Types of steel pipe: which one for which job?

"Pipe" is not one product but a family whose weld, coating and wall thickness change with the job. The wrong choice rarely shows on day one; it shows a few years later as rust or a burst.

Black welded pipe

The standard pipe of plumbing and structural work. Diameter 1/2" – 8" (21.3 – 219.1 mm), wall 1.5 – 6.0 mm, standard length 6 metres. Grade S195T, to TS 301 / EN 10255. First choice in enclosed spaces and where the work will be painted.

Structural hollow section is the same family to a different standard: EN 10219, grade S235JRH. Used in steel frames and railings; members that enter the structural calculation call for this grade.

Galvanised pipe

Hot-dip galvanised, typically 400 g/m² of zinc, to TS EN 10240 A1. It replaces black pipe outdoors, in damp areas and anywhere exposed to sea air. Cutting and welding destroy the zinc locally; those points need a zinc-rich repair coating.

Water and gas pipe

Water pipe is threaded and socketed, suitable for drinking water and plumbing. Gas pipe is distinguished by its yellow coating and is certified; uncertified pipe cannot be used in gas installations.

Fire protection pipe

Red painted, certified pipe for sprinkler and fire lines. The colour is not a convenience but a requirement; a fire line must never be confused with another service.

Boiler and concrete pump pipe

Both are heavy-wall pipes. Boiler pipe is chosen for temperature and pressure, concrete pump pipe for the abrasion of the concrete passing through it. Neither can be substituted with ordinary plumbing pipe.

Spiral welded pipe

Made at large diameters by winding and welding sheet in a helix. Used in infrastructure, pipelines and large-section structural work.

Diameter alone does not describe a pipe order: wall thickness, grade and coating belong in it too.

Common sizes of all six types are held at our Alanya warehouse and cut to the length you need. Send us the size and quantity and we can confirm stock the same day.