFT produces pipeline fittings, pumps and components.

Most product reviews are positive. The only complaint is the gray color of the polypropylene pipes. This is explained by the special addition of technical soot to the raw materials. Carbon black is a good stabilizer and improves the technical characteristics of pipes.

Conclusion

As this review has shown, the optimal polypropylene pipes for heating a house are pipes reinforced with aluminum. They can withstand high pressure and operating coolant temperatures up to +90°C.

Products from Russian manufacturers should be purchased in a comprehensive manner. At the same time as the pipes, purchase polypropylene fittings from the same company so that the completed pipelines are uniform. Domestic products in many cases have the same technical characteristics as their foreign counterparts, but benefit in cost.

If the choice is made in favor of imported analogues, then the more preferable option is the products of Turkish companies.

In any case, you should choose the company whose product range is more fully represented in your region.

How to choose a soldering iron for polypropylene pipes

The assembly of any pipeline using polypropylene is carried out by welding. All pipe sections of the required length are connected into a system of the required configuration using special fittings. They are selected according to the size of the selected pipes.

On a note! You must buy connectors and pipes from the same company. In this case, there will be no problems with joining the parts, and the melting temperature will be identical. After all, both overheating and underheating of various elements negatively affects the connection, which threatens a rupture in this place of the system.

The structure of a soldering iron for polypropylene pipes.

For a tight and airtight connection with the fittings, the pipes and these parts are heated to the melting point of polypropylene. This is done with special soldering irons. Sometimes they are also called irons or welding machines. It’s worth talking separately about how to choose a soldering iron for polypropylene pipes.