A versatile piping system can be created using poly pipe and poly pipe fittings

Poly pipe, also known as PE pipe, is very popular for creating piping systems for many reasons. One of those is the vast range of poly pipe and poly pipe fittings available. With these, you can create a comprehensive piping system for many useful applications.

Some of these applications include rural irrigation, drinking water service, and stock watering; mining, slurry and gas lines; sewerage and drainage systems.
Each application uses a specific grade of PE pipe.

The grades include:

• PE 100
• High density polyethylene (HDPE)
• Low density polyethylene (LDPE)
• Along with the various grades of PE pipe and fittings, there are also various methods for joining them. 

The various methods for creating tight seals with poly pipe and poly pipe fittings

It's essential that a tight seal is created when joining PE pipes and fittings. This is done by either butt fusion, electro fusion or mechanical assembly.

Mechanical assembly uses compression, and involves a stiffener being placed inside the pipe or fitting to ensure stability when the fitting is compressed.

Electro fusion is used when it's not practicable to use butt fusion, such as where valves, elbows, and tees need to be added to the system. The fusing process involves an electrical heating coil melting the plastic of the fitting and the pipe, causing them to fuse together.

Butt fusion involves the heating of the ends of the components simultaneously. When a molten state is reached on each contact surface, the two surfaces are then joined under controlled pressure for a specific cooling time.

When PE joints are heat fusion welded, they are end-load resistant, which removes the need for any concrete thrust blocks. This saves on material and labour costs. It also means you can excavate safely in the vicinity of the pipeline at a future date.

There are many other reasons for the popularity of PE pipe systems, including what they can carry inside them.

The stripes on the pipes tell us what's inside

PE pipes are popular because of their versatility. There are many different applications they can be used for, and what each pipe system carries inside it can be identified in a very clever way.
It goes back to when they're first made.

When PE pipes are manufactured, their colour is black. Then, coloured stripes are added to the external part of the pipe. Each stripe colour represents a different application, and allows you to identify the contents within the poly pipe.

Here are the colour stripes and what they indicate:

• Blue for potable water
• Yellow for natural gas and LPG
• Purple or lilac for recycled or non-potable water
• Cream for pressure sewer
• Red for fire mains
• Green for rainwater

Identifying what the piping is carrying is essential when it comes to repairs and extensions. 

What are some of the benefits of using poly pipe and poly pipe fittings?

There are many reasons for using PE pipe and fittings over pipe and fittings made from other materials.
Some of these benefits include:

• Lighter and easier to work with
• Excellent chemical resistant properties
• Resistant to all forms of corrosion
• Stands up to ground movement without needing thrust blocking
• Pump cycles are reduced because there's no leakage of water through the joints
• Helps conserve water and electricity
• Lifetime of 50 to 100 years

These are just some of the benefits and reasons why PE pipes are popular for creating piping systems.
Some handy tips on how to create leak-proof joints in HDPE poly pipe systems

As you can imagine, leak-proof joints are essential. It goes without saying that all stages of the welding process will contribute to your success of achieving this.

Two of the reasons for failed welds are contamination and use of incorrect tools.

The first step is pipe preparation. Make sure the HDPE pipe is cleaned and round. If suitable, use a re-rounding tool/re-forming tool. Once you've achieved roundness, the pipes surface oxide layer needs to be removed from the whole surface including underneath using mechanical scraping tools.

The next important step is pipe clamping and positioning. Use pipe clamps for all joints. It reduces the movement during the fusion process. You need to use the right clamps, because there are many different situations encountered onsite.

Whichever clamps you use, leave them connected to the pipe while it cools down. This is fundamental if you want to in achieve a leak-proof joint. If taken off too soon, and the pipe moves, it'll cause stress on the joint and there goes your seal.

The welding process is the last step in the fusion process. Choose welders that have been designed with the operator in mind.

How many different types of poly pipe fittings are there for creating PE pipe systems?

The answer to that could be, ‘how long is a piece of string?’ As you can imagine, with there being so many different applications, there are many different fittings available. There's a range of low-density PE fittings for applications like irrigation systems, and a range of high-density PE fittings for pressure applications.

The fittings include:

• Joins, couplings (including to copper)
• Reducing joins and couplings
• Adaptors
• Tapping saddles
• End of run capping
• Risers

This is just a snapshot of the complete range of PE fittings available, such as 50mm x 40mm tee plasson metric poly pipe fittings from Plumbing Sales.

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