Copper Tube & Fittings

1 CopperTube & FittingsPublication No. 28 EPlumbingHeatingNatural GasAir ConditioningRefrigerationMedical GasFire ProtectionSnow Melting2 IntroductionWith its enviable performance record, Copper tube is the numberone choice for plumbing and mechanical systems in all types ofCanadian buildings: single-family houses, high-rise multi-unitcondominiums and apartments, office buildings, retail stores,and industrial , strong, corrosion-resistant Copper tube has a proven his-tory of reliable service in installations throughout Canada, aswell as many other countries. These attributes have endearedcopper tube to tradespersons in the plumbing, heating, air-con-ditioning, and refrigeration industries for publication contains general information on the selectionof different Types of Copper tube, Fittings , and joining methodsfor various building applications.

2 Such applications are regu-lated by plumbing and building codes, and related should be made to these codes and regulations toconfirm what materials and processes are permitted in your publication has been prepared for the use ofjourneymen and apprentice plumbers, pipefitters,refrigeration fitters, sprinkler fitters, plumbing and heatingcontractors, engineers, and others involved in the designor installation of plumbing, heating, air-conditioning,refrigeration, fire sprinkler, and other related that each system must be designed andinstalled to meet particular circumstances, the CCBDA assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind inconnection with this publication or its use by any personor organization and makes no representations orwarranties of any kind to its versatility is the fact that Copper tube is availablein drawn (hard) and annealed (soft) tempers, as well as a wideassortment of lengths, diameters, and wall thicknesses to meetthe needs of a broad spectrum of Copper tube is finding increased use in newer applica-tions such as natural gas systems in single-family houses andmulti-unit buildings, and for fire sprinkler systems in residen-tial construction as well as office buildings, hotels, and similarstructures.

3 Acceptance of Copper tube and Fittings by the me-chanical trades for new applications is strong testimony to itsreputation as a high-quality and cost-effective building & RegulationsWater supply and drainagesystems for back-to-backhospital rooms wereprefabricated as a singleunit and transported to thesite for & RegulationsTypes of TubeTemperIdentificationMetric SizesFittingsPressureDrainageOtherPressu re Ratings & Burst StrengthExpansionJoiningSolderingBrazing Other MethodsApplicationsPlumbingHeatingRefrig eration & Air ConditioningMedical Gas SystemsFire SprinklersHeat PumpsSolar HeatingCorrosion ResistanceTechnical Data & TablesWhy Select Copper ?CCBDA 6 - 8 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 203 Copper plumbing tube is manufactured from Copper ( Copper ), in accordance with the requirementsof ASTM Standard B 88.

4 Most provincial regulatory authori-ties in Canada now require that Copper tube for use in plumbingsystems be Third-Party Certified for compliance with ASTMB 88. Types DWV, ACR, Medical Gas, and Type G/GAS tubemeet the requirements of ASTM B 306, ASTM B 280, ASTMB 819 and ASTM B 837, respectively. Various Types are certi-fied in addition to plumbing tube, and the latest list of Third-Party Certified products is available on K, L, M, DWV, and Medical Gas tube have actual out-side diameters which are 1/8-inch ( in.) larger than thenominal (standard) sizes which the tube is commonly example, a 1/2-inch Type M tube has an actual outside dia-meter of 5/8-inch. Type K tube has thicker walls than Type Ltube, and Type L walls are thicker than Type M for any givensize (diameter).

5 Table 1 (page 15) provides the dimensionsand weights for Types K, L, M, and DWV tube for air-conditioning and refrigeration service and TypeG/GAS tube for natural gas and propane systems are designat-ed by their actual outside diameter. A 1/2-inch Type G/GAStube, for example, has an actual outside diameter of 1 2 (page 16) covers the dimensions and weights for TypeACR tube. Table 3 (page 16) provides the information for TypeG/GAS of TubeTemperTemper denotes the hardness and strength of tube. Straightlengths are primarily drawn temper, or as more commonlyknown, hard tube. Annealed temper tube is referred to as softtube. It is usually in coiled form, but certain sizes are also avail-able in straight K, L, M, DWV, ACR, Medical Gas, and Type G/GAStubes are permanently incised with the tube Type, the name ortrademark of the manufacturer, and the mark of the independ-ent certification agency when Third-Party Certified.

6 In addi-tion, straight lengths are also identified along their length by acontinuous colour code. The colour coding includes the Typeof tube, name or trademark of the manufacturer, country of or-igin, and the mark of the certification agency when Third-PartyCertified. The following colours are used for colour coding:Type BlueType RedType DWV*.. YellowType Green (K)Medical Blue (L)Type G/GAS*..Yellow* DWV is 1-1/4-in. and larger. Type G/GAS tube is up to1-1/8-in. compact dimensions and flexibility of Copper tube are compared herewith threaded steel pipe, such as would be used in a natural gas Copper water and drainage lines for back-to-back sinks fit neatlyinto steel the time this manual was published, Copper plumbing tubeand Fittings are known by their nominal inch sizes only, ascovered in the standards issued by ASTM, ASME, and otherorganizations.

7 No metric sizes have been established forcopper tube and Fittings for use in North America. To avoidconfusion, do not soft convert the inch nominal sizes to metricvalues. Contact the CCBDA at any time for the latest infor-mation on metric SizesCapillary Fittings for Copper systems under pressure, such ashot and cold water lines, may be manufactured by a wroughtprocess or casting. They are covered by ASME , Wrought Copper and Copper Alloy Solder Joint Pres-sure Fittings , and , Cast Copper Alloy Solder Joint Pres-sure Fittings . Each fitting is permanently marked with the man-ufacturer s name or trademark, except for small sizes wheremarking may not be Fittings4 Drainage Fittings are used in soil-and- waste drainage and vent-ing applications. Such systems generally are gravity installa-tions, and they are not subject to drainage Fittings are covered by ASME , Wrought Copper and Copper Alloy Solder Joint Drain-age Fittings DWV, while those made by casting are coveredby ASME Standard , Cast Copper Alloy Solder JointDrainage Fittings DWV.

8 Each fitting is permanently markedwith the manufacturer s name or trademark and DWV, to indi-cate FittingsOther FittingsA variety of other types of Fittings are commercially availablefor joining Copper tube. They include flare Fittings , compres-sion Fittings , mechanical couplings, and pipe flanges. Addi-tional information is provided in the section on Other JoiningMethods (pages 10 & 11). Copper excels for hot water systems in high demand multi-unit and cast Fittings can be either soldered or brazing of cast Fittings requires special care to avoidcracking, and short-cup cast Fittings for brazing are available toreduce this and cast pressure Fittings have the same pressure-tem-perature ratings as straight lengths of annealed Type L for annealed tube are used because hard temper tube isannealed during the brazing process.

9 Annealing does not occurwith the lower-temperature soldering process, but all designsmust be based on the lower (annealed) values. Figure 1: Types of Expansion Loops and OffsetsThe allowable internal pressure for Copper tube is based on theformula used in the ASME Code for Pressure Piping (ASMEB31): 2S(tmin- C) Dmax - (tmin- C)where:P = allowable pressure, psiS = maximum allowable stress in tension, psitmin = wall thickness (mininum), = outside diameter, = a constantBecause of Copper s superior corrosion resistance, the B31 Codepermits C to equal O, and the formula becomes: 2 Stmin Dmax - tmin5 All piping materials expand and contract withtemperature changes, including Copper . Fig-ure 2 compares the expansion rates of coppertube with various kinds of plastic pipe, usingconcrete as the benchmark.

10 It is clear that theexpansion and contraction of Copper is signifi-cantly less than the plastic average coefficient of expansion of copperis inch per inch per degree F, between70oF and 212oF. Installation techniques mustallow for expansion and contraction changes,to prevent stresses which may buckle or bendthe tube or affect 1 illustrates the types of expansion loopsand offsets that can be used. Table 5 (page 16)provides information for estimating the sizes ofloops and Ratings & Burst Strength18171615141312111098765432105010 0150200 PolybutylenePE-AL-PE & PEX-AL-PEXABSCPVCPVC (DWV)CopperConcreteTemperature change, F Approximate linear expansion of 100 feet of tube, inchesFigure 2: Linear ExpansionP =P =The value of S in the formula is the allowable design strengthfor continuous long-term service of the tube material.