Stainless Steel Pipe Fittings Offer All-Round Protection
Stainless steel pipe fittings are now in common use, and it’s not hard to see why. They offer a great many benefits over the iron or lead pipes of the past, which could, due to their pollution of the water they channeled, bring about the slow poisoning of anyone who drank it on a regular basis. Nowadays, under the eye of a much more health-conscious public, plumbing pipes tend to be made out of copper, stainless steel or plastics. Plastic pipes, which can be both rigid and flexible, are becoming increasingly common for cold water pipes in houses. Stainless steel pipe fittings, while a touch more expensive, are the best option for channeling hot water though they’re often used to transport both hot and cold water due to their thermos-like properties.
The high durability and strength of steel, as well as its resistance to heat, means that stainless steel pipe fittings are not just the common choice for domestic residences, but also for industrial complexes that need to carry gases or fire extinguishing materials to the various parts of their facilities.
Because of the tendency to rust, steel is mixed with other materials can add to its durability. Stainless steel is in fact an alloy that always contains a minimum of 10% chromium. “Passivating” is the name of the process used in making stainless steel, a process that removes all impurities and creates a non-reactive surface film on the metal. This film inhibits any further corrosion.
Despite the benefits this protective film confers on stainless steel, pipe fittings are nonetheless still manufactured from a variety of materials, often for reasons of aesthetics as much as cost. The materials of which they’re cast include aluminum, brass, bronze, carbon, ceramic, clay, concrete, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and rubber.
When choosing amongst pipe fittings, shape isn’t going to be an issue – fitting cross sections tend to be circular in order to fit with they pipe to which they’re connecting. Thus size (pipe diameter) is going to be your primary concern. Standard English sizes (at least, the sizes you’ll be likely to encounter plumbing shops) range from 1/8 to bigger than 36. Metric sizes range from less than 10 mm to bigger than 1000 mm.
Assuming you’re looking to do a comprehensive revamp of your plumbing system, you’re probably also going to need to look at flanges. Flanges can be used to mechanically connect two pipes, or a pipe to a tee, a valve, choke or other piece of equipment. Flanges can be round, square or rectangular, so pick out your pipes and ask a salesperson for advice. Some flanges are built in the shape of a ring that forms a rim at the end of the pipe. Other flanges are in the form of a plate and are used to cover the end of a pipe. Materials used to make flanges include steel, stainless steel, brass, PVC, aluminum, copper or cast iron. The material you choose depends on the material the pipe is made of and the type of application for which you intend it. Atmospheric corrosion, temperature and the water pressure you require all play an important part in determining what sort of material you should use.
Ideally, the pipe fittings you choose should be light-weight, capable of holding up under high pressures, easy to make up - there’s always a chance that you might need to quickly disassemble and reassemble the fittings. This is a criterion fulfilled best by plastic and stainless steel pipe fittings.
