10 best manufacturers of polypropylene pipes
We present to your attention the advantages and disadvantages of polypropylene and metal-plastic pipes and their main differences.
Type of pipes | Advantages | Flaws |
Polypropylene pipes (without reinforcing layer) | + No corrosion + Service life - up to 25 years + Simple connection of system elements by welding + Cheap and easy to install + Environmentally friendly, safe for health + Attractive price | ‒ High coefficient of thermal expansion ‒ A large percentage of counterfeit goods on the market ‒ High pipe stiffness |
Metal-plastic pipes (PEX-EVOH-PEX, PEX-AL-PEX, PERT-AL-PERT) | + No corrosion + Service life - over 50 years + Minimum coefficient of thermal expansion - less than 0.3 + Low installation cost + Oxygen tightness + Simple connection of system elements by welding + Safe use in heating systems | - High price ‒ UV resistant |
TOP 10 best manufacturers of plastic pipes made of polypropylene
10 blue ocean
Country: UK (made in China)
Rating (2022): 4.0
For the most part, Chinese polypropylene pipes are suitable for garden irrigation systems - there can be no talk of heating and plumbing.Decent enterprises from China whose products meet some European standards can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and Blue Ocean is one of them. His products are certified by the Dutch Kiwa system, the German DVGW and the British WRAS. Under the Blue Ocean brand, there are 4 types of PP pipes:
- ordinary unreinforced;
- fiber reinforced;
- reinforced with an aluminum layer (non-cleaning and cleaning).
The manufacturer's advertising claims are quite true: in comparison with other Chinese samples, its pipes are environmentally friendly, light and smooth, retain heat well inside and provide excellent sound insulation. In addition, buyers have a wide choice of colors and neat execution. But the Chinese brand will not benefit from comparison with Europeans.
9 Pro Aqua
Country: Russia
Rating (2022): 4.0
In professional communities, Russian plastic pipes are mostly skeptical. But there are no rules without exceptions - the Pro Aqua company, which has existed since 1997 and since then has increased its production capacity by 2.5 times, is in good standing with the craftsmen. We do not undertake to assert that its products are on a par with German and Czech PP pipes, but it is a serious competitor to some Turkish brands and the vast majority of Chinese manufacturers.
A particularly valuable property of made in Russia polypropylene pipes is their environmental friendliness, which allows them to be used in drinking water pipelines. In addition, Pro Aqua pipes can withstand a fairly high pressure (70 atmospheres), however, for a short time.It is considered good and resistance to aggressive substances. Given the low cost, they can be used in domestic and industrial piping systems, but only in those where there are no serious requirements for temperature and pressure.
8 Tebo
Country: Turkey
Rating (2022): 4.2
The Tebo range includes pipes and fittings with diameters from 20 to 160 cm and nominal values PN10, PN20 and PN25, as well as products reinforced with aluminum and fiberglass. Their cheapness (for example, 1 m of PN20 PP pipe costs about 30 rubles) alarms some buyers, but in fact it is a fairly high-quality and reliable product from a trusted manufacturer. In any case, in profile reviews it is assumed that the pipe structure of cold water supply is able to work without changes in throughput for up to 30 years, and in heating systems for at least 15 years.
Separately, we would like to note the possibility of using Tebo pipes in chemical industry pipelines designed to transport aggressive chemical compounds. This is possible, because in terms of chemical resistance, Turkish products are practically comparable to the best Czech and German samples. As for the cons: the shape of some pipes is more like an oval than a circle, which increases the risk of water hammer, another disadvantage is a small selection of fittings.
7 Pilsa
Country: Turkey
Rating (2022): 4.3
The most common pipes in Russia are Pils.The brand has earned its popularity with attractive prices, fairly good wear resistance and strength, as well as relatively high elasticity, thanks to which it is convenient to mount branched heating systems, hot and cold water supply. Under the condition of proper installation and operation (for example, the temperature in the DHW system should not exceed 95 ° C), Pilsa products can consistently last at least 10-15 years.
Of the more or less significant drawbacks of plastic pipes, difficult installation can be called. Reinforced products require careful stripping of the aluminum layer in the joint areas, which is why it is better to resort to the services of professional plumbers. There are some problems with the shape - the section in some places is initially deviated from the norm, and over time it can deform even more.
6 Valtec
Country: Russia-Italy
Rating (2022): 4.3
Plumbing products "Valtek" are a comprehensive solution for completing "turnkey" construction and reconstruction facilities. The portfolio of buildings where the company's equipment is installed includes the Peter and Paul Fortress, the theater named after. Mussorgsky, Arcadia Palace, as well as residential complexes, hotels, offices, business centers and city administrations. As for private housing, according to the manufacturer, products under the Valtec brand can be seen in every 4th apartment.
The company started manufacturing polypropylene pipes in 2010, and by now it produces almost the entire range of pipes.The list of products includes both single and multilayer pipes - PPR, PP-Fiber and PP-Alux, plastic and combined fittings. Reviews about them are somewhat contradictory, in particular, there are complaints about the appearance of leaks over time. However, such cases are becoming less and less common, and in order to completely disappear, the company holds seminars and webinars on competent installation, provides access to technical literature, standard solutions, training videos, albums and diagrams.
5 SupraTherm
Country: Romania
Rating (2022): 4.5
Under the SupraTherm brand, a large Romanian manufacturer Supra Group manufactures and sells PP pipes and fittings. Its products, despite the fact that the company has existed since the early 90s, appeared in Russia relatively recently, and until now it can not be found in every plumbing store. However, if the search for scarce material is successful, you can consider yourself lucky - its quality is consistent with German, and the price is more than attractive.
Supraterm piping systems are accompanied by certificates of the main international standards - DIN 8077-8078 (wall thickness regulation) and EN ISO 15874 (full control of all properties of polypropylene pipelines). Experts have repeatedly checked the real compliance of Romanian products with regulated indicators and confirmed that the company keeps the brand and does not allow itself to save on consumers. And it is not surprising that for her products she orders PP raw materials from Germany, and metal from Italy.
4 Wavin Ekoplastik
Country: Czech Republic
Rating (2022): 4.7
In the production of plastic pipeline systems, the Czechs are not inferior to the Germans - their company Ekoplastic is listed among the builders in good standing. After the merger with the international brand Wavin, it became the largest European manufacturer of polypropylene pipes, uniting 40 enterprises in 29 countries of the world. The best-selling product in the range is Fiber Basalt Plus pipes reinforced with basalt.
Unlike pipes of other series with an intermediate layer of fiberglass or aluminum, basalt pipes are made from a heat-stabilized PP-RCT polymer. This provides higher heat resistance and reliability of the pipe structure and, as a result, an expansion of the scope: pipes reinforced with basalt fiber are used for arranging both water supply and heating mains. From PP-RCT, all-plastic pipes of the EVO series are also produced, which are fully suitable for organizing plumbing with cold and hot water.
3 Wefatherm
Country: Germany
Rating (2022): 4.8
Plastic water supply systems have been produced under the Vefaterm brand for over 30 years and enjoy well-deserved respect in 50 countries, including Russia. Its products are much more accessible to Russian consumers than Banninger and Akwatherm, and they are practically not inferior in quality, since they are made from PPR-100 raw materials with high strength characteristics.
As a result, single-layer PP pipes of the PN20 and higher group are sufficiently resistant to pressure and temperature changes, are not subject to clogging and can be used for 50 years.Metal-reinforced Wefatherm Stabi pipes have an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion, which makes it possible to dispense with the use of expansion fittings and save on installation. From the point of view of assembly speed, Wefatherm Fiber pipes are even more advantageous - they do not require a stripping step and show themselves very favorably in drinking water pipes, in air conditioning and ventilation systems.
2 Akwatherm
Country: Germany
Rating (2022): 5.0
The pride of the Aquaterm manufacturer is a polypropylene-based material called Fusiolen, created by its specialists more than 35 years ago. Thanks to the introduction of special additives, its quality and performance characteristics are superior to similar products. Thus, fusiolene pipes are distinguished by a low coefficient of thermal expansion, they do not pass oxygen and can be operated in a wide temperature range - from ‒40 to +95 °C with possible short-term jumps up to +110 °C.
It is not surprising that Akwatherm pipe products, despite the high cost, receive the most positive feedback from both professional installers and home craftsmen. The key advantages of the products they call a wide range of applications, the possibility of delivery in coils (this is true for Fusioterm C pipes) and consistently high, truly German quality - both raw materials and the final product are produced in Germany. This allowed the company to receive a certificate from the DVS Institute, confirming a service life of up to 100 years.
1 Banninger
Country: Germany
Rating (2022): 5.0
The German brand "Benninger" appeared in 1987 and today represents the highest quality standards in the production of polypropylene pipes and fittings. The company calls its main advantage an excellent assortment that allows solving all technological problems in the arrangement of water supply, heating systems and other engineering structures. The company produces PP-RCT pipes with a diameter of 20 to 125 mm with increased hydraulic power, designed for cold and hot water supply systems.
For the organization of water heating, the manufacturer offers pipes of the Faser type, reinforced with fiberglass, and Stabi, reinforced with aluminum foil. In the catalog, they can be distinguished by the markings FW and B, and the differences in properties are increased throughput (FW) and a significant decrease in oxygen permeability (B). In addition, factories located directly in Germany produce polypropylene pipes for Fiber Climatec air conditioning systems with the FC index, all kinds of fittings and installation tools.