What are the common pipe and water pipe accessories?

Pipes and water pipe fittings are an important part of the piping system, used to connect, control and guide the flow of fluids or gases in the piping system. These fittings are indispensable whether in homes, commercial buildings or industrial facilities. Here are some common pipe and water pipe fittings, as well as their importance, types and advantages.

I. Pipes

1. Metal pipes

• Galvanized steel pipes

• Features: The surface of galvanized steel pipes has a galvanized layer, which has good corrosion resistance, especially a certain resistance to atmospheric corrosion. It has high strength and can withstand a certain pressure.

Application: Widely used in building water supply and drainage systems and fire protection systems. For example, galvanized steel pipes can often be seen in the pipes of indoor cold water supply systems and fire hydrant systems in buildings.

• Seamless steel pipes

• Features: Seamless steel pipes have no welds, good mechanical properties, high strength and high toughness. Able to withstand high pressure, the pipe wall thickness is uniform, and the material is relatively dense.

• Application: Commonly used in high pressure, high temperature or extremely high pipe quality requirements. Such as the inlet and outlet pipes of air-conditioning chillers in large buildings, and high-pressure fluid delivery pipes in industrial production.

• Stainless steel pipe

• Features: Stainless steel pipe has excellent corrosion resistance, beautiful appearance and good sanitation. It is not easy to rust and can keep the pipe in good condition for a long time. According to different stainless steel materials (such as 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel, etc.), its corrosion resistance and mechanical properties vary.

• Application: It is widely used in fields with high requirements for pipe materials, such as food processing, medical and health, and water supply and drainage systems of high-end residences. For example, purified water delivery pipelines in pharmaceutical factories and hot water supply pipelines in high-end hotels.

Copper pipe

• Features: Copper pipe has good thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance and antibacterial properties. It has a soft texture, is easy to process and shape, and has a long service life.

• Application: It is commonly used for pipe connections in hot water supply systems and air conditioning and refrigeration systems in buildings. For example, in the solar water heating system of a home, copper pipes can effectively transfer heat.

2. Plastic pipes

• PVC pipe (polyvinyl chloride pipe)

• Features: PVC pipe is inexpensive, has good chemical stability, has certain corrosion resistance, is light in texture, and is easy to install. But its heat resistance is poor and may deform at high temperatures.

• Application: Widely used in the drainage system and rainwater drainage system of buildings. It is also used in some general industrial drainage. For example, in the drainage pipes of residential bathrooms and the rainwater downpipes on the roofs of buildings.

PPR pipe (random copolymer polypropylene pipe)

• Features: PPR pipe has good heat resistance and can be used in hot water supply systems for a long time. It also has good corrosion resistance, smooth pipe wall, small water flow resistance, and is a green and environmentally friendly pipe.

• Application: It is widely used in the hot and cold water supply system of buildings, especially the laying of water pipes in home decoration. It is one of the mainstream pipes for indoor water supply and drainage systems.

PE pipe (polyethylene pipe)

• Features: PE pipe has good toughness, strong corrosion resistance, good flexibility, and can adapt to certain terrain changes. It is divided into low-density polyethylene pipe (LDPE), medium-density polyethylene pipe (MDPE) and high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE). The performance of PE pipes of different densities is different.

• Application: It is widely used in municipal water supply and drainage projects, gas transmission projects, agricultural irrigation systems and other fields. For example, in urban tap water supply pipelines, rural irrigation water pipes, branch pipelines for natural gas transmission, etc.

II. Water pipe accessories

1. Elbow

• Function: used to change the direction of the pipeline. Common ones are 90-degree elbows and 45-degree elbows.

• Application: In the laying of building water supply and drainage pipelines, elbows are used when the pipeline needs to bypass corners or other obstacles. For example, in the layout of bathroom water pipes, in order to make the water pipes adapt to the space in the corners, 90-degree elbows are used to change the direction of the water pipes.

2. Tee

• Function: To realize the branching function of the pipeline, the water flow of a pipe can be divided into two water flows in different directions. There are equal-diameter tees and different-diameter tees.

• Application: In the household water supply and drainage system, such as in the kitchen water pipe system, the tee can lead the water of the main water pipe to water-using equipment such as faucets and dishwashers; in the building's fire protection system, the tee is used to distribute the water of the fire main pipe to each fire hydrant branch pipe.

3. Straight joint (pipe clamp)

• Function: used to connect two pipes of the same diameter, extend the length of the pipe or repair a broken pipe.

• Application: During the installation of the pipe, if the length of the pipe is not enough, you can use a straight joint to connect the two pipes. When repairing the pipe, if a section of the pipe is found to be damaged, the damaged part can be cut off, and then the remaining pipe can be connected with a straight joint.

4. Cross

• Function: connect one pipe with three other pipes, which can be used for more complex pipe branching situations.

• Application: In the water supply and drainage systems or industrial pipe systems of some large buildings, a four-way joint is used when it is necessary to distribute water flow in multiple directions at the same time or connect multiple pipes. For example, in the air conditioning water system of a large shopping mall, a four-way joint can be used to distribute water from the main pipe to different floors and areas.

5. Flexible joint

• Function: It is convenient for the removal and installation of the pipe. It consists of three parts, and the middle part can be rotated for easy connection with other pipe fittings.

• Application: It is used in places where pipes need to be inspected or maintained frequently. For example, in the cooling water pipelines of some industrial equipment, if the equipment needs regular maintenance, the flexible joint can make the removal and reconnection of the water pipe more convenient.

6. Flange

• Function: used for the connection between pipes and pipes, pipes and equipment. The two flanges are fastened together by bolts, and a gasket is added in the middle to ensure sealing.

• Application: It is more common in the connection of large-diameter pipes, such as the connection of the inlet and outlet pipes of fire pumps in buildings, and the pipe connection in large industrial pipe systems. Flanges are also often used in the connection of pipes and valves, pipes and water pumps and other equipment.

7. Faucet (water nozzle)

• Function: Control the opening and closing of water flow and the size of the flow. There are different types such as ordinary faucets and hot and cold mixing faucets.

• Application: Installed at the end of various water-using equipment, such as kitchen sinks, bathroom wash basins, bathtubs, etc., for water extraction.

8. Valve

• Stop valve

Function: Mainly used to cut off water flow and adjust the flow. Its valve core is plug-shaped, and the valve core is raised and lowered by rotating the handwheel to control the on and off and size of the water flow.

• Application: In the household water supply and drainage system, such as installing a stop valve behind the water meter to control the water consumption of the entire family; in some industrial pipeline systems, it can be used to control the water flow of local pipelines.

Gate valve

• Function: The gate valve controls the on-off of water flow by raising and lowering the gate. It has a small resistance and is suitable for occasions with low requirements for water flow resistance.

• Application: In large-diameter water supply and drainage pipeline systems, such as urban tap water mains, water inlet and outlet pipes of sewage treatment plants, etc.

• Ball valve

• Function: The valve core of the ball valve is a sphere with a circular through hole on the sphere. The on-off of water flow is controlled by rotating the sphere, which has the characteristics of rapid switching and low water flow resistance.

• Application: In some occasions where rapid response to water flow control is required, such as in the pipe before the sprinkler in some automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing systems, the use of ball valves can quickly open or close the water flow; ball valves are also often used on some household gas pipelines to control the on-off of gas.

• Check valve

• Function: Check valves only allow water to flow in one direction to prevent water from flowing back. There are different types such as lift check valves and swing check valves.

• Application: Install a check valve on the outlet pipe of the water pump to prevent water from flowing back to the water pump when the water pump stops working, protecting the water pump equipment; in some pipe systems that need to prevent water from flowing back, such as on the return pipe of the hot water supply system, the check valve can ensure that the hot water circulates in the correct direction.

Advantages of pipe and water pipe accessories

• Various types: Pipe and water pipe accessories are of various types and sizes to meet various needs.

• Efficient operation: Using high-quality accessories can improve the efficiency of the system and reduce energy waste.

• Improve safety: Suitable accessories can ensure the sealing of the system, prevent leakage and improve safety.

• Easy to install: Most accessories are simple in design and easy to install and maintain.

Pipes and water pipe accessories are an indispensable and important part of the plumbing system. They play a vital role in connecting, controlling and guiding the flow of fluids or gases. Choosing suitable accessories can not only improve the efficiency of the system, but also ensure the safety and stability of the system. If you have purchasing needs for pipe accessories, please contact us!