First, the two are made of different materials. PVC pipes are made of polyvinyl chloride, while PPR pipes are made of polypropylene. PPR pipes are more expensive than PVC pipes because their performance is slightly better than PVC pipes. However, if the water flowing through them is unclean, aerobic bacteria can grow inside PPR pipes. Furthermore, PPR pipes are only used for water supply and can only be used indoors (not for hot water). Their diameters range from 20mm to 160mm. PVC pipes are divided into water supply and drainage pipes, with diameters between 16mm and 1000mm. If your requirements are not too high, PVC pipes are sufficient.
The key difference between PPR and PVC pipes is based on the diameter of the pipe. However, this identification method requires experience. First, you must be familiar with the pipe's environment, or at least have a familiar impression of it. This way, over time, you'll know the specifications of the pipes you see.
1. Color Difference:
PPR pipes are made of a tough material. High-quality ones have a bright color, while others have a light creamy yellow. Lower-quality ones have a more muted color. PVC pipes are creamy white and are relatively hard and brittle. Their cross-section is dull, but their surface is shiny.
2. Wall Thickness Difference:
PPR and PVC pipes have the same diameter. The main difference is the wall thickness: PPR pipes are thicker, while PVC pipes are thinner.
Both PPR and PVC pipes have markings on them, making them easy to identify. PPR pipes are tougher, so for pipes of the same diameter, PPR pipes generally have thicker walls.
3. PPR pipes offer the advantages of being lightweight, corrosion-resistant, resistant to fouling, and having a long service life. PPR pipes are also safe and non-toxic, suitable for hot and cold water pipes and drinking water systems. They can operate at temperatures up to 90°C and 70°C, with a service life of over 50 years. At room temperature, their service life can reach over 100 years. PPR pipes are very easy to install due to their excellent welding properties, making them easy to weld with both hot and electric welding machines. Furthermore, the material from broken PPR pipes can be recycled and reused in pipe and fitting production. PVC pipes, on the other hand, cannot be recycled or reused.
Differences between PPR and PP-C pipes
Recently, PP-C pipes and fittings appeared on the domestic market, and their installation methods are similar to those of PP-R. Many people are confused about the difference between PP-R and PP-C, leading to misunderstandings and confusion. International standards categorize polypropylene hot and cold water pipes into three types: PP-H, PP-B, and PP-R, with no PP-C. The difference between these three types of PP pipes is that PP-H, PP-B, and PP-R have decreasing stiffness and increasing impact strength.
Among the three types of PP pipes, impact resistance ranks PP-R > PP-B > PP-H; heat deformation temperature ranks PP-H > PP-B > PP-R; rigidity ranks PP-H > PP-B > PP-R; room-temperature burst temperature ranks PP-H > PP-B and PP-R; and chemical resistance ranks PP-H > PP-B and PP-R. Compared to other PP pipes, PP-R pipes offer the distinct advantage of improved low-temperature brittleness compared to PP-H while maintaining excellent long-term water pressure resistance at higher temperatures (60°C). Especially for hot water pipes, their long-term strength surpasses that of PP-H and PP-B.
The PP-C pipes on the market are PP-B pipes, made from a specialized block copolymer polypropylene material. PP-B pipes are a relatively inexpensive type of hot and cold water pipe, but their heat and pressure resistance significantly lag behind those of PP-R. For example, for service condition classification 2, with a design pressure of 0.6 MPa for a DN25mm pipe, a PP-R pipe with a wall thickness of 3.5 mm and a PP-B (PP-C) pipe with a wall thickness of 5.1 mm are required. For a design pressure of 0.8 MPa for a DN25mm pipe, a PP-R pipe with a wall thickness of 4.2 mm is required, but PP-B (PP-C) cannot be used because the required wall thickness is too thick. PP-C pipes on the market, which have the same structural dimensions as PP-R, have much lower service conditions and should not be used interchangeably with PP-R pipes. Furthermore, PP-C pipes should not be substituted for PP-R pipes after determining the service conditions. Service condition 2 indicates a design temperature of 70°C for hot water supply.