If you’re planning to install plastic piping outdoors or inside a structure flooded with sunlight, be careful: Exposure to UV radiation will discolor most polypropylene (PP-R) pipe and could weaken the polymer over time. That’s bad news for a product prized for its long-lasting durability. Fortunately, POLYMELT pipes don’t have this problem.
POLYMELT UV is a product line we developed specifically for outdoor applications—such as cooling towers—that are exposed to a lot of sun. POLYMELT UV pipes and fittings don’t require any special treatment for ultraviolet radiation—they’re engineered to stand up to the sun even in the world’s hottest climates. No PP-R pipe in the world can outmatch our UV performance.
Most lesser PP-R piping brands require great effort to protect from UV radiation. Once installed, these pipes must often be covered with insulation or a protective casing/housing of some sort. During this process, great care must be taken to ensure the pipe is not damaged by attachment of a casing/housing, and that the casing does not cause excessive temperatures on the pipe when exposed to sunlight. However, putting on a casing or housing is not ideal in many cases, due to piping layout and location.
Other pipes must be insulated against the heat generated by UV light. Another option is to paint the pipe, but due to the smooth surface and flexible nature of PP-R as well as the normal expansion and contraction that can occur in an outdoor piping application, most forms of paint will not adhere well. In order for the coating to properly bond to the pipe, the exterior surface must be roughed up using medium-grade sandpaper and then have the fines brushed away with a dry cloth or removed by power washing.
POLYMELT UV lets contractors skip the time, labor, and expense of treating PP-R piping to withstand UV radiation. This capability is already built right into our products. When their lifespan is over, they can be easily recycled. Why would you use any other pipe for outdoor applications? Contact us today for an expert consultation on how POLYMELT America can best serve your piping needs.