What pipe diameter to use for plumbing Numbers and a detailed overview
What pipe diameter to use for plumbing depends on many factors that are well known to plumbers and installers. Therefore, if you are building a house from scratch, do not be stingy and pay for the services of a professional - retrofitting will later cost much more. Yes, and the normal atmosphere in the house can be greatly shaken by problems with water. But if you have plans to replace the existing intra-apartment water supply system, you can decide on the diameter of the pipes yourself - you don’t need to lay a water supply, the main riser is installed, so too complicated thoughts are not expected.
You just need to remember the main points. In general, if, as the famous classical poet said, you want your plumbing to be akin in quality and expected service life to “worked by the slaves of Rome”, then certain features and nuances should be taken into account.
Another caveat: the diameter of the pipes is always given in inches. For us, this unit of measurement is unusual, and some manufacturers and many hardware stores give dimensions in millimeters. However, to facilitate orientation, we offer a conversion table for the most common sizes. The first two diameters are pipes that supply water to plumbing fixtures, including taps, the last are the sizes of pipes most used in risers.
Number of turns and transitions
Standard pipe in 25 mm. capable of driving through itself 30 liters per minute at a standard flow rate of 0.02 km / s. If the riser is mounted from a pipe with a diameter of 32 mm, then the throughput will increase to 50 liters in the same minute. And if you are interested in what pipe diameter to use for plumbing in an apartment in a multi-storey building, the data provided is quite enough for the right choice. The development of a wiring diagram for a private house is best left to professional plumbers.
Advantages and disadvantages of metal
All variants of pipes made of this material are highly durable. Therefore, they can be selected, having correctly selected the diameter, for installing a water supply system in private housing or in an apartment in particularly difficult areas. They perfectly tolerate both internal and external loads.
If copper or stainless steel is used, then the structure made from them will last a very long time. But there are also some disadvantages, for example:
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Big weight.
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Susceptibility to corrosion.
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High price.
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Assembly complexity.
Therefore, such pipes are rarely used for plumbing apartments; it is more reasonable to use them in industrial enterprises. Especially where a large diameter is required.
Pipe coupling is carried out in two ways: collapsible and non-collapsible. During collapsible assembly, the coupling of all pipe sections to each other is carried out by means of threaded fittings and other connecting elements. For this work, wrenches are required. But the process itself is quite long and complicated. For non-separable installation, welding is used, especially if the riser has a large diameter. The process is much simpler than described above, but requires specialized tools and experience. And what methods to use, it's up to homeowners to decide.
Choosing pipes
It is best to act according to a certain scheme. First you need to make a list of the desired characteristics of the pipes, and then proceed with the selection.
In the list we evaluate:
- pressure inside the system;
- type of water supply;
- recommended diameter;
- desired value.
It would not be superfluous to add a few additional parameters, such as: the total volume of the water supply system, the type of wiring, media, etc.
Let's go through the list one by one.What you need to know first of all is what pressure is expected inside the future pipeline.
The higher the pressure, the stronger the pipes take. The pressure may also depend on the type of water supply system. In hot water pipes, it is usually much higher.
The pressure directly affects the choice of pipes, since different pressure levels correspond to different types of products.
Try to choose the most ideal option. Do not take pipes whose nominal pressure is less than the working one. With a high probability they will break through. Strongly overdo it with strength, too, there is no need. The stronger the product, the higher its cost. And you are unlikely to want to overpay unnecessarily.
Diameter also has some effect. However, it is impossible to determine one single working diameter of the pipes. At the very least, you need to take pipes with three different sizes. Large diameter for risers, medium for base branches and smallest for side outlets, as well as direct plumbing connections.
If classical collector wiring is meant, then the number of sizes is reduced to two or even one. We will talk about this in more detail in the section on wiring.
Popular materials
It is better to trust proven materials, so we recommend that you pay attention to modern polymer tubular products. Plastic in our time for apartment water supply systems is best suited
Here is a list of its advantages:
Plastic in our time for apartment water supply systems is best suited. Here is a list of its advantages:
- low cost;
- the ability to choose any diameter;
- resistance to corrosion;
- durability;
- ease of installation;
- practicality;
- functionality;
- large selection of products.
There are also unobvious advantages. For example, with plastic products, you can save a lot not only due to their low price, but also due to the possibility of easily combining a wide variety of products.
Remember what a regular steel piping is. This is a pipeline consisting entirely of steel pipe sections of a single sample. The level of pressure, the temperature of the working medium, the type of system - all this rarely matters when we are dealing with steel.
There is either no difference between the parts of the pipeline, or it will be completely insignificant. The only important parameter is the diameter. The diameter in metal pipes affects everything, including their cost.
Choosing the type of wiring
There are two main ways in which wiring inside the apartment is planned. There is a breakdown:
- consistent;
- collector.
Serial or tee wiring is a classic option. It implies a serial connection from a single riser.
A pipe is led from the riser to one or more rooms, a tee cuts into it in the right places and an additional branch is led to the next room. Branches are made from this branch for each plumbing fixture.
Collector wiring - connecting all pipes to a single node. Several branches depart from it, as a rule, at least 10. Each branch is connected to some kind of its own device.
Which option is better? Difficult to say. Collector wiring is more expensive, but only if you need to supply several rooms. But she is more mobile. The pressure in the pipeline is distributed more evenly. If one pipe breaks or clogs, it doesn’t matter, because each branch is isolated and performs separate functions.
Consistent wiring makes it necessary to buy a lot of pipes, tees, to actually assemble the system from pieces, which is not always convenient. But it is advantageous to pull it through several remote rooms. In this case, a series connection is much cheaper than a collector one.
Polypropylene pipes
This material is the leader in the number of applications.As well as hot water pipes made of metal-plastic, it can operate at an energy carrier temperature of up to 95 degrees and withstand short-term increases of up to 115 degrees.
The disadvantages include a significant coefficient of thermal expansion.
Installation of pipes requires serious consideration of their fastening, otherwise, significant deformation may occur. This disadvantage is somewhat reduced in aluminum-reinforced polypropylene pipes.
The advantages include low cost, reliability of connections, which are carried out by the method of low-temperature soldering (welding). Even a novice installer will be able to make a system. These pipes will be quite appropriate if it is necessary to hide the wiring behind the lining or when laying in a strobe.
New - cross-linked polyethylene
This material appeared on the market relatively recently. It differs significantly in quality from its predecessor, ordinary polyethylene. It can be used for transporting hot liquids.
These plastic pipes for hot and cold water are highly durable, manufacturers claim a period of 100 years. The material has excellent flexibility, which greatly simplifies installation work, especially when it comes to complex configurations.
The disadvantages of pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene include their significant cost, such material cannot be called budgetary even with great desire.
Features of the choice of pipe diameter
Only a person professionally engaged in the installation of heating and water supply systems can make the correct selection of the necessary pipe parameters. The diameter of plastic pipes for hot water pipeline must be selected based on many factors.
Of great importance is the required water flow, the length of the line, the resistance coefficient of pipes, and a number of other indicators. Therefore, it is still better to entrust the calculation of the system to a specialist.
Most often, a half-inch pipe is used for intra-apartment wiring, a three-quarter pipe is used for the installation of hot water risers, in some cases (significant water consumption), the diameter can be increased to one inch.
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A variety of materials allows you to choose a pipe suitable for various conditions. The quality of the plastic already makes it possible not to think of it as a material that melts easily. Under the conditions of standard hot water supply lines, critical temperatures are not created, so you can safely use plastic pipes for the installation of such systems, their reliability has already been tested over the years of operation.
The choice of pipes for the water supply system
When choosing a pipe, it is important to consider the parameters and characteristics of the product
You need to pay attention to the following points:. It is necessary to take into account the indicators of strength and reliability of pipe products, cost, as well as ease of installation.
It is impossible to give a simple and unambiguous answer to the question of which species are better. We propose to consider in more detail the characteristics of different types of pipes to find out what to look for when choosing
It is necessary to take into account the indicators of strength and reliability of pipe products, cost, as well as ease of installation. It is impossible to give a simple and unambiguous answer to the question of which types are better.
We propose to consider in more detail the characteristics of different types of pipes to find out what to look for when choosing
