In a low-temperature environment, once the water in the pipe freezes and expands, it is easy to cause the pipe to freeze and crack. To avoid this situation, protective measures need to be taken from multiple aspects to comprehensively ensure the safe use of pipes in low-temperature environments.
First of all, pay special attention to the selection of pipes and accessories. Not all PPR pure plastic pipes are suitable for low-temperature environments, and products with good low-temperature resistance should be selected. Some PPR pipes that have been specially processed or added with antifreeze ingredients can maintain good flexibility and strength at lower temperatures than ordinary pipes, reducing the risk of freezing and cracking due to brittleness at low temperatures. At the same time, the quality of matching pipe fittings is also crucial. It is necessary to ensure that the material and performance of the pipe fittings match the pipe to prevent the accessories from becoming a weak link in freezing and cracking due to their inability to withstand low temperatures.
Whether the installation layout of the pipeline is reasonable or not directly affects its safety at low temperatures. Try to avoid installing PPR pure plastic pipe outdoors or in non-heating areas with low temperatures. If open installation cannot be avoided, choose a more concealed location that is not easily blown by cold winds. During the installation process, the right-angle bends of the pipe should be reduced, because right-angles are prone to water accumulation, and stress concentration during freezing makes it more likely to rupture. In addition, the direction of the pipe should be designed with a reasonable slope to allow the water to flow smoothly, avoid residual water accumulation, and reduce the risk of freezing from the source.
Insulating the ppr pure plastic pipe is a key measure to resist low temperatures. The selection of insulation materials should take into account both insulation and waterproof properties. Pipes can be wrapped with materials such as rubber-plastic insulation pipes and polyurethane foam insulation pipes. These materials not only have good insulation effects, but also can isolate moisture to a certain extent, preventing the insulation effect from being affected by the accumulation of condensed water inside the insulation layer. The insulation layer should be installed tightly to ensure that there are no gaps, especially the interfaces and valves of the pipes, which should be protected with insulation sleeves or insulation tapes to prevent heat loss.
Setting up a vent valve and drainage system can actively remove water from the pipe when low temperatures come. Install a vent valve at the lowest point of the pipeline system. When the temperature drops to a certain level or the water is not used for a long time, open the vent valve to drain the water in the pipeline to prevent the water from freezing and expanding in the pipe. For some large water supply systems or complex pipeline layouts, segmented drainage can also be designed, and independent control valves can be set in each branch pipeline to facilitate local drainage and maintenance, ensuring that even if a section of the pipeline has problems, it can be quickly handled to reduce losses.
In some cases of extremely low temperatures or inability to vent the pipeline, electrical heating technology can provide additional protection for PPR pure plastic pipe. The electric heating cable can be wrapped around the pipeline, and the electric energy is converted into heat energy to continuously heat the pipeline, so that the water in the pipe remains in a flowing state and prevents freezing. With the intelligent temperature control system, the heating value of the heating cable can also be automatically adjusted according to the ambient temperature, which not only ensures the safety of the pipeline, but also saves energy. However, when using the electric heating system, grounding protection should be done to ensure the safety of electricity.
Daily maintenance and inspection are also essential links. Before entering the low temperature season, the ppr pure plastic pipe should be fully inspected to check whether the insulation layer is damaged, whether the pipe is firmly fixed, whether the valve is leaking, and other problems, and the problematic parts should be repaired and replaced in time. During the low temperature weather, regular inspections should also be carried out. Once abnormal frost and dripping are found in the pipe, measures should be taken immediately to avoid the problem from worsening.
For different usage scenarios, protective measures need to be adjusted accordingly. For example, in high-rise buildings, vertical pipes have greater stress when they are frozen due to their high height. In addition to conventional insulation and drainage measures, brackets need to be set up on each floor and compensators should be installed to relieve the axial stress caused by the expansion of the pipe due to ice. In rural areas, if the pipeline needs to be buried, it is necessary to ensure that the burial depth exceeds the local permafrost layer, and cover the pipeline with insulation materials to prevent the low temperature conduction of the soil from affecting the pipe. Through these targeted measures, the ppr pure plastic pipe can be effectively protected in various low temperature environments, reduce the risk of freezing and cracking, and ensure normal use.
