So I'm installing 1/2 and 3/4 copper water pipe, city water, ~60psi. Question - how much can you safely bend the pipe without risk of future failure?
- posted
14 years ago
So I'm installing 1/2 and 3/4 copper water pipe, city water, ~60psi. Question - how much can you safely bend the pipe without risk of future failure?
Zootal wrote in news:Xns9D1AE937BE973nospamspamzootalnosp@216.196.97.131:
247 degrees.
Is it hard or soft copper pipe?
TDD
On 2/10/2010 12:24 AM Stepfann King spake thus:
Nah, you're all mixed up; that's the maximum *temperature* of water you can run through the pipes.
More important is the type of bender you use. Depending on the radius, it can go 180 degrees. A slight kink though, can cause damage to the wall and failure.
Copper pipe comes in hardness grades. K, L, and M. K copper (it's been years since I needed to know this) is soft, and comes on rolls. L, and M are rigid and should not be bent if possible.
Of course, the goal is to bend it as little as possible.
David Nebenzahl wrote in news:4b726eaa$0$4621$ snipped-for-privacy@news.adtechcomputers.com:
Better keep it pressurized. Under "normal" conditions water at 247F (or C, or even R) would be steam.
Ever had a good steam burn?
Oh man, does that mean I need to unwind my coils? Mike :-)
Question for you: why do you think you *need* to bend it?
snipped-for-privacy@milmac.com (Doug Miller) wrote in news:hku90j$5as$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
Maybe it was a rhetorical question?
I have a tendency to use refrigeration grade soft copper for everything because I can bend it and form my own fittings with the tools I have. I rarely purchase couplings or elbows since I can make my own.
TDD
Silly that's the maximum velocity of the water..
*Several years ago I worked on a job with an old timer plumber who mostly bent his copper pipe instead of using elbows. He told me that there is one grade of pipe that is used for bending, but not all plumbing supply's carried it. He also had the proper benders for copper pipe. I don't remember what the pipe was called.
Kids today, pfft. When I was a boy, we didn't have hot water, so we had to bathe with the end of a steam nozzle me old man diverted from the boiler. Sure it'd turn you red and remove some skin, but you sure did get clean!
Jon
On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:53:56 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote Re Re: Cooper pipe bending limits:
One correct answer out of 10. Excellent for this NG.
As little as possible. Use ELs to change direction.
I've done that. Someone ran 3/8 soft copper under my trailer, for the water line. The copper rubbed through at some point, and started spraying. Find out that 1/2 OD refrigeration works well. Silver braze works, too.
Most likely "K copper".
K with you?
K, L and M are wall thickness grades (like sch. 80, 40, 20) and have nothing to do with hardness. Both soft copper and hard copper are available in the different grades.
Refrigeration grade tubing is yet another thing, and mostly refers to the fact that the tubing has been cleaned and capped to keep out contamination that could damage refrigeration equipment with small orifices, etc. Plumbing grade tubing isn't cleaned and capped since water pipes can be readily flushed of impurities. Refrigeration grade tubing is also specified by it's outside diameter vs. plumbing which is specified by nominal ID.
If bending is that much of a concern, why not just use PEX? You'll get the job done in less time, too.
Joe
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