Plastic Pipe Airline

[dieselsamurai]

Ive been using the white HEP pipe for 4 years now at 150psi no issues at all , only precaution I have taken is to cover all runs in flexible 20mm black trunking protects it from sunlight and any hot sparks knocks etc. I think the fittings are where the most risk of failure is. If its marked max 10 bar i bet it tested to 1.5x at least

 

[dannyp]

useing blue water pipe here and yellow gas pipe in places ( same stuff diffrent colour i think ) theres a fair length underground now that suppies the workshop with extra air from road compressor if needed, all round workshop is in blue and couple of lines running out to tyer inflating post and the naughty spot where tend to pull wheels off kit

 

[HughF]

Underfloor heating pipe (pex-al-pex composite) works brilliant, bends well, is cheap but is 16mm OD - you need the correct fittings to go with it.

 

[Turbo]

I was planning a pipework system for my workshop & I did price comparisons between various materials. Initially the blue mdpe looks cheap but the fittings are very expensive and there is a risk of it shattering. Plumbing it all in copper water pipe worked out a lot cheaper - yes the pipe is expensive but the solder on fittings are cheap, especially if you can buy them in bulk.

It would all depend on how much tubing & joints you need. Measure up how many metres of pipe you need & make a list of all the tees, elbows, end adapters and pipe clips you need. Then do some pricing & see what works out best for you.

 

[Farside]

About the only dodgy plastic is PVC - it gets brittle and can shatter under pressure. Have a look on Garage Journal about that. The MDPE and 'Pex pipes aren't prone to that at all, and if they're run in areas where mechanical damage might occur, it's easy to shield them.

 

[EddyP]

Hep is rated at 12 bar.
Blue MDPE is rated at 12 bar up to 63mm
Copper 15mm is rated at 58 bar, or 45 bar on a soldered joint. 22mm is rated at 51 bar or 39 bar on a soldered joint.

So plastic is just ok for most of us that will run up to 150psi as it has a burst pressure of 174PSI, but copper is far better as it gives you a much higher safety margin.

 

[tom2207]

I just use r2at , but I only have one run of about thirty feet , and thats only because i had it laying about as a spare hydraulic line off my stage , one of about five i carried in case of emergency's , but never actually needed.

 

[ukracer]

I just use r2at , but I only have one run of about thirty feet , and thats only because i had it laying about as a spare hydraulic line off my stage , one of about five i carried in case of emergency's , but never actually needed.

What's r2at?

 

[ukracer]

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.

What did you end up using mate?

 

[tom2207]

What's r2at?

twin wire hydraulic hose.

 

[Olderisbetter]

What did you end up using mate?

I am waiting for my mate to go back to work as he is doing a huge job using blue plastic air pipe i think made by john guest, so i will be getting left overs.

 

[Al Strachan]

Love this forum. I had 20m of 15mm ly go around and always wanted to move the “fleet” to the other end of the garage and by the fuse box.

thanks All

 

[Brad93]

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

Are your cabinets Lista Bob?

 

[Brad93]

My dad used the aluminium, plastic coated stuff with compression fittings.

seems to be working okay up to 120psi ish.

 

[Pete.]

OMG......

You should see the outside...it's like Steptoe and Alladin got together and bought a few acres

 

[8ob]

Are your cabinets Lista Bob?

Yes, job lot from an F1 team that was relocating.

Bob

 

[hotponyshoes]

The 'ring main' in my workshop was run in 1" (I think) galvanized steel water pipe.

I got given the pipe and borrowed the vice/die to thread the ends so not sure how much that would have cost. The fittings came from a local agricultural supplier and were really cheap.
So cheap that every drop pipe has had at least 2 spare tees fitted with blanking plugs and there are 3/4 extra drop pipes fitted just in case of future expansion!
All fixed to the walls with swa type plastic cable cleats.

If doing it again in would have run all the drop pipes upwards before running them down (or ran the main nearer the floor) as the upstream ones tend to catch moisture.
I did run the main on a downward slope around the workshop and put a drop on the far end with a drain tap. This should really have been run outside or had a filter/baffle fitted as if I drain the pipework down it is a bit close to the floor and blows a cloud of dust up when I unload it.

 

[Brad93]

Yes, job lot from an F1 team that was relocating.

Bob

Few ££,£££ there

 

[whm_fab]

im going to be tackling this job shortly in my shop, so a very interesting read. ive heard alot of horror stories on Garage Journal about Plastic pipe, but thats mostly PVC to be fair. if you mention PVC there you'll be shot.

Why is there no suggestions for GB pipe (gun barrel) ? thats initially what i was going to use. Hiring the threading tool is a bit of a pain, but otherwise its cheap, and extremely reliable, and looks well.

now this thread has me thinking........

 

[sg66]

Textile/pedlar do an imperial plastic pipe with aluminium liner built into the layers it's good for 16bar with metal push fit connectors comes in 15 and 22mm

It also holds it shape when bent.