Some time ago there was no problem of choice. If the heating is only steel pipes, maybe, if you are very lucky, galvanized ones and only the "celestials" could supply stainless steel, a few could boast of copper. But it was metal anyway. There are other options today. Moreover, they are often better (for some cases) than all of the above, although there are no ideal ones, there are only more suitable for these conditions and the system. For example, stainless steel is known for its reliability and long service life. But pipes from it are not recommended for heating, for the reason that the system is welded in air. As a result, the alloying materials burn out, depriving the areas adjacent to the welding site of "stainless" characteristics, due to which the seam is destroyed within months and the system flows. And vice versa, such seemingly unreliable polymer pipes behave and feel great in heating systems of houses and apartments when using boilers with automatic control.
How to choose pipes for heating
When choosing the type of material, you need to go from the operating conditions and the characteristics of the system itself. You will need to paint the following parameters for yourself:
The presence of certain components in your region will play a fairly large role. Not everywhere there is "exotic" and fittings are far from complete. You can, of course, order through any online store, but then you need to take into account the cost of delivery. In this case, it will also be difficult to purchase / exchange materials or consumables if necessary.
Having decided on these parameters, you can study the characteristics of each material, excluding the unsuitable ones. So you will choose the best option for your case.
What pipes are used for heating
The choice of materials is not that wide - metals (black steel and galvanized, copper) and reinforced polymers - polyethylene, polypropylene. That's basically it. But recently, a new product appeared on the market - corrugated stainless steel, which is inexpensive, and has high performance characteristics, and even simple in installation. True, the operating experience is still very small - a novelty, but all the reviews that are there are positive.
Steel pipes
If we talk only about pipes, then this is the cheapest option. But welding plays an important role in the cost of the system: the services of a good welder are not cheap (and a bad one is not needed) - few people ask for less than 15 thousand for the assembly of an average system. rub. So the result is not so cheap.
In addition to the low price for the material to the merits steel pipes include high resistance to temperature and pressure changes, low thermal expansion, as well as mechanical strength: to damage them, you need tools and remarkable strength.
High heat transfer can be attributed to both pluses and minuses. If the wiring with steel pipes goes inside a heated room, then such heat loss, in principle, is not scary - the heat remains in the room. And if the pipe goes through unheated room (basement, attic, etc.), then they require careful thermal insulation.
Steel pipes for heating are the most budgetary option, but not the best
Disadvantages: heavy weight, installation complexity, low resistance to external influences. They are afraid of freezing - due to low plasticity, frozen water simply bursts pipes. A rough inner surface negatively affects the performance of the system: it leads to an increased resistance to water flow, as well as to the accumulation / deposition of sediments and oxides on the walls. They say the system "silts up" or "overgrows". Sometimes the gap remains a few millimeters, but it takes more than one year to accumulate such an amount of sediment. It is worth saying that not only the quality of the metal and the pipes themselves, but also the composition of the coolant, plays a role in the durability of use in heating systems. In closed systems, there is not so much oxygen, and it quickly binds and reacts, therefore, the pipes are slightly destroyed from the inside. Painting is required to protect against external destructive influences. Moreover, it has to be regularly updated: the paint loses color from temperatures, sometimes peels off, you have to clean everything and paint again. Hidden gasket possible, but very rarely done: after all, ferrous metal is not intended for bricking up: it is too prone to destruction and oxidation.
Galvanized pipes
Quite expensive material. But it is resistant to corrosion, easily tolerates temperature and pressure drops. The pipes are thick-walled: even dancing on it, all that you can damage is to loosen the fasteners in the wall. It will still be possible to achieve a "drop" from the nearest threaded connection (it can be corrected simply by replacing the winding). It's just going to be very inconvenient - using threaded connections. And each thread needs to be cut by hand, and each pipe weighs decently and this procedure takes a lot of time, and effort too. Here are the disadvantages: heavy weight and complexity of assembly, expensive material.
And if you can still use it for external wiring, then for a hidden location in the walls this option also does not work, but already because of the threaded connections, which it is better not to hide in the wall or floor.
Galvanizing is resistant to external influences, but it is painted for aesthetic reasons: the new one looks great, but after a while it is completely unpresentable. The difficulties are the same: the paint changes color and flakes off, it has to be changed.
Copper pipes
Let's start with the pros. Beautiful and corrosion resistant material. The walls of the pipe are nasty inside, so there is little or no deposits. High plasticity and elasticity of the material, which makes it possible to bend in the right places using a pipe bender. The same plasticity allows it to withstand freezing / defrosting. High strength characteristics of the material make it possible to make products thin-walled, so that the weight of the pipes is low. All these properties make it possible to use copper pipes for both outdoor and hidden installation.
Copper pipes for heating - expensive but not ideal
Assembly is easy: with soldering and fittings. Where branching / connection is required, bronze or brass fittings are installed, there are copper fittings for soldering. The ductility of copper makes it possible to directly solder two pipe sections of the same diameter, slightly widening one end (chamfering). The soldering process itself is simple, so it is quite easy to assemble a copper pipeline yourself. Copper itself carries high temperatures easy, but it is recommended to use the pipeline up to 110 ° C - such a limitation is imposed due to the soldering points: at high temperatures, tin can flow and depressurization occurs.
Now about the cons. Copper is an expensive material. And this is a very significant drawback. However, corrosion resistance is also relative. In the presence of a potential difference (and copper is an excellent conductor of current, and in the city there are a lot of stray and induced currents, so there will be a potential difference at any sufficiently long section of the pipe), in a certain environment, and in the presence of oxygen, it oxidizes and decomposes quite actively. As a result, fistulas may appear after a few months. This process is called electrochemical corrosion. You can get rid of it by selecting a neutral medium (by acidity) by adopting grounding and dielectric inserts in the system.
There is one more nuance: copper does not tolerate the proximity of other metals: chemical corrosion begins. So it is impossible to use copper pipes in the same system and aluminum radiators, and elements made of other metals can be connected to copper through brass or bronze fittings.
Another drawback is the same plasticity: several blows to the pipe and it is not a pipe, but a flat piece of iron. The same softness and plasticity leads to rapid abrasion in the presence of abrasive particles in the medium, and when centralized heating enough. In general, it is also not the best option.
Stainless steel for heating
Stainless steel in the form of ordinary / familiar pipes for heating is not applicable: welds collapse quickly. Except for threading and assembling as galvanized, but very decent efforts are required. Such an assembly cannot be called easy. But all the advantages are on the face. But they do this, still very rarely.
Corrugated stainless steel pipes are an excellent choice for heating
Nevertheless, it is possible to make heating from stainless steel: several years ago corrugated stainless steel pipes appeared in our company. They combine the excellent performance characteristics of stainless steel and the flexibility of a corrugation, plus easy assembly on crimp fittings (not under a press, but a conventional crimp with a twist ring) The material turned out to be almost perfect: the only drawbacks are not the best characteristics for the passage of water flow, but high thermal conductivity, which is excellent for warm floors, and not very good for conventional systems. And so the price is low, and lightness (the wall thickness is only 0.3 mm, but the pressure up to 50Bar "holds") and a wide temperature range (not afraid of defrosting). In any case, no real shortcomings have been identified on the forums. All reviews of those operating systems with similar pipes are only positive. Having studied this material in more detail, maybe you will come to the conclusion that corrugated stainless pipes are the best for heating an apartment or house. More.
Reinforced-plastic pipes
Quite a popular material that combines the properties of aluminum and plastic. It is lightweight, durable and chemically neutral. Has a decent enough appearance, is assembled on fittings of three different fixing methods, does not conduct currents, has an inner smooth surface Flexible to a certain extent (can be bent by hand or with a pipe bender), thermal expansion... The MP is suitable both for laying in the floor / wall and for surface mounting. Only collapsible fittings cannot be closed: they need to be tightened periodically, as they begin to "drip", but those that are under the press can be monolithic.
Reinforced-plastic pipes are a good option for heating
There are some restrictions on use in terms of temperature: it can stand up to +110 o C and cannot stand defrosting. But for most systems, this is a perfectly acceptable mode. Among the significant disadvantages: the high cost of the system due to expensive fittings, as well as the narrowed pipe clearance, again, because of the fittings: they have such a design. Such material, if not the best, is quite suitable for both private houses and apartments. It is not suitable for summer cottages - freezing is not allowed, not the most the best choice and for systems with natural circulation - due to a decrease in the clearance of the pipe with fittings.
Polypropylene pipes
Purely polymer pipes can be used in heating, but only in systems where the temperature does not exceed 70 ° C. This solution is far from the best: polypropylene has a very large coefficient of expansion and after warming up, the pipes will sag.
As you can see, there is no perfect solution. There is one that suits your conditions better than others. So you need to find it.
In order not to figure out who is to blame if the heating pipe in the apartment has burst, it is best to carry out maintenance and replacement of communication networks on time. The fact is that in the steel pipes, which are installed in all high-rise buildings, plaque forms over time, which significantly reduces throughput and deteriorating heat transfer. In addition, the metal is destroyed by corrosion, and over time, pipes can simply rust.
It is better not to wait for emergencies and replace pipelines in the current order, this will not only increase reliability, but also improve the heat transfer of the entire system.
Basic system parameters
In order to determine which pipes to use when replacing, it is necessary to understand in what conditions communications work and what influences they are exposed to during operation. It is important that the option you choose meets the following parameters:
| Pressure indicators | One of the most important values, which is often the cause of malfunctions and leaks. Subject to all operating conditions, this indicator ranges from 3.5 to 5 kgf per cm 2. But it is worth remembering that sometimes the system is subjected to short-term pressure surges, which can range from 12 to 25 kgf per cm 2 (with a sharp opening of the valves during filling and in other similar cases). |
| Temperature values | The norms of SNiP determine that the temperature of the coolant in the system should not exceed 95 degrees. Almost all materials intended for use in heating communications can withstand such loads, but sometimes (when servicing the elevator nozzle, at which it is removed), the temperature of the heating pipes in an apartment can even reach 140 degrees. |
| Strength indicators | Not all materials with high resistance to temperature effects and overpressure are able to withstand deformation arising from impacts and other influences (for example, when there are children in the house, they can hang on pipes, walk on them, and so on). |
| Life time | Some options have a short service life, which can become even shorter under various adverse influences. Since the replacement work is quite laborious and expensive, it is better not to save on materials and choose those products that are guaranteed to last at least a decade. |
Pipe material
To ensure the strength and efficiency of the structure, it is necessary to carry out all work with the highest quality, while the materials used must comply with a number of standards. First, let's consider the most common and demanded options.
Steel products
There are many different options on the market, but due to the fact that the temperature and pressure in the heating pipes in apartment building may significantly exceed the stated indicators, some options can initially be excluded. For example, the same cross-linked polyethylene is not able to withstand more than 100 degrees, so it is strongly discouraged to use it.
Steel pipes are always popular due to the fact that the price is quite affordable, and they are able to withstand even very high loads.
Of the features, the following factors can be distinguished:
- The material is susceptible to corrosion, and over time, deposits can form on the inner walls, impairing the heat transfer of surfaces, in the most difficult situations this can lead to the formation of deposits.
- It is impossible to carry out work with your own hands without the presence of welding equipment and metal-cutting tools. Welding requires certain skills, and it is not recommended to do this without the appropriate qualifications.
- To maintain an attractive appearance, pipelines must be periodically painted (do not forget that the system is constantly heating up, therefore, compounds that are resistant to high temperatures should be used).
Galvanized pipes
This option has all the advantages of steel products, but at the same time it is devoid of many of the disadvantages of conventional metal, judge for yourself:
- Both the outer and inner sides are coated with zinc. Thanks to this, the products become much more resistant to corrosion and plaque formation inside the pipes. Of course, the cost is also different, but the difference is not so fundamental.
- The installation work of the system is no different from the installation of conventional steel pipes. But it is worth remembering one very important factor: when welding, the metal emits harmful compounds, therefore work without protective equipment is strictly prohibited, while the room in which the installation takes place must be well ventilated.
Important!
Ensuring high performance is possible only when using high-quality galvanizing.
Unfortunately, there is a large number of low-quality products on the market, which is quite easy to distinguish: the coating will be uneven, with streaks and spots, without a characteristic shine.
Metal-plastic
When considering which pipes are better to use for heating an apartment, one cannot but touch upon the widely popular PVC products with a reinforcing layer, which can be either a thin layer of aluminum or a more durable mesh, which acts as a kind of frame that guarantees the stability of the structure even in the most unfavorable conditions.
The main features of this option are:
- The simple installation process, the instructions for assembling the system are quite simple, and for the work you will need a wrench for clamping, and if press fittings are used, then even one is not needed.
Important!
When using press fittings, it is very important that the pipes are cut perfectly straight and the ends are machined, as any burrs and scuffs can damage sealing ring and cause leakage.
- If in the future a complete or partial disassembly of the system may be required, then it is better to use press fittings or collet connectors. As they can be removed and reused, this saves significant costs.
Features of the workflow
Replacing and repairing heating communications in an apartment is in many ways different from work in private houses and detached buildings, therefore, the procedure for carrying out the work should be considered in detail:
- First of all, it is necessary to coordinate with utilities renovation work , since in order to dismantle old elements, it is necessary to dump and drain the risers, most often this is done by the plumber who serves your house.
- Next, one of the radiator nipples is unscrewed, this will get rid of the remaining liquid in the system.
- The perfect solution - replacement of the entire heating riser, but if the neighbors did not agree, then the work is carried out as follows: a part of the pipe is cut off, after which a thread is cut on both sides, for this of the appropriate size.
- Further work depends on the type of pipes used... When using metal products, both fittings and welding can be used, from which the cost of replacing heating pipes in an apartment also varies. In all other cases, only fittings are used.
- The assembly is carried out from the riser and further, each connection is carefully tightened, and do not use too much force, as this could damage the threads. Mates are sealed with polymer thread for added security.
- After assembly, the system must be checked, after filling with water, all connections are inspected and tightened if necessary.
Conclusion
Replacing pipes is a responsible business and you need to approach it fully prepared. Any mistakes and miscalculations are unacceptable, so you can stay without heating at the most inopportune moment. The video in this article will tell you some of the features of the work in more detail.
The new home owner is often faced with the problem of rusty and dilapidated pipes. This is not surprising, because if the house has served for more than one year, then surely such systems as water supply, heating and sewerage have worn out significantly.
This is where other problems begin to emerge. For example, a heating riser in an apartment building is a common property that all tenants must pay to replace. And if the maintenance of the house is carried out by the housing management, and the replacement of the riser is urgent (for example, in an accident), then the problem falls on the shoulders of the employees of this institution.
Features of replacing risers and heating pipes
To replace the heating riser, you need to sequentially perform the following steps:
Advice: before starting work, it is better to obtain permission from the neighbors living above and below, since if the heating riser in the ceilings remains the same, then the repair will lose its meaning.
System wiring
It is important to remember that the installation must be carried out in accordance with the level, as imbalance will inevitably lead to air accumulation and poor battery performance. It is far from superfluous to purchase shut-off valves that allow you to shut off the site (for example, if a leak occurs), without thereby disrupting the operation of the system as a whole.
If you plan to do it yourself installation works, then the best option is metal-plastic pipesthat easily take any shape. Special threaded connections allow for fastening.
Heating wiring requires purchase metal pipes (preferably stainless steel).
Drawing up a diagram
Installation work cannot be started without the most detailed painted scheme. To do this, you need to decide on the type of heating, the type of the system itself and the ways of laying pipes.
Heating distribution can be two-pipe or one-pipe. The first option provides forward and reverse wiring. This will make it easier to regulate the temperature in the house. After completing the calculation of the number of pipes, their length and diameter, you can proceed to the installation work.
Options for wiring diagrams for heating
If preference was given to a single-pipe vertical system, then the most top floor or attic... Thus, the vertical heating riser will be able to supply the coolant to each heating device.
The advantage of this is the economical consumption of pipes, and the disadvantage is the impossibility of separately switching off the heating devices.
In the case of laying a two-pipe vertical heating system with bottom wiring, the supply and return lines should be laid directly on the floor or slightly above its surface. This allows each radiator to be provided with its own coolant. This choice leads to an increase in the length of the pipeline, but it allows you to regulate the heating and turn off the heating device at any time.
Horizontal two-pipe system involves laying the return and supply pipelines around the perimeter. Each heating device must be equipped with a special valve that allows air to be released from the structure. Such a scheme assumes a floor-by-floor heating shutdown and the use of radiators with a bottom connection.
The choice of a two-pipe floor-by-floor collector system involves the installation of a supply and return collector. During installation, plastic pipes are used for heating.
Disconnecting the riser
How to properly turn off the heating riser? Bottom spill assumes pairing. Most the simplest option determining its location is to go up to the apartment located on the floor above and familiarize yourself with the location of the jumpers.
If the house has an upper filling, then turning off the heating riser involves closing one valve at a time both in the basement and in the attic. How do you determine where they are located? The main thing is to choose the right entrance, and calculating the position of the valve itself is simple. After closing both taps, you need to unscrew the plugs and open the vent valves. The complete drainage of water is followed by a service check shut-off valves... Everything, the heating risers in the apartment building are turned off!
Important! Carrying out work during the heating season is only possible if there is access to the apartment located at the very top. If no one lives in it, then it will be impossible to start heating.
Simplest way to detach heater - cut the eyeliner to it. Then the locknut is given, and a cut of the liner is unscrewed from the radiator plug.
How to choose the right place for cutting the riser? It all depends on relations with neighbors living above and below. Practice shows that it is better to change the heating riser through the floors, since the destruction of pipes by corrosion is most often observed in places of contact with concrete.
Reinforced-plastic pipes
The modern market has a huge assortment, so the buyer only needs to decide which plastic pipes for heating he wants to install.
Main types:
- metal-plastic;
- polypropylene;
- cross-linked polyethylene.
Positive characteristics of the former include:
- corrosion resistance, hence long service life;
- excellent permeability and constant diameter, since the formation of salt deposits is impossible;
- low level of roughness of the inner layer, which guarantees minimal pressure loss of the coolant;
- minimum linear expansion, and this is the most important indicator for heating, especially if there is hidden wiring;
- high values \u200b\u200bof frost resistance.
Why are metal-plastic pipes so high specifications? It's all about the multilayer structure: polyethylene (2 layers), aluminum foil (1 layer) and adhesive (2 layers). In addition, metal-plastic pipes boast the following properties:
Polypropylene pipes
The heating riser in the apartment is often connected to polypropylene pipes... They have many positive qualities. These include:
- affordable price;
- flexibility to get any desired shape;
- long service life;
- good resistance to high temperatures;
- high thermal conductivity.
XLPE pipes
The riser of the heating system can also be extended with a cross-linked polyethylene pipe - a material that is not afraid of high temperature effects. By itself, polyethylene is soft and plastic, which is incompatible with heating, but scientists were able to identify a way that turns it into a durable product.
XLPE Specifications:
- operating temperature maximum - 95 ° C;
- ability to withstand pressure up to 7 atm .;
- lowering the temperature to 70 ° C increases the operating pressure to 11 atm.
Compliance with the limit load threshold guarantees the service life of XLPE pipes at least 50 years. High levels of flexibility cannot be ignored finished products... In addition, almost all manufacturers produce a long hose (the coil can be up to 200 m), which ensures a seamless construction of the heating system. The minimized number of connections reduces the likelihood of possible leaks.
