Copper Pipes And Plumbing At Home - Square One Insurance

What is copper plumbing?

Copper is an elemental metal, easily workable, with high thermal and electrical conductivity. Humans have used it for as long as 10,000 years. This versatile metal is used for everything from wires to cookware to roofs to jewellery, and of course: plumbing. Copper plumbing is an ancient invention, dating back as far as 5,000 years to the earliest kingdoms of ancient Egypt.

Modern copper plumbing, the type most of us have in our homes, started becoming common around the 1930’s. It’s fairly easy to install, tends to last a long time, and can be used for both hot and cold water; it’s no wonder that copper pipes are so popular. Copper plumbing was also fairly inexpensive until recently, but the price of copper has increased sharply since the early 2000’s.

Types of copper plumbing

In North America, copper pipes are standardized. There are four common types of copper pipe used for plumbing. The different types are differentiated by the relative thickness of the pipe walls. You can buy each type in multiple sizes, but the relative thickness will be standard.

1. Type K – this is the type with the thickest wall. It’s most commonly used for transmission lines outside the building, where it will be buried underground
2. Type L – thinner than type K, but still relatively thick, Type L copper pipes are the most common for residential plumbing systems, especially in systems where the water will be under pressure. They can usually be identified by blue printing stamped on them.
3. Type M – thinner again, type M pipes are also used very frequently in residential plumbing. Being thinner, they won’t hold up to as much pressure as type L, but they do tend to be significantly cheaper. They’re often identified by red printing.
4. Type DWV – the thinnest type of pipe. These aren’t usually used to carry water, and instead make up part of the drain-waste-vent system (D-W-V!) that allows air into plumbing systems.

Type L and type M are the two most homeowners will be concerned with. A common misconception – due to the aforementioned red and blue printing – is that type L is for cold water and type M is for hot water. That isn’t the case; the types refer only to different thicknesses of pipe wall. Types L and M are both acceptable for residential plumbing systems, but some local building codes may specify that only type L be used. Type M is much cheaper, but may not last as long due to the thinner walls, so consider the trade-off carefully if you’re installing new plumbing.

There’s one other way to categorize copper pipes: soft vs. rigid.

Soft

Soft copper piping is easily bent, which makes it very easy to install in tight or crowded spaces. It’s more expensive than rigid pipe, so isn’t commonly used in home plumbing systems, except perhaps in spots where the added flexibility is necessary. Soft copper tubing may also be referred to as annealed temper, a reference to the metallurgic process it undergoes to make it pliable. Not every size of pipe is available in soft form.

Rigid

Rigid copper pipes are the most common. They come in long, straight sections, and are more difficult to bend by hand. They often need elbow fittings in order to turn sharp corners. Rigid pipes are cheaper than their softer counterparts. They are also referred to as drawn temper.