Types and main characteristics of American pipes for polypropylene pipes

Beginning plumbers, and people who just happened to come across this word, often wonder what “American” is.

If someone hears this word for the first time, then what comes to mind is a slightly different American woman, or rather, a woman from America, or a film with the same name, but in reality this is not the case. In order to understand the meaning of this word, you need to know one more, and it sounds like “fitting”. This word usually refers to angles, tees and couplings necessary for connecting pipes in plumbing.

• 2 Main differences
• 3 Assembly types
• 4 What are they made from?
• 5 Installation

What it is?

American women are fittings created in the USA and spread throughout the world after a short time. The main feature of this product is practicality and ease of use. American ones are a design consisting of a union nut and two fittings designed for connecting pipes made of different materials.

Unlike classic couplings or adapters, fittings of this kind:

• tightened with nuts, which not only facilitates installation, but also allows you to instantly shut off the pipeline if leaks occur;
• allow you to easily disconnect the pipes when replacing a section of the pipeline, blocking the network, inserting new inputs (without destroying the pipes due to rotation - the latter remain in place);
• ensure the alignment of the joined elements, which protects against leaks (in conventional threaded connections, fittings influence the position of the pipes during joining) - this is of great importance when operating gas pipelines and water supply networks;
• allow you to work in hard-to-reach places, unlike squeegees, the conditions of use of which are dictated by size;
• have their own seal - when installing the product, you do not need to worry about purchasing FUM tape or cutting out rubber gaskets;
• have many design variations, which allows you to select a product that matches the goals and plans for laying the network.

What materials is “American” made from?

American women are made from the following materials:

• Cast iron;
• Chroma;
• Nickel;
• Brass (“American” ones are chosen from this material by specialists, since brass keeps the coolant temperature up to 120 degrees; in brass “American” some parts can be made of nickel or chromium);
• Stainless steel grades ISI304, AISI316, AISI321 (marking contains information about the size in inches, steel grade and nominal pressure);
• Combined, using propylene parts.

Also in plumbing there are “American” ones that differ in diameter and overall design. They are used in hot and cold water systems. Corner “American” in plumbing is necessary for installing various elements in hard-to-reach places.

Of the above materials, “American” stainless steel has the greatest strength. Nevertheless, most plumbers choose “American” ones made of chrome, as this material provides greater practicality and quality. Also, elements made of this metal do not require gaskets to ensure tightness.

Area of ​​use

The area of ​​use of American pipes for polypropylene (PPR) pipes is home and main pipelines transporting non-aggressive liquid media, steam and gas. Thus, products of this kind can be found in heating systems (at the radiator connection point), sewer septic tanks, plumbing fixtures, and gas inlets. They are used as adapters, shut-off valve elements, and plugs.

We recommend that you read: Review of fittings for connecting metal-plastic pipes

Fitting diameters range from ½ to 2 inches. The maximum pressure is 30 bar. The operating temperature range of water and other transported media ranges from – 20 to + 150°.

What is “American”?

Let’s figure out what “American” is and why it gained so much popularity.

An American detachable connection is a kind of nut that is used when it becomes necessary to connect two pipes. Previously, drives were used for this, which are still found today, since their cost is significantly lower compared to the connection of the type in question.

The use of “American” pipes in plumbing makes it possible to simplify the process of connecting two fixed pipes as much as possible. For example, you need to connect a faucet and soldered wiring. In both the first and second cases, it is impossible to twist the pipes, and, possibly, the threads are located close to the wall, which precludes the use of the same corner. It is in such situations that the “American” comes to the rescue, providing a connection by rotating the nut that is part of its design:

• two fittings;
• pad;
• hex nut.

Types of American women

American ones, intended for the installation of pipelines from PPR pipes, are dismountable threaded connections equipped with a certain type of sealant.

Depending on the design, the following products are distinguished:

• with external thread (with fittings and union nuts);
• with internal thread;
• with a union nut and a solder end;
• combined.

Depending on the material used, American women are divided into:

• brass, chrome-plated or nickel-plated;
• cast iron;
• steel (usually made of stainless steel);
• combined, including those with polypropylene inserts.

Depending on the purpose (use of the compound), American women are divided into:

• couplings;
• tees and angles (30, 45, 90 degrees) with equal flow area;
• water sockets;
• plugs;
• crosses;
• saddles that allow you to crash into an existing network;
• adapters from larger to smaller diameter;
• Ball Valves.

Depending on the type of connecting joints, American fittings for polypropylene pipes are divided into:

• conical;
• cylindrical.

The tapered thread ensures a tight connection without the use of gaskets. Products of this kind are found in external water thermostats or heated towel rails.

The tightness of the cylindrical connection is ensured by rubber, paronite or polyurethane gaskets. Assemblies of this kind require periodic tightening and replacement of seals as the elements wear out.

Advice. Connections with tapered threads are more resistant to temperature changes and chemical reagents.

The advantages of fittings with tapered threads are:

• long service life and reliable metal-to-metal connection without the use of additional sealing materials;
• homogeneity of the joint, ensuring resistance to temperature changes and the effects of aggressive environments;
• ensuring tightness with minor deviations in pipe alignment (no more than 5 degrees).

We recommend that you read: Use of PVC ball valve in pipeline systems for various purposes

The advantage of fittings with cylindrical threads is that they are undemanding in terms of precision in the manufacture of components.

Connecting pipes with fittings

In the case of making a regular joint, the use of fittings is not particularly difficult. Ordinary soldering is used. But when it comes to creating a threaded connection, a certain sequence of operations must be strictly followed. First, threaded parts are connected to each other to seal the joint, then soldering is used. By the way, under certain conditions, fum is used - a special tape or thread to seal threaded joints.

Connecting pipes to each other using an American one looks different. At the first stage, the polypropylene pipe is soldered, then the union nut is tightened. This type of connection does not require any additional sealing.

There are models of small diameters that have pre-installed detachable connections.

At the junction of the main pipes to the boiler or other devices, a ball valve made on an American basis is most often installed. And instead of installing connecting fittings separately, only American ones install them.

The same solution can be applied when turning on other types of heating equipment, for example, indirect heating boilers or a hydraulic accumulator. These devices require maintenance, repair, and replacement within the period specified by regulatory documentation.

Benefits of use

Currently, American pipes are widely used in pipelines for various purposes for the purpose of joining steel, cast iron, copper, polypropylene and plastic pipes. Moreover, the use of such fittings provides a number of advantages:

• Easy to disassemble. In order to disconnect the pipes, you need to unscrew the nut.
• Possibility of installing pipes without rotation - the nut is screwed onto two ends at the same time, which allows for immobility of the structures.
• Strength and tightness (achieved by using sealing gaskets or conical threaded connections).
• Possibility of multiple installation of the fitting - the product can be removed from one pipeline and moved to another.
• Possibility of maintenance and repair work without the use of special equipment (keys for American women).
• Possibility of connecting pipes of different diameters.

Features of the American crane

With proper manufacturing quality, a ball valve is the most popular and best type of shut-off valve. There are many such taps on the plumbing market: special taps, with threads inside and outside on both one and both sides, decorative taps, American ball valves, etc.

Despite the fact that the American faucet is not uncommon, it is not widely used in plumbing work. This comes from ignorance of all the advantages of this type of faucet, the main one of which is the ability to install plumbing without the use of a plumbing fitting, which includes a long thread, a coupling, a lock nut and a counter thread. Thus, using an “American” crane, we, only by rotating a wrench, get the joining of two self-centering parts. It's simple.

American ball valves are also used when installing heating radiators. The radiator, connected on both sides through an American tap, can be easily removed. It is also very easy to manually adjust the coolant supply, and therefore regulate the heating of the radiator itself.

The American angle crane deserves attention. Lately, it is increasingly appearing on sale. Such a device easily replaces in some cases an excessive number of connections.

The American faucet, like other faucets, has two types of handles - lever and butterfly. The butterfly is installed on small-section taps, where little force is required to turn. The lever, on the contrary, is mounted on a large-section crane, where it is necessary to apply more force to turn it.

Read material on the topic: How to choose a bath faucet: 12 tips

Fitting sizes

In the vast majority of cases, fittings with an internal diameter of 20–30 mm are used for installing systems made of polypropylene pipes. However, when connecting to main pipelines, products with a large nominal bore can be used.

Attention! In order to choose the right American one, you should carefully study its markings, determine the type of thread and its size. If you have any difficulties making a choice, you should consult the seller or manufacturer. Failure to comply with these recommendations will lead to problems with the operation of the laid network.

What key is needed for the “American”

You can install “American” in plumbing without loss of quality and convenience using different tools. But this cannot be said that there are no restrictions in their choice. The most suitable and often used for installing the “American” is an adjustable wrench.

To install this fitting in plumbing, you should avoid using gas wrenches at all costs.

Recently, a universal tool has appeared that is most suitable for installing pipes in plumbing, including “American” ones. This wrench is used for a wide variety of jobs, which clearly proves its convenience and practicality.

The most common “American” sizes in plumbing are ¾ inches and ½ inches. This generally does not mean that you will not have a need for other types of this fitting. In this case, you need to purchase a key of the appropriate size or use an adjustable one. The main thing is not to use a gas wrench under any circumstances.

If you know how to work with metal and have the necessary tools, then you can make a cone wrench of the required size yourself. The taper is needed to fit into the recesses.

The shape of the key will be L-shaped, the handle will be about 150 mm long. The dimensions of the key for the “American” in ½ inch plumbing will be 12x12 mm and 10x10 mm. As a rule, such keys are made from scraps of profile reinforcement.

A good alternative when a plumber works with ½-inch “American” would be pliers, which, as a rule, everyone has. They are a great replacement for a set of keys.

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Pipeline installation

Installation of American women on pipelines is carried out with adjustable, open-end and universal wrenches, which eliminates the deformation of the union nut by applying too much force. The installation process is simple.

Advice. As a rule, to install American ones, it is enough to have keys for 12 and 34, which have protrusions. Occasionally, a special internal wrench may be required to tighten fittings from the inside.

If there is no thread on the pipe, it is cut using a die (seven turns are created) - without this action, threaded pipe connections are impossible. Then the installation is carried out in stages:

• The edges of the threads cut with a die are chamfered (polypropylene pipes are calibrated).
• The edges of the pipes are thoroughly cleaned with alcohol, moisture, grains of sand and grease stains are removed.
• The fitting is separated and then fixed to both pipes (using threads or soldering). The fitting is tightened, controlling the location of the pipes (they must be in the same plane). A level is used to determine the position of the pipe. If the axes do not coincide, the threads are loosened and the position of the pipes is adjusted.
• Check the tightness by filling the pipeline at the maximum permissible pressure value. Make sure there are no leaks, tighten the union nut (some plumbers use FUM tape, flax or tow soaked in sealant paste).

We recommend that you read: How to correctly bend a polypropylene pipe at home and avoid deformation

The diameter of the pipe for water supply and other networks is selected based on the information available in the project. Piping inside the premises is carried out in accordance with the plan.

Installation

Typically, pipelines made of polypropylene pipes are installed using diffuse welding, with the help of which the pipes are completely soldered and become very tight.
The life of this design, when used with cold water in the system, extends the service life of the pipes to 15 years, and with hot water, the pipes should be changed after 6 - 7 years.

Here are some instructions to help you install the American one:

1. It is necessary to prepare the tubes, chamfer where necessary, and cut the tubes to the required length.
2. Plastic pipes must be calibrated.
3. A fitting is attached, for example, if the pipes have a diameter of 25 mm, then the coupling should be of the same diameter. Remember that the American is a detachable coupling, and first fix the part that needs to be welded, after which the remaining part is assembled, most often this is the thread.
4. It is necessary to lightly tighten the fitting and check the quality of work, so that in case of incorrect installation everything is corrected. Now you can open the valve and check for leaks.
5. Only after you are sure that there are absolutely no leaks are you allowed to tighten the union nut, and it is worth noting that this should be done tightly in order to create a tight connection.

There is absolutely nothing complicated about the installation, and you can actually perform all the procedures on your own at home.

Watch the video in which a specialist demonstrates in detail the process of installing a section of water supply using an American pipe for polypropylene pipes:

Types of threaded connections

The American thread can be conical or cylindrical. Similar variability is present in the case of fittings, the connecting surfaces of which differ in the mentioned shapes.

As for the conical seal, it has a certain set of advantages:

• ensuring the tightness of the connection without any gaskets, FUM tape, flax fiber, etc.;
• resistance to various types of influences, for example, temperature changes, which is achieved due to the homogeneity of the material in terms of its chemical composition and physical characteristics;
• maintaining tightness when the axes of the connected parts deviate up to 5 degrees.

The mentioned advantages in relation to American cone elements are achieved due to the high precision of their manufacture, which can be neglected to a certain extent when it comes to flat seals. Here, it is enough to use a gasket in the form of a ring to achieve the required tightness even when the surface of the connecting elements is not highly precision processed.

In the production of “American women”, various grades of steel are used. Although AISI grade steel is more popular under the digital designations 304, 316 and 321. Steel marking also includes an indication of the conditional pressure (PSI) and size in inches.