Citizens planning home renovations, pay attention! When it comes to the water and electricity phases of construction, how do you choose PP-R pipes? Are imported PP-R pipes always better than domestically produced ones? Many companies in this province also produce PP-R pipes; what is their quality like?

These questions were answered at a press conference on November 8th, held by the Zhejiang Chemical Building Materials Association, regarding the comparative quality of PP-R pipe products in Zhejiang Province.

This pipe product quality comparison activity was jointly conducted by Zhejiang Fangyuan Testing Group Co., Ltd. and the Zhejiang Chemical Building Materials Association. A total of 44 batches of products from 44 companies in the province were inspected, with 5 batches failing inspection. The substandard products have been handed over to the local market supervision departments for legal action.

Additionally, 10 batches of products were purchased from building materials markets for comparison. Four batches failed inspection.

1. Are imported PP-R pipes always better than domestically produced ones?

PP-R pipes are quite familiar to everyone. Besides their common use in home decoration, they are also widely used in urban and rural water supply and drainage, city gas, power and optical cable sheathing, industrial fluid transportation, and agricultural irrigation.

The results of this quality comparison address concerns that 39 batches of products from this province participating in the comparison showed no signs of using recycled materials. In other words, all domestic manufacturers participating in the quality comparison used high-quality, new resin raw materials that meet the standard requirements. This ensures the hygienic, physical, and chemical properties of the pipes from the source.

Second, this activity compared a total of nine major performance indicators. To test the hydrostatic test performance—that is, whether the pipe is crack-free and leak-free under the specified time and pressure—the test was upgraded from the "pass-through test" specified in the standard to the "ultimate destruction test," namely the "time to rupture." The results of this test show that 10 domestic companies had a short-term hydrostatic pressure resistance rupture time of more than 10 hours, with an average of 58.6 hours; 13 companies had a long-term hydrostatic pressure resistance rupture time of more than 2000 hours, with an average of 3124 hours. The test results show that this indicator for domestic products is far higher than the standard.

Compared with similar products from other provinces and countries, in terms of the hydrostatic pressure resistance indicator, which reflects the long-term use performance of the pipe, the rupture time for domestic products was 3124 hours, while it was 1863 hours and 1245 hours for products from other provinces and countries, respectively. In terms of the oxidation induction time, which reflects the pipe's aging resistance, the domestic products had a maximum of 50.7 minutes, while products from other provinces and countries had 31.1 minutes and 37.8 minutes, respectively. This shows that our provincial products are superior to those of well-known companies from other provinces and countries, such as Germany's Uponor, Germany's Viega, Pilsa, Jinniu Pipe, and Rifeng Pipe, in key aspects such as hydrostatic pressure resistance and aging resistance. Consumers can choose products from domestic companies with complete confidence.

2. How to choose PP-R pipe products?

Experts offer the following suggestions for purchasing PP-R pipe products, for reference:

● Check the markings

First, check the markings to ensure that the information is complete and choose products with complete Chinese labeling information. Some products on the market lack Chinese markings and deliberately use foreign language markings to impersonate imported products.

● Check the appearance

Check if the pipe wall is smooth, if the color is soft and bright with an oily texture, if the markings are complete, and if the accessories have a brand name. Poor-quality PP-R pipes, due to the mixing of inferior plastics or even lime powder, have unnatural colors, a dry and non-oily cross-section, and feel like chalk has been added.

● Test the toughness

You can communicate with the merchant and choose a sample to hit or step on to see if the pipe is brittle. High-quality PP-R pipes have good toughness, can be easily bent without breaking, and the pipe mouth will not crack when stepped on. The inner and outer walls are smooth and free of dents and cracks, while inferior pipes are brittle and break easily when bent. The inner wall of the pipe is rough and uneven.

● Check the hardness

Don't think that because PP-R pipes are tough, they lack hardness. High-quality PP-R pipes have quite good hardness and cannot be deformed by hand. Any pipe that can be easily deformed by hand is certainly not a PP-R pipe.

● Burn the pipe

You can also use fire to identify the quality of PP-R pipes. Cut a thin piece from the PP-R pipe and use a lighter to burn it for identification. High-quality PP-R should not have any odor or residue when burned. In addition, good PP-R pipes can maintain their hardness at high water temperatures, while inferior pipes soften at 60 degrees Celsius.

● Do not choose white pipes for outdoor exposed installations

Because white pipes have high light transmittance, they are prone to bacterial growth. Outdoor exposed pipes should be insulated, protected from the sun, and protected from freezing. Aluminum foil or UV-resistant materials should be used to prevent accelerated aging and affect service life.

● Do not blindly pursue foreign products

This supervision sampling found that the quality of foreign pipes is not necessarily far superior to that of domestic pipes. Therefore, you should not blindly pursue foreign products when purchasing.