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Steel Pipes by Types » Plumbing Tubes |
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Plumbing Tubes Plumbing
is referred to as a system of pipes and fixtures installed in a building
for the supply & distribution of potable water, and for the removal
of waterborne wastes. Plumbing is generally differentiated from water
and sewage systems, in a way that, a plumbing system serves to a single
building, while water and sewage systems serve a group of buildings or a
city. Plumbing industry forms a basic and an important part of every
developed economy due to the requirement for clean & pure water, and
proper collection and transport of wastes.Plumbing tubes are specially designed tubes for uses in plumbing systems and applications. These tubes are used for a variety of purposes, such as
Types of Plumbing Tubes Depending on the metal of construction, plumbing pipes can be categorized in following types:- Galvanized Steel : Galvanized steel tubes were in use until the early 60's. The interior surface of this type of pipes corrodes over time and the flake builds up that reduces the flow of water. Sometimes the pipe will simply rust through and leak. The typical service life of galvanized steel tubes is 40 years. Copper : Used from the early 60's and on, copper tubes are more reliable (and more expensive) materials for plumbing applications. Its one drawback is that it will split when frozen. The material is still widely used today, however most homes are plumbed with newer (and economical) types of plastic pipes. Copper Tubes Copper is one of the most widely used materials in making tubes for plumbing applications. It has been proven that, no material is superior to copper for conveying water. Copper tubes deliver superior performance, trouble free operational life and durability. For plumbing applications, copper tubes can be categorized into four types, namely All the tubes supplied to these ASTM standards have a minimum of 99.90 percent pure copper. These different types (K, L, M and DWV) are designated by ASTM standard size, with the outside diameter always 1/8" greater than the standard size. Each type (K, L, M and DWV) represents a series of sizes with varying wall thickness. The inside diameter depends on the size of tube and the wall-thickness. All these types are available in drawn temper straight lengths 20 feet long. Type K, L and M are also available in annealed temper in 8 feet straight lengths or in the form of long coils that come in sizes ranging from 1/4 inch to 7/8 inch. Why Copper Tubes? Due to its thin wall design, copper tubes are smaller than IPS pipe. That differentiates CTS (Copper Tubing Size) from IPS (Iron Pipe Size). In general, there are two basic kinds of copper tube - soft (annealed) and hard (tempered). Hard tubing is rigid tubing, which is sold in lengths of 10 or 20 ft. and is the most common pipe fitted in new homes. It forms a superior installation, but is more difficult to install than soft tubing, especially in existing homes. The hard (tempered) copper tubes require very little mechanical support to keep them in position, when compared to soft tubing. Soft copper tubing comes in the form of coils of 60 to 100 ft. and is normally preferred for repair work as it can be run around obstacles without connections or cuts. Once installed, both the tubes function equally well. Records reveal that corrosion failure of copper plumbing tubes occur in less than 1 % of all the known installations. Copper discolors when come in contact with certain minerals, but this seldom results in the weakening of joints or tube walls. Minerals dissolved in water in certain locales sometimes form scaling on tube walls, however this is normally attributed to the quality of the water itself and not to the nature of copper. Advantages of copper tubes in plumbing? Copper offers some advantages that make it a metal of choice for uses in plumbing applications. Some of these advantages are:- Leak Proof: Copper plumbing uses soldering unlike threading, which is used in conventional plumbing. Copper plumbing is hence, leak proof. Rust Proof: Copper is a corrosion resistant metal and hence eliminates the brown water problems. Long Life: Unlike conventional plumbing, Properly installed copper plumbing will last for over 50 years due to its leak proof jointing system and excellent corrosion resistance properties. Bendable: Unlike conventional pipes, copper pipes are easy to bent, thus require lesser number of fittings, and as a result, the overall cost reduces. 
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