The durability of PEX tubing. Myths and Reality.
Advertising as we know, the motor trade. And it is the power of this engine often depends the successful implementation of products. But we must not forget that too much press on the gas pedal leads to sad consequences.
However, the question as it might seem, would not the practice of advertising or driving lessons, but the sad examples of unprofessional or even worse, intentional approach to bringing the pipes of polymer materials to the consumer.
The very first thing that interested buyer – the possible scope of pipes and the main operating parameters. Given that PEX tubing have been widely used in USA for domestic water and radiant heating systems only in the last four years, yet for some of these products are a novelty, so the temptation to offer a consumer PEX tubing, which “may” work everywhere, even in systems heating with superheated steam, alas, is too large.
So, after visiting the exhibition or in the office of a company, you get a booklet (or hot assurances), in which black and white – working temperature “our pipes” (usually Metal) +95 ° C, pressure 0.1 MPa. Lifetime while 50 years! But it’s not all. In order to finally slay the client, followed by a modest postscript: “possibly short-term increase in temperature up to +110 ° C” (the record of such a “possible” increase, as recorded by the author, +135 ° C). Needless to say, such a fantastic settings have on inexperienced consumers magical effect. As a result of PEX tubing installed in heating systems, where the coolant used superheated steam. Taking place due to the amateurish approach of the accident completely wrongly formed a negative attitude to PEX tubing. It is doubly a pity that in Chicago the same “rake” is already advanced in the 60′s, when polymer materials and the experience of their practical application were a novelty.
At the same time, industrialized countries have relied on improving the regulatory framework governing the application of PEX tubing. As a result – today more than 80% of pipelines are made of polymer materials. Low failure rate and high degree of reliability and durability of PEXs engineering services provided by, firstly, clearly copying the requirements contained in the instruments and, secondly, skilled installation of pipelines, which should be carried out specialists, specially trained and have the corresponding license for such work.
What does it say exists in Chicago normative documentation about the durability of PEX tubing? First of all, SNIP 2.04.01-85 * “Domestic PEX plumbing and sewerage of buildings” specifies only the upper permissible temperature limit of operation of hot water +75 ° C, with an estimated useful life of 25-30 years, and SNIP 2.04.05-91 * “Heating , ventilation and air conditioning “- +95 ° C with the same period of operation. As will be seen from the following data for specific types of pipe temperature at +95 ° C is inflated. Lack of information in SNIP 2.04.01-85 *, revealing a direct relationship between the durability of the pipeline on the working temperature and pressure, often introduces inexperienced consumers of PEX tubing in error. Representations of the many vendors that their pipes are designed for temperature +95 ° C and pressure of 10 atm is absolutely nothing about their life in such settings. With these values of the working temperature and pressure, any PEX tube will serve no more than 2-3 years. Where is the fantasy life of 50 years?
