For municipal applications, the life cycle cost of PE pipe can be significantly less than other pipe materials. The extremely smooth inside surface of PE pipe maintains its exceptional flow characteristics, and heat fusion joining eliminates leakage.

PE heat fusion forms leak-free joints that are as strong, or stronger than, the pipe itself. For municipal applications, fused joints eliminate the potential leak points that exist every 1- to 20 feet when using the bell and spigot type joints associated with other piping products such as PVC or ductile iron.

PE pipe will not rust, rot, pit, corrode, tuberculate or support biological growth. It displays superb chemical resistance and is the material of choice for many harsh chemical environments.

PE pipe can be field bent to a radius of about 30 times the nominal pipe diameter or less depending on wall thickness (12” PE pipe, for example, can be cold formed in the filed to a 32-foot radius). This eliminates many of the fittings otherwise required for directional changes in piping systems, also facilitating installation.

PE pipe’s combination of being lightweight and flexible with leak-free, fully restrained joints permits unique and cost-effective installation methods that are not practical with alternate materials. Installation methods such as horizontal directional drilling, pipe busting, slip-lining, plow & plant, and submerged or floating pipe, can greatly simplify construction and save considerable time and money on many installations.

PE pipe installations are cost-effective and have long-term cost advantages due to the pipe’s physical properties, leak-free joints, and reduced maintenance costs. The PE pipe industry estimates a service life for PE pipe to be, conservatively, 50-100 years provided that the system has been properly designed, installed, and operated in accordance with industry established practice and the manufacturers recommendations.

The internal surface of PE pipe is devoid of any roughness, placing it in the “smooth pipe” category, a category that results in the lowest resistance to fluid flow. For water applications, PE pipe’s Hazen Williams C factor is 150 and does not change over time.

PE pipe’s typical operating temperature range is from 0°F to 140°F for pressure service. However, for non-pressure and special applications, the material can easily handle much lower temperatures (e.g., to -40°F and lower) and specially formulated materials that can service higher temperatures.