Why Polyethylene Pipe is the Pipe of Choice
If you receive Connections, you likely have some link to the polyethylene pipe industry, whether it be in the production or promotion of the pipe itself, finding jobs and bidding projects that might use the pipe, or the selling of products involved around the jobsite.
 |
| In rural or urban settings, PE pipe is the right choice. Approximately 40 billion gallons of treated water is pumped to consumer destinations every day in the United States. Water loss is estimated at 10 to 20 percent, which is 6 billion gallons. Most experts believe that anywhere from 45 to 70 percent of unaccounted water loss is due to water main breaks and leaking pipe joints. |
There's three key points to remember if you are introducing someone to polyethylene pipe. First, it's important to note that a polyethylene piping system is virtually leak-free, corrosion resistant, tough and flexible with an estimated service life of 50 to 100-plus years.
Next, the features of PE pipe also give it the lowest lifecycle cost option when compared to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and ductile iron, while also eliminating many maintenance costs.
Finally, for sustainable water supply systems, it's important that after water undergoes treatment and pumping that it actually makes it to the consumer. A PE system is the answer for the future of our water systems because it insures a safe, dependable, long-lasting water supply for future generations.
While there is still resistance to using PE piping in some applications, you can't deny some of the facts:
- PE pipe can be fused together to make joints that are as strong as or stronger than the pipe.
- A total PE piping system can save potable water every day, while also greatly reducing the maintenance costs of a system.
- PE piping systems are corrosion and chemical resistant, eliminating external and internal corrosion damage.
- PE piping systems are tough (not brittle) and can be bent around corners without fittings. The flexibility allows the pipe to move and bend with ground movement, such as earthquakes.
- According to an independent study, polyethylene piping systems have the lowest life cycle costs when compared to PVC and ductile iron. The low costs come from the retained water normally lost from a leaky system and the longer lifecycle with PE pipe.
Hopefully, this quick refresher course on the benefits of PE piping will help you in the coming days, weeks or months when someone asks you about the pipe. The great thing about the industry is that there's always new information available.
Another way to spread information about the polyethylene industry is to recommend Connections to a friend or colleague. The sign-up process is simple. Visit www.mcelroy.com/fusion/ and sign up on the left-hand side of the page.
Hopefully we can get even more professionals and colleagues involved in spreading the news about polyethylene pipe!
Sincerely,
Tyler Henning
P.S. – Do you have an interesting job site that you would like to share? McElroy is always looking for fusion job sites where HDPE is being used and fused to solve an infrastructure problem. Contact Tyler Henning, public relations specialist at (918) 831-9286 or by email at thenning@mcelroy.com
| Put our experience to work for you. For more than 30 years, McElroy has been the only pipe fusion machine manufacturer to continuously offer advanced training. McElroy University courses are designed to enhance your efficiency, productivity and safety in the proper use of McElroy machines. McElroy University classes are structured so that the skills learned and the machines used in each class closely match the types of machines found on a jobsite. We offer training at our facility or yours. Our McElroy University course instructors are professionals, offering many years of industry experience. Start planning your training for 2012! McElroy University’s current class schedule is online here, and you can register today. We hope to see you in Tulsa soon! For more information on McElroy University training, visit www.mcelroy.com/fusion/training |
 |
McElroy will have a booth at this year’s Underground Construction Technology (UCT) International Conference & Exhibition. The 2012 event will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, from January 24 through 26. The conference offers more than 100 education sessions and a large group of exhibitors, including McElroy at booth 240.
One of the new products that will be shown is the Guided Side-Bend Tester, a new quality assurance testing tool that we will be telling you about in Connections over the next few months.
For more information on UCT, visit www.uctonline.com.
McElroy has several social media outlets to help you get the latest news, photos and more from the pipe fusion experts. If you haven’t already, we’d love to see you on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
If you have photos from a jobsite, we'd love to see them! Yours may be chosen for the next issue of McElroy Connections. Simply email your photos to Tyler Henning, at thenning@mcelroy.com.
 |
#HDPE is great for pipes and infrastructure, but also great for truck liners and boats as it turns out ow.ly/7thhR Nov 15th |
|
Interesting case study from @XylemInc #HDPE and fusion used in New York City emergency sewer situation: http://ow.ly/7i9zF Nov 4th |
 |
McElroy is featured on the cover of the November Issue of Trenchless World Nov 4th |
|
#HDPE is used for many things, including golf course irrigation. Here's an article on a Vietnamese golf experience. ow.ly/7i8Qx Nov 3rd |
|
Great article regarding the use of PE4710 material in 42-inch HDPE transmission lines. Also, used was a McElroy DataLogger(r) and MegaMc fusion machine Nov 3rd |
|
Great to see #HDPE and a McElroy fusion machine being used in Seminole County, Florida! http://ow.ly/7i6VV Nov 3rd |
|
Are you a fan? Come like us on McElroy's Facebook Page. Lots of great pictures and info on #HDPE http://ow.ly/79BbJ Oct 26th |
|
This may look like your standard classroom (and it is) but it's a picture of McElroy fusion training going on in New Delhi, India. Oct 19th |
|
Avon Lake, OH Uses #HDPE for Sanitary Sewer Line Replacement http://ow.ly/6ZN3G Oct 17th |
|
Are you in the #Tulsa area and looking for good #jobs? We have plenty! Visit http://www.mcelroy.com/careers or follow us on @McElroyCareers! Oct 17th |
Alliance for PE Pipe WaterWorld Water Tech Online North American Society of Trenchless Technology Plastics Pipe Institute
