Copper Pipework
Services in
Modern Buildings
A Specifier’s Guide
UK Copper Board
Introduction
Specifying the right building material involves a highly complicated decision making process and
is fundamental to the success of every construction project. You want the products you use to
meet the highest standards of quality and, more importantly, you need materials that you can
trust.
As a specifier, your responsibility does not end when the pipework services are installed – you
want peace of mind and satisfied customers – copper systems offer you this.
Copper pipework services have been in widespread use for many years – proven performance that
demonstrates copper has a pedigree unsurpassed by any other pipework material.
Copper gives you versatility, performance and confidence. In today’s more environmentallyconscious
world, it is a product that not only offers excellent health benefits but can also be
recycled at the end of its useful life to help conserve the planet’s natural resources.
You don’t need to be told what you want in a product – cost-effectiveness, performance, reliability
and peace of mind – that’s copper.
Copper’s performance
Versatility
Copper tube and fittings can be used in every part of domestic, commercial and industrial pipework
services, including gas, hot water, cold water and central heating, with total confidence. It’s
strong, it can be easily formed into bends and systems can be assembled both on- and off-site.
You can solve just about any problem with copper and rely on the result.
Copper is the ideal material for the following services:
• Domestic hot and cold water supplies
• Sanitary waste water drainage
• Chilled water systems
• Wet central heating systems
• Gas services
• Solar thermal systems
• Oil services
• Fire sprinkler systems
Range
Copper tube is available in a wide range of sizes, from 6 mm up to 219 mm, and is manufactured
in accordance with the European Standard EN 1057.
Material
temper
Condition Minimum tensile
strength, N/mm2
R220 Annealed 220
R250 Half-hard 250
R290 Hard 290
Table 1 Mechanical properties and designations
Tube size,
OD in mm
Marking
6 EN 1057 R250 6 x 0.6
8 EN 1057 R250 8 x 0.6
10 EN 1057 R250 10 x 0.6
12 EN 1057 R250 12 x 0.6
15 EN 1057 R250 15 x 0.7
22 EN 1057 R250 22 x 0.9
28 EN 1057 R250 28 x 0.9
35 EN 1057 R250 35 x 1.2
42 EN 1057 R250 42 x 1.2
54 EN 1057 R250 54 x 1.2
67 EN 1057 R290 67 x 1.2
76 EN 1057 R290 76 x 1.5
108 EN 1057 R290 108 x 1.5
133 EN 1057 R290 133 x 1.5
159 EN 1057 R290 159 x 2.0
Table 2 Popular copper tube sizes
Copper tube is produced in a number of tempers, including soft (annealed), half-hard and hard,
and it is available in coils and straight lengths depending on size and temper. Copper tube is
also available with a factory applied plastic covering and with a chrome plating for decorative
applications.
Copper and copper alloy fittings are available
in a similar size range and in a number of
configurations. Fittings for use in pipework
services are manufactured to the European
Standard EN 1254 and include capillary, end
feed and integral solder ring, braze fittings
and compression fittings.
To achieve the same flow rate as copper, certain other materials will need to have a larger sized
tube for the same bore size that compromises the aesthetic appearance of the pipework.
When hot water passes through copper, the low level of expansion that takes place is barely
noticeable. With certain other materials expansion is so great that initially straight pipe runs
quickly become wavy and unsightly.
Rigidity
The rigidity of copper means that it can be installed vertically or horizontally without sagging
and with the minimum use of clips. Copper systems are self-supporting and are easily capable of
supporting pumps, valves and central heating components.
Professional skills
Whenever quality counts, choose copper systems and trained professionals to design and install
them. If reliability is your main consideration, the best solution is copper, with its proven track
record, backed by the professional skills of a trained installer.
Post installation peace of mind
Since the 1940s copper has become the pre-eminent plumbing material in many countries around
the world. A correctly designed and properly installed copper system will be virtually maintenancefree
for the lifetime of the building, giving you peace of mind and confidence.
Post installation responsibility for the pipework services lies with the specifier. Copper systems
have a number of benefits to ensure that post installation problems are minimised.
Proven performance
Copper pipework services have been in widespread use for years – the result: worry-free, troublefree
installations. With over four million miles of copper installed in the past one hundred years
in the UK, copper has proven performance and a pedigree unsurpassed by any other pipework
material.
Durability
Copper systems are strong and durable – the tensile strength of annealed copper tube is at least
220 N/mm2 and more than 300 N/mm2 for hard drawn tubes. Copper pipework services have
successfully withstood these pressures and stresses for decades.
A unique range of properties
Copper offers a combination of properties that makes it unique. Copper handles extremes of
heat with no problems, side effects or long-term degradation. In fact, copper and its alloys
maintain acceptable physical, chemical and mechanical properties between –196oC and 205oC,
which means that it is suitable for use in applications as diverse as cryogenics and steam lines.
Expansion
Copper has a low coefficient of linear expansion. For example, a 6 m length of copper tube,
initially at 20oC, joined to a boiler with a working temperature of 82oC, will only increase in length
by about 7 mm. Certain plastics materials expand by 10 – 15 times more than copper and, under
the same conditions, most plastics will expand between 70 – 100 mm. Hot water is known to
make plastics pipework systems sag in between supports.
Fire resistance
Copper offers excellent resistance to fire and does not generate toxic fumes when subjected to
fire. As a result, copper can be used for domestic, residential and certain commercial fire sprinkler
systems.
Copper is ideal for fire sprinkler systems. Its
inherent strength ensures that it has excellent
flow rate benefits for a given outside diameter.
As small diameter tube is used, installers
benefit from copper’s lightness, ease of
handling and jointing.
Working pressures
Pipework systems constructed from copper
offer high levels of safety and reassurance
due to its ability to withstand high working
pressures, such as those occurring in
pressurised hot water and sealed central heating systems.
Copper tube 15 mm OD with a 0.7 mm wall thickness, half-hard temper to EN 1057, has a
maximum working pressure in the region of 58 bar. This compares with a central heating system
that operates at a maximum pressure of 6 bar.
Impermeability
Oxygen
Central heating systems are vulnerable to corrosion in steel radiators and iron boilers caused by
oxygen ingress. Oxygen is known to pass through certain other materials and into the circulating
water with highly corrosive results on ferrous components. Copper is the most commonly used
pipework material that offers complete impermeability to oxygen.
Hydrocarbons
As a homogeneous metal, copper is the most extensively used pipework material which is completely
impermeable to hydrocarbons, enabling it to play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the
water supply. Copper keeps out:
• Viruses and bacteria
• Harmful fluids
• Herbicides/insecticides
• Fats, oils and solvents.
You should remember that certain other materials are susceptible to permeation by many
commonly found hydrocarbons, which may cause water to become contaminated and pipework
Retrofitting
Certain other pipework materials are only available in limited sizes and from a limited number of
stockists. Copper is available in a wide range of sizes, with all manufacturers’ products offering
compatibility and available from virtually all plumbers merchants. If you are doing retrofit work
you need to be sure that you can obtain the tube and fittings in the right material and the right
size easily – which can be done with copper.
Environment and health
Voluntary risk assessment
In 2000, the copper industry initiated a voluntary risk assessment for copper. The assessment
process was agreed with the Italian Government’s Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy acting as the
review country on behalf of the European Commission and the EU Member States. The copper
risk assessment has now been completed and extensively reviewed by the European Commission
and EU Member States.
The 1,800-page dossier comprehensively assesses the health and environmental impact of copper
during its production, use, recycling, and disposal. Information from the producers of anodes,
cathodes, copper powders and copper chemicals, as well as from many semi-fabricators, cable
companies and other downstream users, was collected from over 100 sites across the EU.
This comprehensive assessment, covering the production, use and end-of-life aspects of the copper
value chain, shows that the existing legislative framework safeguards Europe’s environment, the
health of industry workers and the general public.
With this risk assessment, the copper industry is meeting its duty of care to all stakeholders by
demonstrating the safe use of its products for the environment and for human health.
Life cycle assessment
The embodied energy of a material (in J/kg) is a measure of the total energy consumed during
every phase of the life cycle of a product, from “cradle to grave”, so for copper this includes energy
used during mining and extraction, manufacture, disassembly and final recycling. The long life
and recyclability of copper products have a positive impact on their embodied energy.
The copper industry has developed up-to-date life cycle data for its tube, sheet and wire products.
The information has been prepared in co-operation with recognised life cycle practitioners, using
international methodologies (ISO standards), leading software (GaBi), and proprietary production
data collected from across the copper industry. For more information visit www.copper-life-cycle.org.
Conserving our resources
Sustainability of materials is something that impacts all parts of the construction sector and is
an increasingly important concern in modern buildings. The copper industry has worked hard to
produce information on the environmental performance of its products and the results are very
positive.
The recycling of copper is well established and plumbers have always sold off-cuts and
decommissioned pipework and cylinders that have reached the end of their lives into the recycling
chain.
• Copper is 100% recyclable, with no loss
in properties. Recycled copper can be
used for exactly the same applications as
newly mined copper.
• Recycling helps to meet the growing
demand for copper, helping to preserve
natural resources.
• In Europe 42% of the copper demand is
satisfied by recycled material.
• Copper tube manufacturers use on average
more than 50% recycled materials in their
tubes.
• Recycling uses 15% of the energy that would be used to mine and produce the same copper,
whilst helping to conserve fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions.
• Copper has been recycled for at least 10,000 years and today is the most recycled plumbing
material.
Health
Copper is well known for its natural antimicrobial properties as well as being essential for human
health.
• For centuries copper pipes and vessels have been used to convey clean drinking water.
• Copper has been shown to limit the growth of water-borne pathogens such as Legionella
pneumophila.
• Copper and copper alloy surfaces can reduce contamination and help to reduce the risk of
food poisoning (E.coli, Listeria, Salmonella) and healthcare-associated infections (e.g. MRSA,
Clostridium difficile).
• We all need a daily intake of copper in our diets to maintain good health. Chocolate and nuts
are two good sources of copper.
• Copper is a micro-nutrient, vital for all forms of plant and animal life, ensuring soil fertility
and productivity.
Copper is important for delivering fresh, clean, wholesome drinking water, for generating and
supplying electricity and for our health. Recyclability increases copper’s value to society in that it
helps to conserve natural resources. Use of recycled copper also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycled copper is totally comparable to new copper, therefore no copper need ever go to waste.
With so many positive attributes, copper will play a key role in the development of sustainable
buildings and one of its main applications will continue to be in plumbing and heating systems
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Range
Copper tube is available in a wide range of sizes, from 6 mm up to 219 mm, and is manufactured
in accordance with the European Standard EN 1057.
Material
temper
Condition Minimum tensile
strength, N/mm
2R220 Annealed 220
R250 Half-hard 250
R290 Hard 290
Table 1 Mechanical properties and designations
Tube size,
OD in mm
Marking
6 EN 1057 R250 6 x 0.6
8 EN 1057 R250 8 x 0.6
10 EN 1057 R250 10 x 0.6
12 EN 1057 R250 12 x 0.6
15 EN 1057 R250 15 x 0.7
22 EN 1057 R250 22 x 0.9
28 EN 1057 R250 28 x 0.9
35 EN 1057 R250 35 x 1.2
42 EN 1057 R250 42 x 1.2
54 EN 1057 R250 54 x 1.2
67 EN 1057 R290 67 x 1.2
76 EN 1057 R290 76 x 1.5
108 EN 1057 R290 108 x 1.5
133 EN 1057 R290 133 x 1.5
159 EN 1057 R290 159 x 2.0
Table 2 Popular copper tube sizes
Copper tube is produced in a number of tempers, including soft (annealed), half-hard and hard,
and it is available in coils and straight lengths depending on size and temper. Copper tube is
also available with a factory applied plastic covering and with a chrome plating for decorative
applications.
Copper and copper alloy fittings are available
in a similar size range and in a number of
configurations. Fittings for use in pipework
services are manufactured to the European
Standard EN 1254 and include capillary, end
feed and integral solder ring, braze fittings
and compression fittings.
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