When planning to replace or create a water installation, we must take into account a number of factors. One of the most important is the selection of pipes. Copper pipes are particularly recommended, as they have excellent properties. Let's get to know them, while also learning other useful information about this type of pipe.
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Copper in water installations - what are its characteristics?
Copper was mined in ancient times, and its properties are invaluable. Along with iron, it played a significant role in the development of human civilization. Today, it is used in a huge number of areas, especially in the production of electrical wires, roofing, industrial machinery, and water installations. It is this last application that interests us in particular in the context of the topic discussed here.
Copper, as a bacteriostatic material, is commonly used to make drinking water installations. This means that copper installations prevent the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms, without affecting the taste or smell of water. What's more, thermal disinfection at very high temperatures, over 70 degrees Celsius, can be carried out without any problems in such installations. This allows for the elimination of bacteria without causing any negative effects on the durability of the installation.
Water quality in copper pipes
The material from which the water installation is made has a significant impact on the quality of drinking water. In the case of copper pipes , we can be sure that it will not be contaminated in any way. In this context, the guidelines that water flowing through such installations must meet are very important. Firstly, it must have a pH of > 7. The second important issue is the content of nitrate ions less than 30 mg/l. And finally, thirdly - the ratio of total alkalinity to sulphate ions must be greater than 2. It is no coincidence that copper installations must be made of pipes in accordance with the PN-EN 1057 standard. This standard specifies the most important requirements concerning, among others, mechanical properties, chemical composition, dimensions and tolerances, surface quality and cleanliness, etc. The subject of requirements is much broader, so it is worth dwelling on these issues for a longer time.
Copper Water Installations - Requirements
We mentioned the PN-EN 1057 standard and its related requirements in the previous paragraph, but it is worth remembering that the use of copper pipes in drinking water installations requires meeting additional conditions. This concerns, among other things, the minimum wall thickness of the copper pipe, which cannot be less than 1 millimetre. Equally important, the use of elbows is excluded, only bends are permissible. This has a direct effect on the flow rate. The installation of a mechanical filter with the ability to retain particles larger than 80 μm is also extremely important. This protects the installation from stripping the protective oxide layer. Sections of the installation should be connected using soft soldering when the pipe diameter is less than 28 mm. In the case of larger diameters, hard soldering is required.
What are the diameters of copper pipes?
Due to the fact that copper pipes are characterized by low resistance (significantly lower than in the case of steel pipes), smaller pipe diameters can be used, which translates into a smaller amount of water in the installation. They are produced in three degrees of hardness with different diameters. They can be soft with a diameter of 6 to 54 mm, sold in coils (6-22 mm) with a length of 10, 25 and 50 meters. Another option is to buy soft pipes in rods (6-54 mm) with straight sections and a length of 3 and 5 meters. Another option is semi-hard pipes with a diameter of 6 to 159 mm (in rods of 3 and 5 meters) and hard pipes with a diameter of 6 to 267 mm (rods of 3 and 5 meters). In addition, pipes with thermal insulation in the form of covers and casings are also available. In the case of soft pipes, such insulation, usually 2-3 mm thick, made of PVC, additionally protects against damage. For harder pipes, hard PIR foam is chosen.
In summary, copper pipes in drinking water installations are particularly recommended for their excellent properties. It is no coincidence that they are so willingly chosen for various investments.