Plastic Pipe Airline

[Olderisbetter]

I want to run an airline in my garage, I have seen copper pipe used and i know they make plastic airline pipe and fittings, I have a lot of white 15mm and 22mm plastic pipe and fittings, Is there any reason i cannot use it? I presume the airline pipe and fittings might be special, I just need a single run at the moment till i finish extending.

 

[dobbslc]

Standard plumbing pipe won't be pressure rated high enough. Screwfix do some decent looking stuff though.

 

[Kayos]

It rated at 10bar so 147 psi?

 

[dobbslc]

My compressor cuts off at 10 bar! That's a bit close for my liking!

 

[Olderisbetter]

I will have a look at screwfixers after..lol

 

[dobbslc]

It's in Toolstation not Screwfix

And it's also rated at 10 bar max!

 

[Ruffian]

Jg speedfit make the acual pipe "blue" air lines but are expensive and the plumbing pipe works just as well.

Taken it up to 12bar and didnt go pop.

 

[brightspark]

its rated at 10 bar but I bet it will take a lot more than that test pressure

 

[Kayos]

See if you can find it’s burst pressure, once on a new build property we misread the gauges on a hydrostatic pump, we went a bit over 10 and it was fine

 

[8ob]

I have used hep20 for all the airlines and the underground blue poly between buildings, used copper for the drops. Its been in a very long time now with no issues but I only run about 120psi line pressure.

Bob

 

[Olderisbetter]

It's in Toolstation not Screwfix

And it's also rated at 10 bar max!

Got it thanks, i had a look on screwfixers ...toolstaion is good for bits

 

[ukracer]

OMG......

 

[123hotchef]

Bob the blue MDPE pipe under gound?

 

[rtbcomp]

Get proper air pipe. Some of the water plumbing pipe can shatter under pressure if knocked.

 

[Gareth J]

Blue mdpe water pipe is rated to 12Bar.
I use it in my workshop. Can't get a much cheaper way to transport air imo.

I once hooked up a pressure washer to a long run of blue water pipe (like 500m+) that was jammed solid with gunk. Could not shift it with a 150psi compressor. I doubt that the pressure got much much higher using the power washer but it may well have exceeded 12bar. No splits, just one long slug of peaty gunk!

The plasson fittings are fairly pricy but fit together like Lego. Easily reconfigured if required.

 

[123hotchef]

TBH i never thought of using the mdpe pipe for air but if/when i move the compressors up the other end of the garden I know what pipe I will be using to run the lenght back down to the Garage

 

[500e]

He only wants us to be green with envy UKR

 

[8ob]

Bob the blue MDPE pipe under gound?

Yes the blue poly is all buried, where it srfaces I used those push fit backplate elbows that screw to the wall and screw a 1/2" bsp male iron pcl fitting straight into that. Again no issues with any of that either.

Bob

 

[Farside]

When I ran out of 1/2" copper, I just did the remaining half with Qualpex and JG Speedfit Ts. Not a problem so far.
My only slight reservation is the Speedfit Ts *might* be PVC, which hasn't the best reputation under pressure in the long term. Some time I'll run it up to 150psi and leave it there, but it's fine at 130 or so.
Only thing to watch is the 'pex pipe pressure rating falls dramatically as it gets hotter, so keep it at least 3ft from the compressor outlet just to be cautious. Having said that, I've seen a couple of cowboy outfitters use it directly to a central heating boiler and it actually lasted for a few months before going pop. Pex recommend the minimum distance in that instance is 3ft from the boiler - the intervening pipe should be iron or copper. Given that, I've no real worries about warm air.

 

[skotl]

OMG......

That's exactly like my workshop, except for the clean walls, clean roofs, organised drawers and no crap all over the floor.
Other than that, it's like looking through my own window!