The Special Qualities of Copper

Copper has many special qualities such as when it oxidizes it forms a layer approximately 1/100th of an inch thick, and that’s it. It stops. It seals itself and then there is no more oxidation. That layer is most ordinarily recognized as the green patina you will see on exposed copper. Which means that copper doesn’t react to water the way steel does. If you cut it open, you will see a light, thin, dark green color on the inside – a little bit of oxidation, and that’s all. It seals itself and it doesn’t oxidize beyond that point.

I have personally cut copper out of the ground that had been there for close to 90 years. It had a little bit of that green on the inside, but that was it. The inside of the pipe was still in the same condition it was when it was put in there, other than that fine layer of oxidation. So from hard water in and of itself, copper doesn’t wear out. It doesn’t react to water like galvanized steel does. It doesn’t rust, and that’s the reason that it lasts.

Copper has successfully in the last decade or so, knocked galvanized steel out of the repiping equation. Galvanized simply couldn’t compete with copper, in terms of strength, resistance to rust and longevity. But copper has a history that many people are unaware of – for example, the ancient Egyptians used copper vessels to sterilize water. Copper is one of the most versatile natural materials – it has been used to make drinking vessels, water pipes and containers for thousands of years and part of the reason is that copper inhibits the growth of bacteria and viral organisms in water systems.

It was discovered that the first use of copper for piping was about the year 2750 BC. In fact, in the Berlin State Museum there is part of a copper pipeline from the Temple of King Sa-Hu-Re in Egypt. Hippocrates used copper for leg ulcers. Even the Aztecs had a special mixture with copper in it that they used when they had a sore throat. Track up to the start of the Industrial Revolution which made the use of thick wall copper tube, jointed by screw threads and sealed using heat and solder a common practice. In the early 30s the use of thin wall or light gauge copper tube, brought about developments of other jointing methods like capillary and compression fittings – which then made the cost of copper piping competitive with galvanized and because of this the plumbing industry would be changed forever.

Attributes of Copper for Plumbing

Though the uses for copper in other walks of life and industries could be expounded on here – when it comes to the piping and plumbing industry what makes it special and unique is:

• It can be used in every part of plumbing

• It’s strong but it can also be easily formed into bends and can be assembled both on and off-site

• It can withstand extreme heat without any degradation.

• It’s resistant to corrosion and high water-pressure.

• It doesn’t burn.

• It keeps its shape and strength in high temperatures

• It lasts just about forever.

• It’s durable yet recyclable

An added bonus is that copper piping is second to none in protecting against contaminants in the water supply. It is also practically impenetrable – no fluids, germs, oxygen, ultra-violet rays, etc. can get through it. Plus it doesn’t absorb any organic substances and won’t be softened by them in use.

Because of its durability, strength and resistance to damage, copper can be relied upon for decades and beyond. And in this day and age of environmental impact accountability, copper comes through with flying colors, it is completely recyclable, without sacrificing quality and performance and doesn’t harm the environment. Which is an added benefit for the customer who is concerned about the impact on the environment. You can’t beat that, right?