Polypropylene pipes due to operational parameters, aesthetic appearance and ease of assembly, are often used in the installation of utilities. Thanks to reinforcement technology, the reliability and durability of pipes increases while maintaining all technological characteristics polypropylene pipes are not only comparable in quality to metal pipes, but also superior to them.
However, for long-term and reliable operation of the pipeline system it is necessary correct processing, stripping the ends when connecting.
A reinforced pipe is a product with three layers: two polypropylene and one reinforcing. The structural reinforcing shell ensures that strength is maintained in the event of sudden temperature changes.
Such an indicator is like a coefficient temperature elongation 6% higher for pipes with aluminum reinforcement, which increases the durability and reliability of the pipeline in which reinforced pipes are used.
The presence of an aluminum layer in the polymer pipe allows maintaining high temperatures and prevents rupture of communications in the system. Tempera tour jumps are compensated due to the flexibility of the reinforcing base. Reinforcement is performed in two ways:
- Using fiberglass.
- By using aluminum foil.
Reinforced products are produced both with a solid sheet of aluminum foil and in the form of a mesh with perforations. The viscous polymer flows through the aluminum holes and creates a strong bond with protective layer, increasing the reliability of tubular products even at increased high-temperature loads.
Why is cleaning required?
If fiberglass reinforcement does not require additional cleaning of the ends of the pipes, then when installing with aluminum it must be removed and cleaned.
During installation, molten aluminum does not provide a tight connection with propylene, and it is necessary to prevent contact of the metal with water at the junction of pipes and fittings, and to avoid corrosion processes.
Attention! During the cleaning process, the oxidized layer is removed and various kinds contamination from the surface of polypropylene pipes. This prepares the edge of the pipeline for a reliable welding joint.
Stripping methods and technology
Getting started with installation reinforced pipes, you must first select a cleaning tool. These can be either manual or mechanical devices.
Popularity on modern market plastic pipes difficult to dispute. They are found in every second apartment or house. Homeowners with plastic pipes can be understood. This material is durable, reliable, but at the same time very mobile, low in weight, low in cost and easy to process.
Particularly popular of the four plastic pipelines have . They are further processed for even greater efficiency.
However, there are some nuances regarding interaction with polypropylene pipes. In particular for plastic products you need to buy several of this type additional tools that carry out trimming. Without trimming, certain classes of polypropylene pipes cannot be soldered to each other.
What is it and why is it needed? Now let's find out more.
Contents of the article
Features of the material
Polypropylene, like any other construction plastic, is a special polymer with a certain set of properties.
It would take a long time to list them, let’s highlight only the most important ones:
- strength;
- ease;
- ease of maintenance;
- the ability to manipulate segments at your discretion;
- no reaction to corrosion;
- low price;
It is thanks to these points that they have gained such wild popularity in the market.
But plastic products also have disadvantages. Before you buy them, you need to read the list weaknesses specific material. In particular, perhaps the most big problem plastic – its vulnerable reaction to temperature changes.
Plastic does not like too high temperatures. If you pour water with a temperature above 100 degrees, that is, boiling water, into such a pipe, then the plastic, as people say, will float. It will become soft and pliable. In this state it is easy to deform, and here it is not far from breakdown.
Actually, there is nothing extraordinary in this behavior. Almost any plastic behaves the same way. But it floats not only in extremely high temperatures.
Even just hot water affects polypropylene in a certain way. We are talking about the expansion coefficient of the pipe. For plastic this indicator is quite high, but for steel and other metals it is extremely low.
WITH low temperatures Not everything is fine either. If from hot water When polypropylene softens, it bursts at extremely low temperatures, especially when water freezes inside. And it bursts unexpectedly. In general, as you yourself understand, when contacting low temperatures, things also take an unpleasant turn.
It is for such purposes that reinforcement of plastic products was invented.
Reinforced polypropylene
In construction language, reinforcement is the process of introducing inside load-bearing structure strengthening and supporting frame, which prevents the destruction of the working material, and also improves its resistance to bending and compression loads.
But don't be scared right away. Nobody shoves steel frames into polypropylene pipes. In our case, the loads are quite low, and the goal of the manufacturers remains the same - to create a lightweight and durable material with low price. Therefore, two materials are used as a reinforcement layer:
- fiberglass;
- aluminum foil.
Fiberglass is stronger, but much more expensive. It is indicated inside polypropylene pipe the stripe is definitely a color. Red color – durable fiberglass.
Green or blue are weaker samples with average performance. Although everything of course depends on the manufacturer. Therefore, before you buy a pipe of one type or another, you should contact a consultant.
Aluminum foil reinforcement is much more widespread in our area. In fact, in some stores it will be quite problematic to buy fiberglass-reinforced polypropylene, while products with foil reinforcement are found everywhere.
A machine is used to form the reinforcement layer. The machine wraps the foil onto a pipe blank, then inserts it into a second blank.
The output is the same polypropylene pipe, but with a much more adequate response to temperature changes.
Why is cleaning necessary?
Reinforcement has its advantages, but there are also disadvantages. The disadvantages relate to the complexity of working with polypropylene.
The fact is that stripping for polypropylene pipes, if we're talking about about reinforced samples is simply necessary.
Without it, gluing pipes to each other or to fittings is impossible. Or rather, you can try it at any time, but the result will not please you. A layer of foil will constantly interfere. It will either not allow normal bonding at all, or it will grab very weakly.
Stripping is precisely what is needed so that the edge of the round or profile pipes you could first remove the reinforcement layer and then securely and quickly fasten it in any way you wish.
Note that only pipes with foil reinforcement need stripping. Fiberglass samples do not face such limitations. Actually, that's why they cost more.
Stripping Tools
You cannot clean a pipe with your bare hands: you must first select and buy a cleaning tool.
In addition, the tool for polypropylene pipes differs depending on what tasks are assigned to it.
So, in our time, masters use:
- shaver;
- trimmer
A shaver is a tool that strongly resembles a coupling with holes and applied handles. Its task is to clean the external pipe from the plastic layer, and then remove the reinforcement.
After processing, the shaver leaves pure polypropylene without reinforcement, burrs, or other inconveniences.
Inside the shaver is equipped with knives made of tool steel. The outside of its body is made of light metals. It works the same way as a pencil sharpener. Only the cut of the knives is smoother and is designed for the solid structure of polypropylene. You also need to work with it in the same way as with a sharpener.
Plant it, make a few turns (usually no more than 5) and you’re done. Shavers sell for up to $10 per unit.
A trimmer is a tool of a similar type. If the shaver is intended for external stripping of reinforcement, then the trimmer is used for internal stripping.
It already resembles a modified one. Only, unlike a tap, it does not cut threads, but cuts off polypropylene shavings along with the reinforcement.
It makes sense to use a trimmer when pipes are supposed to be soldered through a machine with heating at inside pipes. The cost of a manual trimmer is 5-8 dollars. There are also more expensive models.
Mechanized nozzles are also available. They are mounted on a drill or machine. The parts in question demonstrate amazing efficiency.
The machine cleans single pipe literally in a second, and the quality of stripping is simply perfect. But not everyone has access to such equipment. During repairs or construction in living conditions The machine can completely replace a manual shaver and trimmer.
Review and interaction with polypropylene pipes (video)
Stripping and soldering
The workflow is simple and can be easily done manually. All you need to do is strip the pipe and then fasten it to another section or by heating.
Stages of work:
- We are preparing tools and materials.
- We clean it with a shaver or trimmer.
- If necessary, remove excess or burrs.
- We solder the sections.
It is advisable not to overdo it with stripping. Three to five turns good tool quite enough. If you strip more, the layer of polypropylene at the junction of the pipes will become too thin, and this can already weaken the entire structure.
What kind of cleanup? For what? Is the pipe dirty? What's there to clean up, it's even?
In order not to ask these and many other questions to experienced installers, causing them to smile condescendingly, let’s try to figure out for ourselves when and why it is needed - stripping for polypropylene pipes.
Reinforcement
Polypropylene is a material that has a lot of advantages, but along with them it also has some features. When choosing it for your home, especially for hot water supply and heating systems, they must be taken into account.
There are two main points to remember:
- Limited at the top by 95 degrees operating temperature . Although according to current standards the water temperature in engineering systems apartment building and is limited to the same 95 C, in fact, under certain circumstances this value can be exceeded. This is more like force majeure, but it happens.
- High coefficient of thermal expansion. The flexibility of polypropylene allows it to compensate to a large extent thermal expansion, but there are situations where any pipe displacement is undesirable.
Let's take, for example, laying a polypropylene pipe under screed or plaster.
Reinforcement completely solves the second problem and partly the first. almost does not expand when heated. In addition, at the temperature at which it begins to soften, the reinforcement will keep it from deforming.
Advice: do not rely entirely on reinforcement and install polypropylene, say, on the supply water supply elevator unit in Siberia, where the coolant temperature in winter can exceed well over a hundred.
At a minimum, connections with fittings, having softened, may not withstand pressure.
Types of reinforcement
Two materials are usually used as fittings for polypropylene pipes:
- Aluminum foil- a layer of aluminum with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters, located outside the pipe or inside it, between layers of polypropylene. The method of connecting it to polypropylene is glue; it can be solid or perforated.
- Fiberglass mesh. To be precise, then fiberglass reinforced the pipes are a three-layer structure, where the inner and outer layers are polypropylene, and the middle one is a mixture of polypropylene and fiberglass.
So, what does cleaning of polypropylene pipes have to do with it?
The fact is that if your polypropylene pipes are reinforced with aluminum, then before welding with the fitting, the aluminum foil must be removed from the joint.
Why is cleaning necessary?
External reinforcing layer
In case the aluminum foil is the outer shell, everything is clear. The very principle of connecting a pipe to a fitting implies that not only the inner surface of the fitting, but also the outside of the pipe must be melted; molten polypropylene will weld with aluminum extremely poorly. No way, so as not to lie.
Internal reinforcement
What if the aluminum layer is inside the pipe? It will not come into contact with the welding site.
In this case, the removal of aluminum is necessary so that the aluminum does not come into contact with water. Otherwise, if there is at least some potential difference, electrochemical processes begin inside the heating system, leading to the gradual destruction of the reinforcing film.
The consequence of this is pipe delamination and a decrease in the strength of the connection as a whole.
Fiberglass
And only here everything is simple: when reinforced with fiberglass, stripping is not necessary for polypropylene pipes. The mesh is located inside the pipe; it does not contact the inner surface of the fitting; not afraid of water.
Tools
Tools for stripping polypropylene pipes can be divided into two main categories:
- Manual stripping;
- Drill attachments.
The former often have handles (removable or non-removable) that make using the tool more convenient.
The latter can be equally clamped into a drill chuck or installed instead of a drill in a hammer drill (of course, with the impact mode turned off).
Tip: drill attachments do not require much effort, but they make it more difficult to control the stripping process, and polypropylene is a fairly soft material.
If you don’t need to clean dozens of reinforced pipes a day and you haven’t gotten your hands on it yet, it’s better to use hand tools.
The entire list of tools used by professionals when installing polypropylene water pipes comes down to the following list:
- Roulette;
- Pencil;
- Soldering iron for welding;
- Scissors for cutting pipes (compared to a hacksaw or turbine, they give a more even cut; if you only need to install one household water supply, you can easily do without them);
- Stripping tool for polypropylene pipes.
Stripping for the outer layer
Manual strippers for removing the outer layer of aluminum are simple couplings with tool steel knives inside; put it on the pipe - turn it - done. They are often made double-sided, allowing you to work with pipes of two different diameters. Of course, such a tool is much more convenient than two different strippers.
Trimmers
Trimmers - tools for removing the middle layer - differ slightly in appearance from the first category; Inside, their knives are located not along the inner surface of the metal coupling, but at its inner end. The pipe is inserted into the tool with some effort. A few turns and you can pick up a soldering iron.
Drill attachments
They are also divided into tools for removing external or internal reinforcement; The only difference with hand tools is that instead of handles or grooves on the outer surface, which are needed to turn the tool by hand, they have a steel rod at the end that is clamped into a drill or hammer drill.
Clamped it into the drill - and forward
Conclusion
That, in general, is all about this simple instrument. If you are not a professional, do not chase expensive tools, their wear resistance will simply not be in demand by you. As for the rest, the choice is yours.
Quite often, ridiculous situations happen to people. For example, when starting to repair a pipeline in a house, the owner calls installers. Of course, specialists charge a certain amount of money for their work. Final price is formed from the amount of materials spent, as well as the actions they performed. When starting to figure it out, the customer does not always understand what the actions were and why they were performed by the specialists, resulting in a dispute.
Undoubtedly, in this situation the customer looks ridiculous, since, without understanding it, he disputes the final cost. To avoid such a situation, especially regarding the replacement of old pipes with new, polypropylene ones, you should independently understand what a trimmer for polypropylene pipes is and why it is needed.
Undoubtedly, they are the most popular today, as they are endowed with a number of advantages. However, in addition to a large number of advantages, polypropylene also has a number of features that should be taken into account when choosing this material. Don't forget two very important factors when choosing these pipes:
- the maximum liquid temperature should not exceed 95 degrees. Based on current standards, such pipes can be used for laying hot water supply, since the water temperature, according to them, is limited to precisely this mark. However, unforeseen circumstances do occur, but rarely;
- thermal expansion has a high coefficient. The flexibility of the material can compensate for this factor, however, in certain cases, pipe deformation can have a negative effect. An example is hidden pipes under plaster.
Reinforcement can solve both problems to some extent. Of course, the reinforcement copes well with thermal expansion; in addition, it also prevents the plastic from softening and deforming when high temperature heating However correct installation installation of a pipeline requires some knowledge, including how to use a trimmer.
Today there are two options for reinforcing polypropylene pipes:
- using aluminum foil. In this case, the aluminum layer varies between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. This layer can be located both outside the product and inside it. Aluminum is connected to plastic using glue;
- using fiberglass mesh. The design of such pipes consists of three layers - polypropylene, a mixture of fiberglass and polypropylene, polypropylene.
Not many people know, especially when attempting to independently replace and install a pipeline, that before installation it is necessary to clean the reinforcement. But this is very important!
What is it for?
The need for stripping
It is a simple process consisting of several stages. Each stage involves the use special tool, without which cleaning cannot be carried out. One such tool is a polypropylene pipe trimmer. It is worth noting that with fiberglass reinforcement, stripping is not required, since the mesh is securely hidden between polypropylene layers, which saves it from contact with water.
In the case of external or internal aluminum reinforcement, stripping is required mandatory. So, in the first version, the foil covers the upper surface of the pipe. Installation of a pipeline involves connecting its individual elements by means of fittings or gluing. IN in this case a slight melting of both surfaces of the pipe is required. Of course, the polypropylene alloy will in some way weld with aluminum, which will negatively affect the reliability of the structure, and it will crumble over time. This can be easily avoided by stripping the foil.
The second option, when the foil is conveniently located inside the pipe, involves trimming the polypropylene pipes, since the aluminum will be in direct contact with water. If we omit the trimming procedure, then the slightest potential difference will lead to destruction of the structure as a result of electrochemical processes.
Tools
It is easiest to remove foil for external reinforcement. Will help in this matter simple tools– couplings with steel blades inside. They are easy to use, you just need to insert the pipe into the cavity of the coupling and turn, the blades will do their job quickly and accurately. It is very convenient to use double-sided couplings, with the help of which it is easy to produce pipes having a different diameter from each other.
Internal cleaning is carried out using a trimmer. Externally, the design of the trimmer is practically no different from the design of the couplings. So, this tool is a muff, the blades of which are located on the inner end of the device. As in the first option, you need to insert the pipe into the cavity of the device and make several turns.
A universal tool that can be used to remove reinforcement, both internal and external, is a drill with special attachments. Externally, they differ from the same end saw by the presence of a steel rod, which is necessary for installation in the drill socket.
Trimmer - what is it?
A few words were mentioned above about the trimmer and why pipes need to be trimmed. It is worth taking a closer look at this instrument and understanding its structure. Quite often you can hear another name for a trimmer - a stripping tool for stripping the middle layer. This name is fully justified by the specialization of the tool, with which it is easy to clean the internal reinforcement of the pipe.
The trimmer device for polypropylene pipes allows you to quickly clean the pipe from foil to the depth required to connect it to the fitting. Inside the tool there are steel knives, which, when turning the tool, carefully cut the foil to the required level.
It is worth noting that modern trimmers are equipped with a system of adjustable knives. Thanks to this, it became possible to purchase a one-time tool that is suitable for working with pipes different manufacturers. Using the regulator, you can quickly adjust the knives to any level of foil placement. In addition, trimmers are available for sale, on both sides of which there are cavities designed for pipes of various diameters. This approach also allows you to avoid wasting money on purchasing additional tools.
When carrying out constant cleaning work, it is recommended to purchase a drill attachment in the form of a trimmer. In this case, a person will not need to clean the pipe manually. The drill allows you to process large number pipes in a short period of time without the use of physical force.
It's worth saying that automatic cleaning Suitable only for large and regular volumes of work. One-time trimming should be done manually. It is important to remember that polypropylene is soft material, and the slightest deviation will damage the pipe. Manual trimming is not capable of harming the product.
Dimensions and cost
Today you can find a large number of varieties of tools on sale, and the trimmer is no exception. Price of this instrument varies from 300 rubles to 1000. Of course, you can find goods for more high price. When choosing a tool, you need to carefully examine its condition. There should be no damage or burrs. Any imperfection could damage the pipe when it is placed in the end saw, or the pipe may not fit into the end saw at all. You should be equally careful about the condition of the blades. It is important that they are made of steel; softer material may be damaged when in contact with aluminum or may not cut through it.
You can also find replacement blades for the tool on sale. Of course, over time and with frequent use they can become unusable. Replacing blades is much easier than buying a new tool. The most popular today are end-cutters designed for pipes of the following sizes:
- 20/25 mm;
- 32/40 mm;
- 50/63 mm.
The cost of a product directly depends on its size. Thus, a trimmer for small pipes will cost much less than an analogue designed for pipes with dimensions of 50/63 mm.
The procedure for stripping a pipe (in its classical sense) consists of removing part of the outer layer of polypropylene and aluminum foil from the edge of the pipe so that the pipe and fitting can be welded using socket thermal welding. Some “experts” believe that since pipes reinforced in the middle do not require stripping the outer layer of polypropylene, it is not necessary to strip them from the end of the pipe. However, this is not true.
Process pipe stripping, especially large diameters, is quite a labor-intensive task. Many installation companies would be happy to avoid the need to remove the aluminum layer before welding. And when a tempting and easy way To achieve this, some installers, despite the recommendations of responsible manufacturers, and often even without knowing anything about them, began to install systems without using a stripping (facing) tool.
Fig.1.
Fig.2. Ender for pipes reinforced with foil in the middle. Top view.
As short empirical experience in the installation and operation of polypropylene pipes shows, aluminum reinforced in the middle without end stripping of the metal, nothing critical in the short term. The pipes are welded without stripping as standard, the system is pressurized, water is released, and everything seems to be fine.
Fig.3. Installation of reinforced polypropylene pipes. In front of you are two pipes. One of them (right) was stripped before connecting to the fitting (the foil is melted, there will be no contact of aluminum with water), the other (left) was not stripped
But, as the thousand-year experience of human civilization shows, free cheese comes only in mousetraps. Main reason, for which most manufacturers responsible to the consumer advise the use of special end strippings, is a fleeting electrochemical corrosion of aluminum foil, leading to delamination of the combined pipe and its operational degradation.
Fig.4. Installation of reinforced polypropylene pipes. Unfinished pipe. Physical degradation and stratification are visible. As a result, leaks and cracking occur over time.
Polypropylene pipes with smooth inner surface , indeed, do not overgrow and are not subject to corrosion, however, in the case of pipes reinforced in the middle and reinforced “from the inside,” they can not only overgrow (the polypropylene will swell inward, partially blocking the internal section), but also partially rot due to aluminum corrosion.
After reading everything written above, an inexperienced user or installer may exclaim in their hearts: “How confusing everything is! I'll do it better system on metal-plastic" (approx. the generally accepted name for a pipe with a PEX/AL/PEX layer structure). However, there is no need to rush, everything is actually simple and clear. We take classic pipes with reinforcement closer to the outer edge of the pipe. Bearing in mind that almost any more or less large object has a hammer drill, we buy a special cleaning attachment for a hammer drill for relatively little money and without special effort, using the adjustable torque of the tool, remove the outer layer of polypropylene along with the aluminum. For those who do not have a hammer drill, but have to clean different sizes of pipes, we can recommend a new cleaning tool - hand shaver(stripping) for four main pipe sizes (20, 25, 32, 40 mm).
Fig.5. Installation of reinforced polypropylene pipes. Tools for stripping polypropylene pipes reinforced with aluminum. The photo shows an attachment for a hammer drill, a universal stripping tool for four standard sizes of pipes and a standard stripping tool for two standard sizes
The only pipes that mostly have the properties of reinforced pipes and do not require stripping are the so-called fiberglass pipes. Such pipes have a three-layer structure with a middle layer of compound (mixture), which contains a premix of fiberglass and polypropylene. That is, during the welding process, this layer can also be welded from the end, and even more so it will not enter into chemical reactions and corrode. Since all three layers of these pipes contain polypropylene and are basically the same type, these pipes are produced by coextrusion, i.e. The layers of the pipe are superimposed on each other at one point in time. In this case, there is no need to first pass any layer through water bath, and use bonding layers of adhesive.
Rice. 6. Glass fiber reinforced polypropylene pipes do not require stripping.
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