Plastic pipes for ventilation — inexpensive use in ventilation systems

At one time, a term appeared in Latin that defines the process of replacing air in a room — ventilation. Now this term is also understood as equipment, and a network of air ducts, thanks to which ventilation takes place, and in the modern world also humidity control, heating and air conditioning, and purification of incoming air.

Differences in room ventilation mechanisms

Ventilation is necessary not only for normal health and comfortable stay of a person in the room, but also for most technological processes.
There are two types of ventilation in rooms: gravity and forced.

• Gravity or natural ventilation occurs due to the temperature difference between the air inside and outside the room, while warm, moist, stale air rises in the room and rushes into the external environment through the air ducts, while fresh air penetrates through loose connections of windows, doors or special supply ventilation openings.
• Mechanical or forced ventilation is carried out using centrifugal, duct or axial domestic or industrial fans, depending on the volume of ventilated air and the purpose of the building or room

Ventilation systems exist as supply, exhaust and supply and exhaust. In one case, the air is blown in, in the other it is drawn out, in the third it is blown up and pulled out, which is already self-evident from the name.

In most cases, exhaust pipes for ventilation are used to ventilate the room. They allow you to carry out ventilation in a room where ventilation ducts and shafts are not provided, or they are located in a place unsatisfactory for the most complete replacement of the atmosphere in the building.

At the moment, the pipes used for ventilation are made of plastic or metal (galvanized). Each of them has its own advantages.

Features of plastic pipes

There are several types of materials for the production of plastic pipes:

• Polyurethane
• Polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Polypropylene

The most common option is PVC.

They are light, not subject to corrosion, cheap, reliable, environmentally friendly and easy to install, and also have good sound insulation and low air resistance.

In addition, they, like metal ones, are rectangular and even corrugated, which ensures maximum secrecy and versatility of connecting the air intake to the outlet channel.

A significant drawback, which matters only in industrial ventilation systems, is the inability to withstand high temperatures. At temperatures above 80 °C, they cannot perform their function and begin to melt.

Also, plastic is not able to withstand the high pressure that occurs in some injection systems. The strength characteristics are significantly lower than those of metal ones and the lack of ability to withstand accidental impacts in some cases has its value in favor of galvanized air ducts.

During manufacture, molding and joining, metal pipes receive some roughness and differences in the inner diameter, which increases the resistance to air flow and leads to additional energy costs, which plastic pipes for ventilation are completely deprived of.

After treatment with an antiseptic composition, dust practically does not stick to them, which makes it possible to carry out cleaning measures less frequently and reduces the need for air duct maintenance.

In many cases, it makes sense to use a combination system of plastic and metal.

When conducting ventilation, the main factor that is taken into account most of all is the appearance and aesthetic design, since air ducts are carried out mainly indoors, where the air intake is far from the air shaft or ventilation openings.

Applications

Plastic ventilation pipes are used both when installing a hood in the kitchen, removing humid air from a bath and a bathroom, and in large public spaces, such as bars, gyms, cafes, where air intake or inflow should be in several places.

Plastic ventilation pipes of large size are used in warehouses and industrial premises. Simple and quick installation, the ability to connect exhaust fans for active ventilation, durability and resistance to external influences make them optimal for use in almost any environment.

The inability to withstand high temperatures makes plastic pipes inapplicable in fire hazardous areas or in workshops with high-temperature production.

Installation of the system in everyday life

When connecting the hood in the kitchen, the stove is not always located under the exhaust hole in the wall and you have to stretch the air duct, which should be as harmonious as possible in the interior and not conspicuous. This is extremely difficult to achieve using round pipes — the best option is to use rectangular ones for this.

They can be easily positioned above kitchen furniture, and they are pressed tightly against the wall without creating an external inconsistency with the decor. In addition, plastic pipes practically do not make noise and are not covered with grease and soot, which cannot be said about metal pipes.

Special coupling adapters and clamps make the installation of plastic chimneys a quick and easy task that a non-professional master can handle.

In cases where the distance from the air intake to the exhaust duct or shaft has a complex relief with many bends, a corrugated pipe can be used, which can lead the exhaust duct to the most inaccessible places with the least number of joints and turns.

It consists of several layers of polyester and aluminum foil, and is reinforced with wire like a spring.

When preparing and installing, you must follow an important rule:

To ensure the least resistance to air flow, the diameter of the plastic pipes and the dimensions of their joints in the duct system should be as similar as possible.

In addition, connection angles are of great importance:

Every ninety-degree pipe bend causes a ten percent loss in duct performance.

Therefore, when turning the pipe, the connection angle should be selected as large as possible.

When installing plastic ventilation pipes in an apartment to extract air, it is recommended to install a check valve that prevents dust, insects, dampness and unpleasant odors from outside from entering.

Plastic pipes have different diameters, from small ones (from 16 mm to 16 cm) used in small rooms or apartments to industrial ones capable of passing the largest amount of air, and from three to 12 meters long.

Plastic pipes in various fields of application adequately withstand the duties assigned to them and are a convenient, practical, cheap and environmentally friendly modern metal counterpart.