Tube and Tubing
Obj 1- types, designations, pressure ratings
Flaring: spreads end of tubing
Hard temper tube: recommended for exposed lines. Rigid tubing supports sagging and deflection
Soft temper tube: buried lines or laid in floors, more flexible. Allows tube to move if ground movement occurs.
Copper pipe, tube, tubing
Copper is refined to 99.7% purity before made into seamless pipe
Main adv is malleability, ductility, corrosion resistance
Smoother surface so its flow capacity is 20% greater than steel or iron pipe.
Main disadv is the high coefficient of expansion
Red brass: 85% copper and 15% zinc
better corrosion resistance
Yellow brass: 66% copper and 34% zinc
harder wearing
Standard valves, faucents, taps
Brass is copper and zinc
Brass has higher coefficient of expansion than copper.
Bronze is copper and tin
Most bronze pipe is 90% copper and 10% tin. Mainly used for underground water service.
Bronze has higher coefficient of expansion than copper but not brass.
Copper is an extremely good conductor of heat- good in heat exchanger but not good if heat conservation is necessary.
3 designations of copper:
Copper pipe:
same as steel pipe. Comes 12” up to for ID, 14” and over is sized by OD NPS.
Standard, XS, XXS
Copper tube:
thinner wall than copper pipe
Specified by approx ID in NPS
Copper Tubing:
thin walls 0.028” (1/8 to 1/2” tubing) or 0.032” (1/8 to 3/4” tubing) sized by OD
Soft tempered up to 100ft lengths
Copper colour codes:
Type K - Green
thickest wall
1/4” to 12”
Hard temper up to 12 or 20’
Soft temper up to 100’
Water service in coils at 66’
Type L - Blue
medium wall thickness
Same sizes as type K
Water service up to 60’ lengths
Type M - Red
most commonly used
This tubing should not be bent
1/4” to 12” and lengths 12’ to 20’. Hard temper only
Type H - White
thin walls
Especially hot water heating systems
No longer available but came in sizes 1/2, 3/4 and 1” in 12’ sections
Type DWV - Yellow
not pressure rated, drainage only
Above ground inly
1 ¼ to 6” sizes and 12 or 20’ lengths in hard temper only
Obj 2 fitting types and joining techniques
cast brass: poured molten brass, rough finish
Barstock: finished brass material
Wrought copper: pressure and force and heating in a die
Bronze: used alot of compression or flare fittings underground
4 joint types:
soldering type:
sometimes referred to as streamline (mfg name)
DWV version available with smaller cup, pressure eated fittings have a bigger cup.
Compression type:
typically barstock brass, 2 styles: standard and long
Ferrule type is referred to as flareless or sleeve type.
Nuts are not interchangeable! Ensure all are same type.
Uses 2 sealing sleeves or collets. 1/16 to 1”sometimes called tylok or swagelok.
High pressure version has serrated edges and can go up to 10,000 psig, on 1/8 × 0.032 tubing. This fitting available in 1/8 to 1/2”.
Flared:
most commonly used version is the flared 45 degrees.
Usually mfg from brass.
Flared creates a stronger connection than soldered or compression
Need at least type L or soft tubing.
SAE made 3 design standards:
SAE 37degree
SAE 45degree(most commonly used version)
Inverted flare
If using flare on gas, the nut needs to be forged.
Flared can be single flare or double flared. Double flared is higher pressure rated and used in hydraulic lines often.
recommended double flared if tubr walls are thin “thin-off”
Press Connect:
relies on copper malleability, relies on sealing capability of a elastometric gasket seal
Rated 0 to 300 psig, -40F to 284F.
Obj 3 - identify application and mfg specs pertaining to joining methods:
Applications:
Plumbing:
water service lines:
soft temper type K and L for resi underground.
Usually joined by compression or flared
hot water/distrib:
K, L or M,
Usually soldered
DWV:
special DWV tube non pressure rated
1 ¼ to 6” but to 3” is usually max
K, L or M can be used too but DWV is cheaper
If underground waste and rain then use K or L
Usually soldered
Heating:
high temps speed up corrosion, ehich is why copper is preffered for heating
L or M but K can be used cor more severe application
Hard temper for riser, soft temper for stub ins
Plan 1/8” movement per 10ft rub for each 100F temp chabge plan via expansion or slip joints
Hot water/Hydronic:
type M is hard temper inly, so use K or L if soft temper needdd
Radiant heating:
type L most common
Industrial Heating or steam :
K or L
Low pressure might us type M (<15psig)
If >250F then silver brazed.
Gas Fittings:
K or L, or G if above ground up to 1 1/4” (G type is just a PVC coated copper tube)
Silver brazed joints
Specialized Applications
Oxygen Tubes
Either Type K or L.
CSA Z305 has info on medical gas installs
Tube lengths are steam or chemical cleaned and capped for shipping.
tube should be degreased to prevent fires.
Copper to copper - use phosphorous brazing with no flux. Dissimilar metals you may use flux.
Oil Burners
Soft temper K or L. Hard temper can also be used for neat appearance.
Flared joints typically used.
Fire Sprinklers
Building code standards 13, 13D, 13R guidelines for install
NFPA permits type M, L, K copper sizes down to 3/4”.
Brazing, soldering, epoxy adhesives.
Obj 4 - Tube bending process
Both annealed and bending temper tube can be bent with hand benders. Usually bending soft tubing above 1” becomes difficult though.
Type L or K soft and hard copper are designed for bending. You can bend soft copper by hand but rigid copper needs tube benders.
Types of Benders:
Spring benders:
protect tube from being reduced at the size of bend.
not designed for consistent radius each time
small diameters only. If pushing past limits, it will kink tubing
Gear Benders:
Provides mechanical advantage
Typically type K or L tube, usually most reliable for 1/2” to 1” tube
Usually max bend u can do is 180deg.
Lever type or mechanical type
Lever and Mechanical Benders:
Lever type - relies on operator strength, usually good up to 5/8” for hard temper tube.
Mechanical type - uses gear advantage and ratchet, usually good for 3/4” L tube.
Benders are handheld
Each bender is only made for 1 specific tubing size.
If bending a 90, ensure your reference material is Left or Right - if using right, you line your measurement to R while the 2× 0’s are aliged. If from the left align the “90” or the L. Bend until the 0 gets to the 90.
If bending 45, align the measurement mark to the 45 deg mark, measured reference length doesnt matter if it’s on the left or right. Bend until the 0 gets to 45 deg mark.