Water plays a very important role in our day to day lives and therefore it is essential to have a good water supply to your home. Water supply is process where water is supplied from a public water supply system to every individual apartment. It is then subsequently supplied to each and every part of the apartment. The water supply system varies from building to building. Every building has a separate distribution system. In this whole process pipes are the major elements as water is supplied through pipes to every individual. Designing and capital are the two major factors which are required for laying down a water distribution system. One should always hire professionals for planning and designing it. Following are few things which one should consider while selecting the pipes:
- Pipe should be strong and of good quality.
- Dimensions of pipe
- Diametric size
- Check the capacity of pipes
- Durability
- Topographic and geographic nature
- Costs relating to transportation, laying down the system and repairs maintenance.
- Lastly cost of the water pipes
How water pipe looks?
Water pipes are long and circular in shapes. They are available in various length and dimensions. You can choose pipes as per your requirement and specifications. They play an important role in buildings, houses, industries and constructions plants. Water pipes can be installed underground or over the ground. These pipes are huge in sizes and length as they serve the purpose of water transportation and distribution.
Types of water supply pipes:
There are various types of pipes available. They are also available in various sizes. Pipes are also made up of different materials. Following are the various types categorized as per the materials used for manufacturing:
Metallic category: This category includes pipes which are made of metal like CI or GI pipes
Cement: This category includes pipes which are made up of cement concrete like Asbestos pipes (AC)
Plastic: This category includes those pipes which are made up of plastic like Un-plasticized PVC (UPVC ).
CI Pipes
These pipes are known as Cast Iron pipes and are used for water supply distribution. They can handle pressure and can withstand load due to the thickness. They are easy to install. Cast Iron pipes are heavy and are costlier means of transportation. Therefore they are no fit for unapproachable areas. These pipes are short in terms of length and that’s why it is quite costlier to install.
Steel Pipes
Steel pipes are best for long distance water supply lines. They can bear high water pressure and are long in sizes. These pipes are easy to install and transport. Also the installation charges are lower as compared to CI pipes. They are lighter in weight and have excellent mechanical properties.
Cement concrete Pipes
These pipes are quite resistant however are very heavy and bulky. Hence, the transportation and handling costs are huge. Even the installation charges are quite high as compared to steel pipes.
Asbestos Cement Pipes
AC pipes are lighter in weight and are thus easy to install. They are resistant to rust and are mostly used for water distribution. These pipes are also not very expensive.
Un-plasticized PVC Pipes
UPVC pipes are lighter in weight and are resistant to rust. They come in huge length and therefore, the installation cost is very less. However, these pipes are not good for hot areas.
Overall comparison:
Water supply pipes are quite expensive however they are quite strong and durable. They can withstand high water pressure and can carry huge gallons of water. They are available in various lengths and can be easily welded. Concrete cement pipes are quite expensive but they are strong and can handle high pressure. Furthermore, these pipes are heavy and therefore are hard to install. It is also quite costlier to install them. On the other hand asbestos cement pipes are lighter in weight as compared to concrete cement pipes; however they are not as strong and durable as concrete cement pipes are. PVC pipes are another type of pipes which are light in weight but are strong and durable. They are also very easy to handle and install. These pipes come in various lengths and require less installation costs.
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