Rehau pipes or polypropylene pipes, which is better?

There is a big debate: which pipes are better to use in rough plumbing - Rehau or propylene? In this article I will try to outline the most important facts that influence the choice between these two manufacturers.

So let's start with the most important question, in my opinion: Many companies recommend the use of Rehau pipes, explaining that mid- and low-level repair teams do not have equipment for installing Rehau pipes, and persuade customers to choose polypropylene.

But in fact, this is just a bluff and nothing more, since the equipment for installing such pipes can be rented from any seller of these products, the cost of which will not be more than 3000 tons for 2 working days. This is exactly how long it takes to connect and compress the fittings of these pipes.

Understanding whether Rehau or polypropylene is better will help by analyzing these materials separately. Based on the compared characteristics, we can conclude that it is better to use it for wiring rough plumbing.

Polypropylene pipes general information

Different types of material are used for cold and hot water. The fact is that ordinary polypropylene is not intended for high-temperature liquids, therefore, to prevent it from melting, it is additionally reinforced with aluminum or fiberglass. Such reinforced pipes are called reinforced and designated as D25, and simple pipes, unreinforced, respectively, D20, where D is the diameter. As you can see, about 5 mm is spent on reinforcement, and it must be taken into account that this procedure only increases the heat resistance of the pipe, but does not in any way affect its mechanical strength.

Pros and cons of using Rehau pipes

Rehau cross-linked polyethylene systems have gained the greatest popularity, overtaking the Polish manufacturer KAN and the Israeli Golan .

Moreover, the products are more expensive than steel or polypropylene pipelines. But the high price is fully compensated by the advantages, which ensures high demand.

Advantages of Rehau pipelines

Simplicity and speed of installation. The pipe can be easily cut with scissors. After obtaining the desired length, simply insert the fitting and tighten the connection with a tension sleeve. No rubber O-rings are required. Over time, such a connection will not lose its tightness, since there are no degrading rubber parts. Therefore, after assembling the pipeline, it can be installed in the screed without fear of possible leaks. This is important because with hidden installation, an accident will lead to serious consequences.
The geometry of the pipes can be changed without loss of quality. Polypropylene or metal-plastic cannot be bent so safely. Therefore, Rehau products are well suited for complex structures.
High molecular weight polyethylene has outstanding sound insulation abilities. This significantly increases the comfort of use.
Durability. The manufacturer guarantees trouble-free operation of such pipelines for 50 years. Compared to products made from other materials, this has an outstanding service life.
Cross-linked polyethylene is not subject to corrosion and scale does not form inside. Therefore, over time, the quality of operation does not deteriorate.
The products are manufactured in Germany, which is an additional guarantee of quality.

Disadvantages of cross-linked polyethylene pipes from Rehau

High cost of the system. An excess of tees and bends leads to higher prices. This is due to the high cost of fittings. These parts for polypropylene will cost several times less.
Poor elasticity. This leads to difficulties in line alignment. This can only be done using additional fasteners.
High cost of installation tools. When installing pipes up to diameter 32, you can get by with a kit that costs about $400. But if the pipe diameter starts from 40 mm, then the prices for tools increase sharply. In this case, you will have to pay at least 2 thousand dollars for the purchase. But you can still save money by renting equipment from a materials supplier.

Rehau cross-linked polyethylene pipe range

Rautitan his. Used for hot and cold water supply, can withstand heating up to 70 degrees.
Rautherm S. Designed for heating systems, resistant to pressure and high temperatures. It is highly flexible and can therefore be installed at low temperatures.
Rautitan flex. A universal option that can be used for heating and water supply.
Rautitan stabil. It has the same abilities as the previous type of pipe. At the same time, it can withstand short-term temperature increases better. The advantage is the presence of an aluminum layer that protects the pipes from linear expansion. This also increases the rigidity of the product, which simplifies the implementation of linear structures.
Rautitan basic. It is rarely used in modern systems, as it is equipped with radial compression fittings. The technology is considered outdated.
Rautitan pink. Slightly inferior to flex pipes, but the cost is lower.

Rehau's wide variety of cross-linked polyethylene pipes makes it easy to select products for a specific project.
Thanks to the high tightness of the connections, high complexity of designs is possible.

Advantages

The biggest advantage of this material is its low cost. In the Moscow region, the average price for polypropylene pipes is 60 rubles per meter, and corners cost about 20. However, despite this, end switches intended for threaded connection of pipes with metal elements are sold more expensively - 150 rubles per piece, so if in the system has many metal-plastic transitions, repairs can hit your pocket hard.
Also a plus is the relatively simple installation. To connect a polypropylene pipe with a corner, you just need to insert them into each other and solder them - a procedure that is accessible even to a child.

Rehau fittings

For the production of threadless fittings, polyphenylsulfone is used, a polymer that is superior in strength to its metal counterparts. A wide range of products is divided into the following groups:

mounting sleeves;
plugs;
distribution combs;
squares;
brackets;
couplings;
tees;
guides;
tubes for connecting the battery;
fixing gutters;
threaded adapters;
connecting fittings;
fire cuffs.

The use of Rehau fittings allows you to quickly install water supply or heating systems, repair and modernize existing pipelines.

Flaws

The main disadvantage is that the pipe has virtually no flexibility. This is especially disadvantageous if, for example, you need to assemble a complex curved line - you will need a large number of corners, which means you will have to do a lot of welding.
Polypropylene pipes are quite bulky. To provide them with strength and a certain rigidity, it is necessary to make a large diameter, 20-25 mm. But such a pipe, of course, cannot withstand high pressure.
"Human factor". If the installer does not pay attention during soldering, or a low-quality soldering machine is used, in general, if the person assembling the pipes somehow makes a mistake, the system may leak.

Floor heating systems

TM Rehau pipes can be used to create a floor heating system. The main part of this design is Rauterm-S pipe products, but universal products can also be used to arrange heat supply.

The underfloor heating system heats the room due to radiant heat exchange. Thanks to its large area of application, heated floor coverings evenly distribute air flow throughout the entire volume of the room and thereby provide a comfortable atmosphere.

If desired, the heated floor structure can be equipped with electronic temperature controllers. As a result of the use of these devices, electricity consumption is automated and reduced.

The power source for these devices can be equipment that produces alternative energy - for example, solar panels or heat pumps. Heated floors are installed in premises, both residential and industrial, public buildings, and offices.

The system is capable of increasing the air temperature by several degrees in a short time. When the room is too hot, the device can be used for cooling.

Rehau cross-linked polyethylene pipes

This is a relatively new and very popular development among middle- and high-income customers. These pipes, marked with the abbreviation PEX (read: PECS), are made from a special modified form of polyethylene, which is called cross-linked. The crosslinking process is quite complicated, so it is only worth saying that as a result the material acquires increased temperature resistance, that is, it does not melt under the influence of hot environments.

There are 3 types of PEX pipes, distinguished by heat resistance - these are PEX-a, PEX-b and PEX-c. The first are the best, since they have a higher degree of cross-linking, the second are average, the third are suitable only for low-power water supply systems, and they usually do not last long.

Polypropylene or Rehau?

Hello!
I looked at the cross-section of fiberglass-reinforced polypropylene and rehau. For some reason, propylene inspires more confidence than rehau. But everyone unanimously insists that rehau is better, but what? definitely not at the price :) Hello! For the most part, we install polypropylene for water supply, because of its availability, as they say, “cheap and cheerful,” but it takes longer to work with than with rehau, and therefore the installation work will be more expensive, you need to take this into account. In addition, when installing a rehauer, “either it’s connected or it’s not”—the operating error is reduced to almost zero. One can argue endlessly about the pros and cons of certain pipes until they invent something new) and in general, they invented pipes with a 50-year guarantee, now everyone will install them .. and our work will end :) The next replacement will be done by the grandchildren

Masters online: 52 Orders per week: 2,194 Offers per day: 697

Maxim, hello. The quality of both types of pipes is very good. Therefore, both of these pipes have a right to exist. (Only copper surpasses them, but these are luxury heating systems). Here you just need to decide what type of heating you are going to do. How the batteries will be connected, what kind of boilers are used... Place of installation and volumes of the heated room. It often happens that it is more reasonable to perform part of the installation with reinforced polypropylene, and the other part with cross-linked polypropylene (Rehau is a prominent representative of this class, but not the only one). If you are interested in a more detailed answer, write to me in a personal message, at least the parameters of your premises and the desired result, I will be happy to tell you how and what to do better.

Each pipe has its own purpose. If we consider the technical characteristics of Rehau and polypropylene, then naturally polypropylene is inferior to Rehau. But again, where exactly do you need the pipe, that is, if for heating in an apartment where the pressure and temperature are not standardized, then I personally am against polypropylene. In a cottage you can do both, and here You already need to consider which heating system is better. In some cases, polypropylene is preferable to Rehau.

I think I agree with Alexander Buryakov.

I agree with the opinion of A. Buryakov, but I would like to draw your attention to the fact that when installing systems, the so-called “human factor” is of no small importance, namely the qualifications of the installer. Polypropylene pipes are very demanding in terms of installation quality. In this regard, cross-linked polyethylene pipes are more technologically advanced. And the advice is very simple - invite trusted professionals (if you don’t have reviews from friends, then at least with recommendations from clients) and they will do everything well.

Hello Maxim. My experience of working with REHAU was very bitter, pp pipe is better than 100%, Rehau has one big drawback, you need to be able to or constantly work with it! Since it cannot be bent, it is VERY fragile. and a pp pipe is less picky!! Rehau is a brand and a pp pipe is just a pipe and the manufacturer must provide quality, and the material itself (raw materials) costs 3 kopecks! and the service life of a pp pipe is longer!! and with Rehau you will only buy a brand.

Not a single one considered it necessary to look at Maxim’s page to find out why he needed pipes. Maxim in your case is rachau. Don't listen to bitter experiences. You haven’t heard about the bitter experience of polypropylene yet; there will be worse stories there. There are other manufacturers of cross-linked polyethylene, but with the appropriate quality, rehau is cheaper than other brands. For example, such as TECE. And if it’s not difficult for you, go to there and you will decide on the conclusion.

Better yet, look at the rehau pipe test on YouTube, and then type the question in a search engine. Well, you'll see this there. And how they bend, break, stretch, hit it with such a thing, it looks like a mechanical hammer, they give exorbitant pressure. And all in different videos.

If they did this with polypropylene, he would have died a long time ago. There was one video I liked: they froze the pipe, then hit it with a sledgehammer, it seemed like they didn’t finish it off with a hammer. After all, they warmed it up with a hairdryer and, without letting it cool down, tried to break it again. Well, the fascists are trumpet in short. Before this, plastic from another company began to be tortured; it died by freezing and using a sledgehammer. Do you want to see for yourself?

I looked at Maxim’s page, Igor is right! Do it with Rehau and forget about water distribution for at least 50 years. Polypropylene has no place in Stalinist buildings! PS Just read the characteristics of polypropylene.

Hello! For the most part, we install polypropylene for water supply, because of its availability, as they say, “cheap and cheerful,” but it takes longer to work with than with rehau, and therefore the installation work will be more expensive, you need to take this into account. In addition, when installing a rehauer, “either it’s connected or it’s not”—the operating error is reduced to almost zero. One can argue endlessly about the pros and cons of certain pipes until they invent something new) and in general, they invented pipes with a 50-year guarantee, now everyone will install them .. and our work will end :) The next replacement will be done by the grandchildren

Definitely a rehaul. You can write for a long time why, but it’s better to rehau.

Technology is always moving forward. 5 years ago there was a choice between metal-plastic pipes and polypropylene pipes. Now there is competition between polypropylene and polyethylene. The error in installing polyethylene (rehau, as you call it, but there are at least 3 high-quality manufacturers with similar prices) has been reduced to zero. (as opposed to sealed polypropylene). Everyone can solder polypropylene! because soldering equipment costs pennies.