Which rehau pipes are best for heating and water supply?

Which rehau pipes are best for heating and water supply? Rehau: PINK, FLEX, STABIL, HIS, RAUTHERM main differences and purpose of each.

The article will be extremely useful for those who already want to install pipes from a famous company, but have not fully understood what kind of animal it is and why there is a difference in prices.

I first encountered cross-linked polyethylene pipes in 2010, when the question arose of remodeling the heating system from the developer in my new building apartment. The heating had to be installed in a screed on the floor and soldering the PP was very scary. When I made my choice, and it fell on cross-linked polyethylene, my surprise knew no bounds at the range of prices. And I was tormented by the question of which pipe to buy “purely for heating - pink” or the most expensive one - stabil.

There are several types of pipes, but sellers cannot clearly answer which one is better and for what purpose (perhaps something has changed now, but then...). Conversation from the series, take STABIL, it is of better quality (i.e. more expensive) - why, why, I don’t understand)))).

First, I’ll tell you about the purpose of each pipe and why in one case it is better to use Pink for heating, in another Flex, and in a third you can’t do without STABIL. Too lazy to read, CONCLUSION briefly here - what kind of pipe is used and what is it used for. I hope I will be useful!

RAUTITAN system

RAUTITAN is the name of the entire Rehau piping system made of cross-linked polyethylene and sleeve joints.

Main advantages of the RAUTITAN system:

• The connection is on a sliding sleeve (axial pressing), which is convenient for installation, durable, and can be immediately loaded with pressure and temperature.
• Due to the absence of O-rings, the likelihood of installer error is minimized.
• There are no narrowings at the pipe-fitting transition (in the case of axial pressing).
• Unified fittings for all pipes.
• Pipe diameters from 16 to 63 mm.
• It is allowed to install the pipe directly to heating devices.
• No corrosion.

All pipes of the RAUTITAN system are cross-linked using the chemical peroxide method, have the PEX-a index and have the highest cross-linking percentage:

• among all PEX pipes they have the greatest flexibility;
• creases can be straightened with a hair dryer and the performance characteristics will be fully preserved;
• good “molecular memory”.

Advantages

All Rehau pipe products have the following advantages when compared with analogues from other manufacturers:

• the material is resistant to corrosion;
• low thermal conductivity;
• high operating temperature and the ability to operate under temperature fluctuations without loss of original characteristics;
• absolute tightness of the connection is ensured by the shape memory of the material;
• good sound insulation characteristics;
• resistance to various mechanical and chemical influences, as well as ultraviolet radiation;
• long service life of 50 years.

REHAU HIS pipe

This is a pipe intended only for wiring the water supply system because... does not have an oxygen protective layer. It is washed from chemical residues that are formed when polyethylene is cross-linked using the peroxide method and is certified for use with drinking water. Her color is white. The advantage is lower cost due to the lack of an oxygen protective layer and therefore cannot be used in heating systems. For large volumes of water supply systems, the use of this particular pipe is absolutely justified.

Prices

The cost of Rehau products depends on the series of channels and their sizes.

To see the average price per meter of these products, see the table below.

You can find out more about the prices for the products in question on the websites of the company’s official dealers. There you will find comprehensive information on this issue. We strongly do not recommend purchasing products from resellers or companies with a dubious reputation. There are quite a lot of fakes sold on the market. Therefore, you should not take risks to save money. It’s better to buy quality materials once than to spend money, time and energy on correcting mistakes later.

The cost of installing Rehau pipes depends on the scale of the project. For a small one-room apartment, this figure in Moscow and St. Petersburg can be from five thousand rubles. In Kyiv, these works will be cheaper. The minimum cost of installing Rehau pipes in the Ukrainian capital can be about one thousand hryvnia.

Below you can watch a video in which you will learn a lot of interesting information regarding the products of the German concern Rehau.

REHAU PINK pipes

The pink pipe is intended only for wiring the heating system and for use with technical fluids. It is not washed to remove chemical residues that are formed when polyethylene is cross-linked using the peroxide method and is not certified for use with drinking water. An excellent pipe for wiring heating radiators and underfloor heating systems. Cannot be used for water distribution. For large volumes of heating system wiring, the use of this particular pipe is absolutely justified.

A little about Rehau

The Rehau company was founded in 1948 in the Bavarian city of the same name. In addition to its president Helmut Wagner, the staff initially included three employees who serviced one extruder.

Currently, Rehau is the world's largest concern with an annual turnover of 3.4 billion euros. The company has approximately 20,000 employees who work in 41 enterprises, 105 sales offices, 23 administrative and 9 distribution centers.

Rehau is known as a manufacturer of:

• Polymer components and electrical equipment for automobile concerns Porsche, Volkswagen, BMW and Audi.
• Plastic window and door systems from the Rehau metal-plastic profile, well known to the average consumer.
• Garden hoses, sewer and cross-linked polyethylene pipes for water supply and heating networks, the production of which was mastered in 1968. 20 years later, in 1988, the technology of connecting them using sliding (tension) sleeves was introduced.
• Blinds, furniture and about 15,000 components for its assembly.
• Interior heating and cooling systems, solar panels and components for geothermal heat pumps.

Rice. 2 Molecular lattice of ordinary and cross-linked polyethylenes

REHAU FLEX pipes

Universal pipe. Those. it can be used in both water supply systems and heating systems. Has a certificate of conformity and oxygen protection. It differs from REHAU PINK only in color, and it is also chemically washed. In terms of form factor and technical characteristics, they are identical. Favorite by installers because can be used both there and there. When performing installation in small rooms, you should focus on purchasing this particular pipe because... almost all leftovers will be used. But you will never be able to calculate everything down to the millimeter.

Tips for choosing

To have an idea of ​​what components to buy, before going to the store you need to make a drawing of the network, indicating the necessary fittings with dimensions. The main thing is to know the diameter of the pipes and receiving devices and their material.

Choosing elements from the lower price category is not always justified. The longevity of the entire network depends on the quality of the connecting parts, which are more expensive than dubious counterfeits.

It is necessary to select components:

• Taking into account hydraulic and temperature conditions.
• In specialized stores, which will protect you from purchasing counterfeits and defective parts.

The best manufacturers

Preference should be given to products from well-known manufacturers who provide guarantees for their products:

1. The German companies Oventrop, Wefatherm, and Aquatherm are confident leaders in the domestic market of polypropylene products. Czech and Ekoplastik are slightly inferior to them. They all provide a 15-year warranty on their products.
2. Italian products are in wide demand.
3. Further, experts and professional installers give preference to Turkish ones, “TEBO”, “Pilsa”, “FIRAT” mainly for their affordable prices. Manufacturers from Turkey provide a 10-year warranty.

Recently, products from Russian manufacturers have also successfully proven themselves. produces products with an EAN 13 certificate. The Egoplast enterprise near Moscow produces ProAqua polypropylene elbows.

The products of the group, a Russian manufacturer of plastic pipe products, receive a lot of positive feedback.

approximate price

Prices for fittings depend on their sizes and manufacturer.

Thus, an equilateral coupling press 20×20 Comtek produced by Compipe costs 225 rubles. The same coupling from VALTEC will cost the buyer 193 rubles.

REHAU STABIL pipes

Also a universal pipe. And it can be applied both there and there. Unlike FLEXa, it has an additional layer of aluminum. But as it may seem to many, this layer is not at all for greater reliability and durability. The big disadvantage of cross-linked polyethylene is its thermal expansion. So this aluminum layer is designed to restrain these expansions. Hence the name “Stabil”; it is more stable at different temperatures. It should be used if you want to conduct heating in a private house using an open method using clips, and not in a screed or under plaster. She is also very comfortable to work with. It holds the shape you give it. Because of this, many installers purchase only it for the entire facility under the pretext of quality. But in fact, you are overpaying a lot of money. The cost with FLEX is much higher.

Required tools for installation

Before connecting REHAU pipes, you need to buy a sufficient number of pipe products, fittings and adapters. The scope of all materials will become clear after drawing up a complete plumbing diagram.

The tools you will need to install REHAU pipes are:

• Expander (expander) with replaceable nozzles for pipes with different sections.
• Press clamp with replaceable attachments for different sections. Since the laying of the described pipes differs slightly from the usual welding, a specific tool for REHAU pipes will also be needed.
• A regular pipe cutter that is suitable for cutting any plastic pipes.

• Tape measure and marker for marking.

The entire list of tools can be purchased either in one set or separately.

REHAU RAUTHERM S pipes

Another type of pipe that is used only in underfloor heating systems. It differs from its “pink” analogue in thinner walls and because of this it has a larger flow area, a lower operating temperature and, accordingly, a lower operating pressure. These pipes imply a system for quick installation of underfloor heating systems using REHAU Varionova clamps and Speed ​​Plus Velcro.

Speed ​​Plus

Preparatory actions

Installation of a pipeline system using Rehau polyethylene pipes begins with the process of product preparation.

How this actually happens:

• First, the pipes are cut according to pre-made markings;
• Next, fittings begin to be selected for the pipes, which will be needed to construct a certain section of the water supply system.

Of particular importance at this stage is checking the correct cutting of all elements of the system according to the water supply layout.

The check can be done by arranging all the necessary elements in the required sequence. It is especially important to ensure the correct fit when installing heating systems, since during operation you will have to turn off the heat in the entire house.

When cutting pipes, it is advisable to check the marking several times before finally cutting anything. Because in the event of an error, repair work may drag on for an indefinite period of time, which will entail additional waste and inconvenience.