Cheap copper tube delivered?

[a]

Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?

I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer runs.

VHS direct

seemed to be the cheapest (22mm is £4/m inc VAT), but they just cancelled my order saying they no longer sell tube (although it's still on the website... ).

The next cheapest that I can find is MyTub

they want £5.75/m!

Plumb Center

are charging an astonishing £8.35/m - haven't bothered finding out if they deliver.

Plumbase seem to have everything except tube on their site...

Thanks for any pointers.

[Tim S]

[e-mail] coughed up some electrons that declared:

6m is making it a shipping nightmare and limiting your choice of supplier. It'll be alright for thinner (eg 10mm) soft copper on a roll, but for semi hard...

I'd stick to the standard 3m and not worry about the inline joints.

Now, it's probably too much length for you(?), but the best price vs. sensible supplier I've come across is Screwfix at 110 quid (free shipping) for a 10x3m pack = 3.67 per metre.

That was from google shopping "22mm copper tube"

pack is 80 quid, so 4/m

Really, if accessibility for jointing is a problem, make up 6m lengths somewhere convenient with soldered joints, then install them.

Cheers

Tim

[Andrew Gabriel]

If you can hold on a few weeks, you may find the price comes crashing down. Apparently the scrap value already has, as demand for copper has just dropped.

It's probably worth learning to do the joins.

Yes, I think they were the most expensive supplier I could find when installing central heating. Same with the boiler. I didn't use them. I used Wickes for 15mm and 22mm, but that was mainly because I could put a bundle of 3m lengths on my shoulder and walk home. They didn't do 28mm, for which I used B&Q and got a friend with a longer car to drive them home. This was all 6 years ago though.

[Bob Eager]

Many years ago, we re-plumbed our first house. There was a real BM only about a mile away. We walked down there, bought a load of 6m lengths, taped them together nd walked back home. Not much conversation on the way back since we were 5m apart!

[<me9]

Wait a few weeks until the lower comodity prices filter through to retail.

[Tim S]

[e-mail] coughed up some electrons that declared:

How much cheaper has copper become recently? I have to get loads in, so this is great interest to me.

Cheers

Tim

[John Rumm]

Quite a bit it seems:

[Tim S]

John Rumm coughed up some electrons that declared:

Thanks John - I'll bide my time...

Cheers

Tim

[nightjar]

..

Have you asked for a trade discount? I typically get 50% off list from them on brass fittings.

Colin Bignell

[Bob Mannix]

"nightjar .me.uk>"

Screwfix is £2/m for 15mm and £4/m for 22mm (for 20m of pipe). Free delivery (need to buy something else for £5 if going for the 15mm to get free delivery)

[dennis]

It would be much easier to chuck a 25m roll of plastic in the boot.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit fits inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those to be concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer higher quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed first. I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still available - I was given them many years ago. But they are metric, so not totally ancient.

[Bob Mannix]

It's a pipe flaring tool and it flares the end rather than "belling" it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Flare isn't any better as a description as that suggests a taper.

[TheScullster]

wrote > Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?

snip.........

If you are running 6m lengths without bends, make sure you allow room and flexibility in the rest of your piping layout for expansion (assuming these are heating/hot water that is).

Phil

[Dave Liquorice]

$8-9,000/tonne down to just over $4,000/tonne.

[Bob Mannix]

I agree but that's what it's called.

[Dave Liquorice]

Good point a 6m length of copper will change length by nearly 8mm over an

80C temperature range. 8mm might not sound much but expansion/contraction is *very* powerful.

[Bob Eager]

[dennis]

I did some of my CH in plastic in 1980. Its still there now.