Corrugated pipe for heating is very popular due to its high degree of flexibility and properties of stainless steel. The ease of installation and repair allows you to use pipes made of this material to broach the heating system with your own hands.
Description of corrugated pipes
There are two types of stainless steel corrugated pipes:
- unannealed;
- heat treated.
When heat treated, the material becomes more durable and reliable. Under the influence of high temperatures, and then their gradual decrease, the corrugation becomes plastic and soft. It will better maintain its shape, withstand the maximum number of bends. At the same time, their integrity is not violated. The downside of this material is its cost - 1.5 times more expensive than the usual one.
The corrugation that has not been thermally treated does not look different from the processed one. But deformation will appear at the place of bending. If you purchase such a corrugation in order to save money, it is recommended to lay only straight sections. If the system has a large number of folds due to turns, it is better to opt for the processed material.
Specifications
The standard corrugated stainless steel pipe for heating is produced with a diameter of 15 to 32 mm. The working temperature for the material varies from -50 to +180 degrees. The maximum pressure is 50 atmospheres.
Experiments were carried out, which showed that the material will withstand even 200 atmospheres, but at 210 it will completely collapse.
Advantages and disadvantages
The metal corrugation for heating has gained its popularity due to its technical characteristics.
Positive sides of stainless steel pipes:
- Without loss of technical properties, corrugated pipes can be used at temperatures from -50 to +110 degrees.
- The material tolerates pressure surges well.
- They have a high degree of elasticity. The pipes are easily bent without the need for special tools. Thanks to this property, they can be given any shape, while saving on corners and fittings.
- Corrugated pipes do not corrode, do not collapse due to moisture, build-ups do not form on the inner walls, which can disturb the throughput.
- The material is very durable, its service life is not limited.
- The pipes are absolutely silent, as the inner surface is perfectly smooth. This allows the water to move with minimal resistance.
- This heating system is easy to repair. You can only replace the damaged section of the corrugated pipe.
- The material is frost-resistant, it does not deteriorate if the system needs to be defrosted in winter.
Despite a huge number of advantages, corrugated pipes have several disadvantages:
- They have a low impact resistance property. During installation, it is recommended to protect the most vulnerable areas with a box.
- Many people consider the appearance of the corrugated pipe unaesthetic, in addition, due to the corrugated surface, there are problems with its care.
- The wiring cannot be concreted into the wall, since special fittings are used to connect to radiators and boilers. They must be freely accessible.
One of the disadvantages is considered to be high electrical conductivity, therefore, grounding must be done.
Purpose and application
Corrugated pipes are widely used in the field of construction and repair. They are often used in the following areas:
- rainwater drainage system equipment;
- organization of disposal of communal wastewater;
- drainage assembly;
- conducting a heating system;
- ensuring the flow of water into the apartment under pressure;
- gas supply inside the premises;
- connection of air conditioners.
A corrugated pipe for heating determines its purpose, since the surface has a high heat transfer, thick rings on the pipe can act as a radiator.
Corrugated pipes have found their application in the industrial and household spheres for laying electrical and television cables. Pipes reliably protect against mechanical damage, the influence of weather conditions.
In the construction of private houses, corrugated pipes are widely used for water supply, heating systems.
Installation specifics
Despite the elasticity of the material, you should not abuse its strength. It is not recommended to bend pipes several times in the same place. If you repeatedly change the shape, cracks may appear at the bend, which will lead to further leaks.
Since the pipes do not have rigidity, during their installation, it is necessary to make many fasteners on horizontal sections. The elements of the pipeline are connected to each other by fittings without unions. To achieve even cuts, you need to use a special pipe cutter. It is not recommended to use a grinder, as it can deform the walls.
The connection is made as follows:
- If it is necessary to dock the corrugated pipe with a regular steel pipe, fixation is made from the side of the smooth part.
- The battery is connected to the heating system using a hand tool - a roller.
- Having cut off the necessary piece of pipe, it must be carefully cleaned so that the edge is smooth.
- One piece is inserted into the roller, two turns of the pipe should protrude from it, they must be expanded with a hammer.
- A union nut with a pre-inserted gasket is put on.
As soon as the fittings are fixed on the radiator and riser pipes, tighten the nuts on the corrugation. It is important to control that there is no twisting of the flexible pipe.
In order for the installation to be carried out correctly, it is recommended to take into account the following nuances:
- Defective pipes that are damaged must not be installed.
- It is important to check that there is no twisting or tension.
- Pipes with kinks and cracks are not put into operation.
- When installing a corrugated stainless steel pipe for heating, only plastic connections should be used.
The mounted system must be checked immediately. For this, water is supplied under strong pressure. If leaks are observed, tighten the nuts.
Main manufacturers
The leading mass of corrugated pipes is produced in South Korea, but there are manufacturers in other countries.
Japanese company Neptun
The birthplace of corrugated pipes is Japan. Neptun is considered one of the main manufacturers of corrugation. Digging offers a wide selection of corrugated pipeline elements, fittings and all the necessary accessories for installation. Since 2014, a branch has been opened in Russia, it is located in the Moscow region. The production is organized on modern European equipment. The fittings comply with international environmental safety standards. Products are supplied to 40 countries of the world.
Pipes from the Neptun company - for universal use. They are used for water supply and heating systems in homes.
KOFULSO company
This is a manufacturer from South Korea. The company is famous for the impeccable quality of its products.KOFULSO corrugation is appreciated by builders as the highest quality. The manufacturer produces multifunctional corrugation up to 50 mm in diameter. All fittings are equipped with thick gaskets. This improves the quality of installation work. The assortment includes thermally processed and ordinary materials.
Lavita
The manufacturer offers corrugated pipes in the middle price segment. The production, located in South Korea, specializes not only in annealed and raw material, but also in products in casings. In practice, there are cases of small leaks at the points of attachment of the fittings.
Hydrosta
Another reliable supplier and manufacturer of corrugation from South Korea. The factory uses a special polishing technology. This provides reliable protection of the surface against build-up and deposits. Products are intended for the installation of plumbing, except for sewerage wiring.
German firm "Meibas"
All products comply with European standards. But the location of production in the euro area makes the products expensive.
The rise in tariffs for electricity and heating encourages owners of private houses to look for options for more profitable heating. Stainless corrugation for heating is an excellent choice for heating a room, which allows you to save on materials and installation.
Those who are familiar with hydrodynamics will never put a corrugation on heating, corrugation interferes with covection (fluid flow due to temperature differences), and water heating is based on convection.
Believe it or not, water heating has long since switched to pumps, and they don't give a damn what kind of pipe.
I myself saw how this pipe burst in some places on the water supply system in a private house after two years of operation, where the pressure is 2 Atm. Perhaps these are Foucault's mysterious currents, maybe water, maybe a fake (the name of the pipe is one of the above) or the brownie is dissatisfied, but in the future it seems to me dangerous to use this pipe, since there is no clarity about its reliability and there is probably a need for some kind of " space "grounding. When such a pipe will be advised and correctly set by good plumbing practices responsible for their work, then we will "talk". Such a pipe has not received widespread distribution, and this fact confirms my fears. So far, I see one application of such a pipe - some kind of temporary heat-loaded solutions.
I do not agree with the author in the assessment of brands. Lavita has the best fittings. I only work with them. There were no leaks NEVER.