Different Grades of Copper Pipe

Copper pipe is one of the many types of pipe that is used in the plumbing and heating industry. In today’s lesson we will just be talking a little bit about how and where it is used.

Copper pipe is used for water lines, heating lines, water mains, and can also be used as a “cat” which is a way you can secure copper into the ceiling when doing a “rough”.

What also makes copper pipe nice is that not only can it be “sweated” together, but it can also be bent, flared, and also used with compression fittings as well, and if you think about it, this is one of the few materials in this industry that can be used for many things and applied in tons of ways.copper pipe

Copper pipe not only comes in three different types, but also some different forms as well. For instance you can by copper pipe by the roll, by the stick or “length” as others like to call it.

Copper is also make in different grades as well, and the grades are M, L, and K.

I will go into full detail about each type of copper in other sections of the site, but for a quickie here is a few pointers.

* K copper = Underground water lines ( super thick)
* M copper = Used for many heating applications and also in southern states for domestic water
* L copper = Used for domestic water lines and heating around the world

So now that you have been briefly introduced to copper pipe, you can go on and read some more advanced topics on copper pipe, like “how to bend copper” which is actually a fun and creative way you can work.

blue water drop Always remember to wash your hands after working with copper pipe and other plumbing materials.

Take your copper skills to the next level and check out the copper tubing grade guide that I have created to help you understand more about these three types of copper.