What Is The Purpose Of Metal Finishing On Residential Pipes?
Posted on: 15 April 2018
If you are like a lot of homeowners, when you need a section of pipe for plumbing or some other household task, you will make a trip to the home improvement store and pick up whatever seems like it will fit. However, if you are part of the elite group of homeowners who has an inherent interest in how things work and why they are made the way they are, you will notice that metal pipes often have variant metal finishes. Why is that the case? Here is a look at some of the purposes of metal finishing on residential pipes.
A certain type of metal finish can protect a pipe from corrosion.
Some pipes are designed to be pretty durable as they are because of the type of metal they are made out of. For example, copper pipes work really well for home plumbing because of their strength. However, bot all copper pipes are corrosion resistant, especially if they are exposed to some compounds and chemicals, like what would be found in sewage. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see a copper pipe with a steel finish if you are buying a section of sewer pipe.
A certain type of metal finish can ward off an electrical charge.
Metal is often assumed to conduct electrical energy, no matter what type it is. Yet, not all types of metal conduct electronic energy the same, and some types of metal actually repel electrical energy. Copper is highly conductive where electricity is concerned, which is why it is commonly used as metal wiring. On the other hand, iron is an example of a metal that does not conduct electricity very well. In some situations, a pipe would be manufactured to conduct electricity inside, but not on the outside, which would mean a metal finishing process would be used.
A certain type of metal finish can be more resilient to temperature changes.
Sometimes, metal pipes are finished with a variant metal simply because the process makes the pipe more resilient to drastic temperatures or drastic temperature variances or changes. You may find a copper pipe that is coated in aluminum finishing, for example, if you have a hot water pipeline that runs outdoors and needs to be protected from the cold temperatures interacting with the hot temperatures inside the pipe. Pipes with metal finishes to protect the pipe itself from temperature changes or drastic temperatures are fairly common.
For more information, contact a company like Powder Coatings of Utah today.
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