Today, in city apartments, there has long been a massive replacement of metal pipes with plastic ones. It is clear that at home plastic pipes are not exposed to subzero temperatures, so you don't have to worry about their fate, as well as the fate of residents living in apartments. But what happens to HDPE pipes that lie underground or are generally on the surface of the soil at different times of the year?
I have reviewed a certain amount of materials devoted to this problem, and I want to share the knowledge gained.
So what is HDPE pipe? It is a low pressure ethylene polymerisation product. HDPE stands for "low pressure polyethylene". For their manufacture, screw-type extruders are used, which squeeze out the pipe material according to the principle of a conventional meat grinder.
Low pressure pipes are characterized by high performance characteristics, in particular, high hardness, so it is rather difficult to cut through them. By the way, there are also high pressure polyethylene pipes. Such pipes can be distinguished from each other only by marking, since they are very similar.
The frost resistance of plastic pipes is very high. It is known that when water freezes, it expands, turning into ice. For metal pipes, this factor is critical; the metal simply bursts. Plastic pipes are able to withstand many freezing cycles - defrosting the liquid in them. HDPE - the pipe can easily withstand severe frost. Water, freezing in it, will also press on the pipe walls, but they will not burst, but simply expand to the required diameter.
This technical parameter allows the use of such a pipe, both in 20-degree frosts and at lower temperatures. At the moment when the ambient air heats up to a positive temperature, the water in the pipe will melt, and the pipe itself will regain its geometric dimensions.
Despite such remarkable properties, HDPE pipes are usually laid at a depth below the freezing layer of the earth. This protects her from possible damage in the winter - God protects the cherished, as they say.
Considering all of the above, a certain conclusion can be made - the HDPE pipe is capable of operation in an extremely cold climate with strong 20-degree frosts. The main thing when laying pipes is to provide connecting materials of such materials that can also successfully resist frost.
Moreover, the service life of such pipes is unusually long, it can reach tens of years, therefore the installation of HDPE pipes is a very promising business.
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