Pipes are materials that offer a plethora of benefits for people who work on construction projects. These act as framework reinforcements for water supply, heating, proper sewage disposal, and the provision of clean drinking water. When it comes to buying from a steel pipe supplier in the Philippines, it is important that you know about the things to consider when buying pipes.
Most workers prefer to use pipes for both residential buildings and major infrastructures because they are easily customizable. To help you make an informed decision, here are some of the considerations when buying pipes.
No matter how small or big a leak is, some form of pipe damage is bound to occur. Besides the potential of leaks, water pressure is a force that every pipe will have to cope with. High water pressure can lead to wide-scale damages. Arguably, abrasive materials that pass through the pipes will eventually degrade their quality.
You will have to buy pipes that are made with materials suitable for the purpose of installation. Moreover, the pipes should withstand forces that will be dealt with on a daily basis. Steel is often an ideal material for pipes. The construction industry relies on steel pipes for its durability.
Given that pipes are responsible for transporting liquids from one point to another, their interiors tend to be vulnerable to corrosion. Corrosion refers to the deterioration process of materials because of a reaction to the environment. Generally, most metal components corrode because of acidity and oxidation.
When highly acidic substances come into contact with steel pipes, rust accumulates inside its layers. This results from oxidation, which means losing iron particles to acidic electrolytes. The water pressure coming from the pipes can further enforce both chemical reactions.
In the long run, the pipes will be destabilized due to corrosion. This factor is naturally occurring and can happen at any rate. Thus, it would be best to buy a pipe that has strengthened corrosion protection. Galvanized pipes are manufactured to resist corrosion. These pipes have been dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent the metal from rusting. In addition, it prevents the buildup of deposits that can clog the pipeline.
Tensile strength refers to the maximum capacity that a material can withstand forces before failure or breaking. A strong material can have tensile stress push against it and will just end up becoming flat. This will protect the material from being damaged permanently.
If you plan to buy from a steel pipe supplier in the Philippines, your products must have the best tensile strength to ensure they last for a long time. As versatile construction materials used in a wide variety of applications, pipes will deal with extreme loads and other environmental factors.
With a high-quality black iron pipe, you are assured of reliable tensile strength. These pipes are typically cast from mild grades of steel. With less carbon, they possess an ideal property of ductility and malleability.
Various pipe companies were able to manufacture metal sheets to become spiral in shape. Instead of shattering completely, they have been heated and cooled to act as protection from brittleness. While the metal is still hot, its ends are bent to make a tube without breaking.
When you purchase pipes, they should be able to adjust to all kinds of harsh environments. Ideally, they must withstand extreme cold and hot temperatures.
The cold weather can often make metal components brittle. The water pressure begins to rush through the pipe and ice forms. If left unnoticed, steel pipes can burst and rupture because of ice blockage. Depending on the scale of damage, it can be especially costly to repair or even require a total replacement.
On the other hand, hot temperatures can make pipes break for a distinct reason. Direct heat can cause the metal to expand. In thermal expansion, the length, surface area, and volume of materials will increase, which makes them more prone to issues and decreases their lifespan. Once the pipe cannot handle the extreme heat, it will also rupture.
Naturally, environmental factors cannot be controlled. The best course of action would be to invest in pipes made with durability in mind. Steel pipes will maintain their form despite temperature fluctuations because they are designed to be highly durable.
Pipes are on-demand materials used for a plethora of applications. To help with your purchasing decision, remember these four things to consider when buying pipes.
As the leading steel pipe supplier in the Philippines, we at Supreme Pipe can cater to all your pipe needs while ensuring superior quality. From black iron pipes, galvanized pipes, spiral pipes, to red-painted pipes — we can provide it all. If you want to know more about our products, click here.
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At first glance, buying pipe may appear to be confusing, but once you understand the basics, it becomes much easier. Determining the grade of steel is the first step in the process. This provides a basis for additional questions to narrow down the best possible product.
Many first time buyers also struggle when figuring out the size of pipe they need. Here at Continental Steel & Tube we have developed a pipe size chart that can be your go to resource for pipe sizes, and can be downloaded below.
It’s important to note that although the words pipe and tube are occasionally used interchangeably, they are not at all the same thing and have different applications, shapes, and measurement techniques. In general pipe is used to move gas, air, or water while tube is generally for structural use. Pipe is round, but tube can be round, square, or rectangular.
Tube measurement will be covered in a different blog article, but pipe is measured by the length, nominal inner diameter (ID) and pipe “schedule” (wall thickness). It’s important to note that pipe sizes follow an industry standard, so the sizing is the same regardless of grade.
For example, a 1 inch pipe would be as follows:
1″ SCH 40 x 20′
Therefore, the measured size of this pipe is 1.315″OD x .133″WT x 20′
This is where the nominal inner diameter (ID) comes in. In this case the ID 1.049″ will be the inner diameter measurement. The OD size is different for each Size ID; For example 3-1/2″ Pipe will have a 4″ Diameter. This is another aspect of pipe buying that most novices find confusing.
Some other important things to note about sizes: Once the pipe size is higher than 14,” the size called out is actually the outer diameter (OD), instead of the inner diameter, as described above. This remains the OD size from then on, even to the largest-offered pipes.
However, there are still a couple of other exceptions to this rule. For the wall thickness, Sch 40 and Sch STD (Standard) is the same up until the 12″ Pipe. For pipes larger than that, the schedule switches to Sch 40S (STD) or what is referred to as “True Sch 40.”
For example in the case of 12″ Pipe sizes would be as follows:
STD or Sch 40s
12″ SCH 40s = 12.750″OD x .375″WT
or
Sch 40 (True Schedule 40)
12″ SCH 40 = 12.750″OD x .405″WT
This also applies to Sch 80 and Sch 80S.
Please access our chart library below and view our pipe chart for specific details.
Next on the list is to determine whether seamless or welded tubing is required. Grades will commonly be available for both types, so it depends on the specific job. NOTE: you must know what grade you need before they send us an inquiry. We do not determine that.
Furthermore, the pipe end itself can be customized. Options such as having a pipe with beveled ends (BE) or threaded ends can influence your request with us. We need this additional information so that we can properly quote for specific kinds of pipe ends.
Lastly, we always need to know total quantity (footage) of pipe that you require. Please make sure to include this as part of your quote.
To review this information, here’s a quick checklist of what we will need to correctly quote the best pipe for your specific project.
1. Grade of Steel
2. Size of Pipe
3. Seamless or Welded
4. Any special pipe end requirements?
5. Quantity
Should you need a pipe that does not fall on the industry standard pipe list. We can have custom sizes fabricated. If this is something you are interested in, please ask.