Pipes and fittings

By Rory Macnamara

Pipes and fittings are one of the most crucial parts of a water and water reticulation system.

The matrix provides the basics that a plumber and engineer should understand when installing and specifying pipes and fittings, be it for drainage or in buildings. Because of the nature of what pipes convey from potable water all the way along to waste, stormwater, and everything else, the standards that exist, which are compulsory, are there to protect health and safety of people in the building, as well as prevent damage that ensues when pipes burst, or wrong fittings are used and blocked drains that cause dangerous situations on roads and the loss of potable water.

Pipes and fittings in the standards are a system in that the pipe and fitting are compatible with each other and tested accordingly.

There are some plastic pipe manufacturers that see no need to obtain the SANS accreditation for reasons only known to themselves. However, certain pipes do not have a SANS certification due to their rather simple application. Sadly, beware those that claim to hold SANS accreditation but can never provide the certificate of the certifying body, be it SABS, SATAS, AENOR, SAPCS, Conformity International.

The JASWIC listing which highlights SANS but also accepts tests, hopefully leading to full certification, indicates “special conditions.” As with SANS there is more than just the certificate, but conditions which form part of the standard. These must be referred to so that costly mistakes are averted. 

The SA Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA) which are mostly in the large bore pipes line but have members that are working in the building space, not only insist on SANS but also carry out their own extensive checks at member factories. One needs to look out for the SAPPMA mark as well as the SANS mark, where applicable.

One cannot help getting the feeling that some SABS TCs get ‘captured’ not necessarily for the benefit of the industry!

Equally the types of tools, especially when the manufacturer states ‘generic’ tools may be used, need to be carefully considered, and should be of a good quality. Cheap and nasty tools do not survive for any length of time but will damage the pipe/fitting. Spades are not considered a tool for cutting pipe, especially plastic pipe.

Pay attention to the manufacturer’s instructions as they offer solid advice to obtain the best life from the pipe and its appropriate fitting.

In the matrix the applicable standards are mentioned in the listing and the full standard may be obtained from: www.sabs.co.za.

It must be noted that the information provided assumes that the installer is a qualified plumber.

End users/specifiers must take responsibility to check the Mark certificate and the supporting documents which are integral to the issuance of the certificate.

We have added the name of the Certification Body to the list.