Disadvantages of plastic pipes for heating, which are not customary to talk about, but everyone should know

A polypropylene pipe is the most affordable material for a heating system, hence the most popular. But it has significant drawbacks that you should definitely be aware of.

They are easy to install, and with proper installation and reliable components, they can last for several decades, but there are always a few BUT!

1. High expansion ratio

Plastic pipes have an impressive coefficient of expansion. Under the influence of high temperatures, the pipe may begin to expand and become undulating. For such pipes, the coefficient is 2.5 millimeters per linear meter.

If you put a compensator in the system, then you can forget about this problem once and for all, and if it is not there, then in just a couple of days the pipe will become undulating, so it is better to fix the pipes to the wall with a minimum step. Although this does not greatly affect the reliability of the pipe, the appearance will suffer greatly.

2. Many joints

Pipes can be bought not in bays, but in pieces of two to four meters, so you will often have to connect a lot and make turns and corners. Heating for a 100 square meter house may require about 100 fittings for connections. And taking into account the fact that the system is often mounted under plaster, problems can literally be covered with a head due to widespread leaks. You will not hold the pipe in the apparatus a little and the connection will be unreliable and unsafe. We'll have to open the walls and count the costs.

3. Narrowing of the pipe diameter at the joints

When welding pipes, inexperienced installers often narrow the diameter, which increases the resistance and worsens the flow. If there are several such places in the system, the heating will not work well.

4. fiberglass reinforcement

Foil is a good material for reinforcement, but it is much more expensive than fiberglass, so many manufacturers prefer to save money.

The downside is that fiberglass is afraid of sub-zero temperatures, and pipes are often stored in unheated warehouses at any time of the year. The risk of encountering a low-quality product is very high, and it will not work to check it before use.

5. Joining plastic to metal

Always keep in mind that metal and plastic have different coefficients of expansion, so sooner or later a leak will appear in such connections. Rather early.

6. Service period

And I'll add one last thing. Most plastic pipe manufacturers claim that the pipe will last about 50 years. Yes, she can do it, but only under certain operating conditions. Deviate a few degrees, or 1-2 atmospheres from the standard, and the pipe will become completely unusable in 5-10 years.