Until recently, only pipes were used for water supply. However, in some cases, this way of organizing water supply or connecting plumbing devices is very inconvenient. Alternatively, you can use a special type of pipeline - flexible piping.
Design features and applications of
Unlike steel or propylene pipes, it has a high degree of flexibility. In fact, it is a hose made of elastic material, with connectors at the ends in the form of fittings with an external or internal thread.
Flexible piping design
Despite the apparent simplicity, flexible liner has a complex structure. So, to ensure sufficient elasticity, the pipe is made of rubber or EPDM rubber.
In addition, to ensure a long service life, the flexible hose must have the following components:
- Protective sheath. It is made of stainless wire. It is necessary to prevent mechanical damage to the structure.
- Crimp sleeve. A universal mounting component in which a nut or a male thread with an external thread can be installed.
This is the most common design of flexible liner. It can vary depending on the required technical characteristics, which should be told in more detail.
Pressure and temperature
Any plumbing system has its technical characteristics. These include pressure( water supply) and temperature( DHW and heating).Therefore, when choosing a flexible line, it is necessary to pay attention to these characteristics. Otherwise, it will quickly fail.
The most common defect of
If the value of the water temperature is almost always known to the consumer, then it is difficult to determine the pressure in the system at home. To solve this problem, you can use the standard values of this indicator in different systems.
- Centralized water supply system - 4 atm.
- Autonomous heating system with forced circulation - from 1.5 to 3 atm.
- Central heat supply - from 2 to 4 atm.
In the latter case, sudden pressure jumps are possible. Therefore, it is recommended to choose models with flexible piping with a margin of 20-25%.
Material of manufacture
All flexible hoses for water supply differ in materials of manufacture. In the overwhelming majority of cases, rubber is used for this as the basis, encased in a steel braid. However, in those cases where the performance is higher than the standard, it is necessary to use a corrugated pipe - bellows.
It is made of stainless steel. The specificity of its design is the presence of alternating rings, differing from each other in diameter. During the manufacturing process, selective crimping of the workpiece takes place, as a result of which the pipe gets more flexibility.
Such flexible liner models are used in the following areas:
- All types of water supply, except for heating.
- Gas supply.
- In production areas - food and chemical industries.
Connection type
Flexible connection in any system is carried out by mounting elements located at the ends of the structure. This can be a union or union nuts.
To correctly select a flexible hose model, you must first determine the type of connection. For this purpose, it is sufficient to measure the size of the assembly unit in the pipeline or the branch pipe of the sanitary device. It is also important to pay attention to the type of thread - external or internal. The size of the fittings can vary from ½ "to 1 ½" .
In addition, an important parameter is the length of the hose. It is important that after the connection on its surface there is no voltage. Over time, this can lead not only to deformation, but also to the rupture of the structure. Most often, because of this, the connecting nipples fail, which are pressed into the liner. The length of the hose can vary from 200 mm to 5 meters .
