Pipes for Water Supply System
Pipes which are commonly used in water supply system are given below.
- Cast Iron (CI) Pipes
- Steel Pipes
- Galvanized Iron (GI) Pipes
- Copper Pipes
- Plastic or Polythene or PVC pipes
- Asbestos Cement (AC) Pipes
- Concrete Pipes
1. Cast Iron Pipes
These pipes are most commonly used in water distribution system mainly because of the following reasons.
- They are cheaper in cost
- It has high resistance to corrosion
- It is highly durable
C.I. pipes are manufactured by following 4 methods.
- Horizontally cast (MC ware pipes)
- Vertical cast (pit cast in sand moulds)
- Centrifugally cast in sand lines moulds spun type
- Centrifugally cast in water cooled metal moulds
Now a days horizontally cast C.I. pipes are no longer used.
Centrifugally cast pipes posses fine grained dense structure and uniform thickness and therefore they are widely used.
Special care has to be taken during transportation and making connection of these pipes, to prevent damage.
2. Steel Pipes
Use of steel pipes in water supply system is suggested when,
- pipes are subjected to very high pressure (i.e. above 7 kg/cm2)
- large diameter pipes are required
Steel pipes are used because they are stronger and lighter in weight as compared to C.I. pipes.
These pipes, however, require adequate preventive measure to sustain adverse atmospheric conditions.
When steel pipes are encased in cement mortar or cement concrete, they are called Hume Steel pipes.
3. Galvanized Iron (GI) Pipes
This type of pipe is used for water supply work inside the building. These pipes are wrought steel pipes provided with zinc coating.
They are available in light, medium and heavy grades depending on the thickness of the metal. For a 15 mm GI pipe, the thicknesses are 2.0, 2.65 & 3.25 for the light, medium and heavy grades, respectively. Generally the medium grade pipes are used for internal plumbing in building.
Mostly screw and socket joints are used for G.I. pipes.
4. Copper Pipes
These pipes are used in hot water installation. They have high tensile strength and can therefore have thin walls and they can be bent easily.
Copper pipes are sometimes coated with chromium to enhance its appearance.
5. Plastic or Polythene or PVC Pipes
These pipes are being used increasingly these days for supply of cold water in external and internal plumbing work.
They are light in weight, non-corrosive, lower in cost and do not require any threading for connections.
There are 3 common types of plastic pipes are available in market, as given below.
- Unplasticized PVC (UPVC) or rigid pipes for use with cold water
- Plasticized PVC pipes which are plasticized with addition of rubber. It has lower strength and lower working temperature than UPVC pipes.
- Chlorinated PVC (CPVC) pipes which can withstand higher temperatures upto 1200 (used to carry hot water)
For pipes used in soil and waste water discharge systems, the thickness of the wall will be larger than that of used for roof drainage.
Rigid PVC pipes are used for distribution of water with temperature below 450C.
At higher temperature, the strength of the pipes decreases. Similarly ultraviolet radiation from sunlight as well as frequent changes in temperature reduces the life of PVC pipes.
These pipes are costlier than AC pipes but cheaper than GI pipes.
6. Asbestos Cement (AC) Pipes
These pipes are used for drainage of rainwater from roofs, soil and waste and also for ventilation. They come in two profiles – one with beading around socket (WB) and the other without beading around socket (WOB). The latter type is more common than the former.
The pipes come in lengths of 3 meters.
The principal defects of these pipes are that they are heavy and they break easily.
These pipes are cheaper than PVC pipes.
7. Concrete Pipes
Unreinforced pipes of small diameters as well as reinforced and prestressed concrete pipes of large diameters are available for water supply and other uses.
Small unreinforced concrete pipes are very much used for drainage of rain water.
Large diameter pipes are generally used for major water supply works.
Understanding the various pipes in water supply systems is crucial for optimal building functionality. Materials like PVC, PEX, and copper offer diverse benefits, from durability to corrosion resistance. Tailoring pipe choices to specific needs ensures an efficient and reliable water supply infrastructure, enhancing the overall performance and sustainability of buildings.
jack
http://www.repipefitting.com
This article neatly outlines the “7 Types of Pipes Used in Water Supply Systems of Buildings.” It’s a handy reference for understanding the diversity of piping materials and their applications. Whether you’re a homeowner or a professional, this information helps you make informed choices for water supply systems. Great resource!
jack
http://www.repipefitting.com
This article is usefull , but needs to explain of PPRC , ductile iron , HDPE pipes also.
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Very informative and Useful information
Read your pipe info with great interest. Thank you. Can you or anyone help with clues to locate the main bld water pipe from the stopcock located in the middle of the traffic lane on our main road, ( real safe & handy!) to our 1960 block of flats? Utd Utilities detectors can’t follow it in. Land registry, bld plans all blank. Crazy.
Thanks for this information, but please can you list for me the kind or names of chemical materials needed in production of PVC pipes
Wonderful post, but can you tell us about eco pipe
Thanks from your information. It is useful but u did not mentioned about PPR pipes
v
I join the other commentators in thanking for this useful overview.
Polythene is mentioed in the title on plastics pipes, but as the other comment was mentoning, it is not included. HDPE (some call it PEX) is one of the major materials for water distribution piping, irrigation, etc.
Dear Suryakanta,
This is a great post indeed – thank you very much. Recently, I was working on a project where we were using Ductile Iron Pipes for transmission of water. Are they the same as cast iron pipes.? If not, please include Ductile Iron pipe as an additional type of pipes. Have you also come accross bambo pipes – I read from some literature that theu are being used in Asia on a trial basis. Does any one have information on the same. Finally, as regards to Asbestos Cement Pipes, they are being discouraged because of the alleged carcinogenic properties. Once again, thank you very much for the informative writeup.
Thanks for the information
Useful information
Nice post…Your article completely describes importance of pipe and its different types used for water supply in the building.
Very good of your, its advisable.
useful post ..short and clear information.
Thanks for providing this useful stuff with great detail.
It is nice information, good way of diffrenciation,clear and precise.beyond this i would like to comment you,its better if you give us information about types of fittings,valves and etc.
its highly appreciable information thanks for provide these important knowledge
Thanks for the information
Thanks for th information . COPPER PIPES are not explained in detail please explain it more
Thanks for the information .Really so useful stuff.
Well written.. You forgot to include HDPE Piping which is also one of the commonly used piping in water distribution systems these days..
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useful post surya..short and clear information.
you did not mention the types of joints used for these various pipes, though i found it so useful thanks for sharing
Wonderful Post…! Perfectly differentiated the types of pipes used in water supply system. I want to change my pipe fittings and your post helped me a lot in selecting the best pipes at affordable prices. I purchased them from the leading online industrial goods megastore Garamloha.com, you may feel free to visit them. Thanks for the share.