Stainless steel pipe or PP-R, multilayer or PEX? Comparison of materials for hydro-sanitary installations Choosing the right type of Stainless Steel Pipe Fittings Manufacturers is crucial for the correct operation and durability of a sanitary or plumbing installation. The materials of the pipes are those that determine the technical characteristics of the pipes: their quality, durability, price, etc. In this article, we will review some of the most commonly used pipe types and which applications are best suited for. Choosing the appropriate pipe The fundamental factors when choosing one material or another are: • The technical adaptation of the stainless steel 304 buttweld fittings to the type of fluid and installation (drinking water, heating, solar system, industrial, etc.) • Its competitiveness in the final installation, taking Take into account factors such as the insulation of the pipe or the joining systems used for its installation (pressing, threading or welding) Today mixed installations are made; there is no reason to choose a single type of material for a complete work. Respecting the manufacturers' guidelines, different types of pipes can coexist for each application. A distinction should be made between installations that require small pipe diameters or large diameters. Small diameter piping: Plumbing and heating installations Choosing the appropriate pipe Regarding its technical characteristics, stainless steel pipe and multi-layer pipe perform similarly in plumbing and heating applications for temperatures not exceeding 90 degrees. In this case, both materials and very similar expansions. In the case of solar thermal installations for domestic hot water, the use of stainless steel is recommended as it withstands temperatures of up to 200 degrees using specific gaskets resistant to high temperatures. Many professionals question whether the 316 Stainless Steel Fittings chokes the fluid passage, but it is true that this choking is corrected with the so-called "speed effect" or "speed effect". This refers to the behavior of the fluid flow when it passes through the throttled tube in the part and comes out again to a larger diameter. Regarding its physical properties, multilayer pipe has a similar behavior as stainless steel because, thanks to its aluminum layer, when it bends the tube, it maintains its shape. However, PEX pipes tend to correct themselves and lose this curvature. Between the PEX pipe and the multilayer, if we talk about a large housing development, the installation with multilayer will be somewhat more expensive since it has an aluminum layer that gives it greater rigidity. In small diameters (up to 32 mm, for example) the PEX pipe is more competitive. Piping in large diameters: Industrial sector and large works With large diameters (greater than 32mm), Stainless Steel Flanges manufacturers are referring to industrial uses or works such as hospitals, schools, universities, shopping centers, underground parking lots, hostels and restaurants, etc. in auxiliary services such as fire fighting systems, tank cleaning ducts, compressed air or gas. In this type of works we must also take into account the pressure to which the pipes are subjected. Systems such as multilayer support up to 10 bars, while systems such as stainless steel certify a working pressure of up to 16 bars.
