With the UK experiencing increasingly warmer summers and more frequent heatwaves, we’re equally seeing more air conditioning units installed in both commercial and residential spaces.
As the demand for air conditioning continues to increase, so too will the demand for copper pipes. Copper is a trusted and reliable material that air conditioning installers have been using for many years and, not only that, it’s also infinitely recyclable – making it a sustainable alternative to materials like plastic.
Copper’s credential properties
Copper has many properties that make it the material of choice for air conditioning installs and perhaps one of the most important is its ability to resist corrosion. Pipes inside air conditioning units, depending on installation, are constantly in contact with refrigerants at different temperatures, as well as water, meaning that they’re at a higher risk of corrosion. Copper is excellent at resisting corrosion because it doesn’t react with other chemicals, so pipes will be less likely to crack or leak and will offer a longer lifespan compared to other materials, such as plastic.
Copper fits this description perfectly, as it is a superior conductor of heat
Another thing to consider is that air conditioners require high-efficiency heat transfer to make them as energy efficient as possible, so installers must use pipes which have a high thermal conductivity. Copper fits this description perfectly, as it is a superior conductor of heat and can withstand large variations in temperature without expansion or contraction issues, so it’s easy to see why installers opt to use copper.
What’s more, the installation of air conditioning units often requires sharp bending of pipes, and copper can easily be bent and brazed. Alternatively, copper can be jointed using press fittings, speeding up installation times and making the job easier for installers.
Problematic plastic ingredient
The air conditioning industry has changed and seen many new trends over the years, but copper has stood the test of time as the material of choice. Plastic has tried to make its way into the industry, with manufacturers introducing Hybrid Variable Refrigerant Flow system conditioners, which can be used with plastic pipes. These systems use water as the cooling and heating agent and can also be used in heat pumps.
These systems use water as the cooling and heating agent and can also be used in heat pumps
However, installers still choose copper and are right in doing so, whilst questioning the suitability of plastic pipes. We all know that plastic is not a good thermal conductor and that pipes made from this material are thinner and weaker than copper. As a result, they’re more likely crack due to the wide range of temperatures and pressures in air conditioning units, reducing the lifespan of the unit and increasing the need for maintenance.
Choosing a more sustainable material
With air conditioning likely to become the norm in our home and work environments in the years ahead, installers must continue to use sustainable materials when installing these systems. Copper is the perfect sustainable material because it’s infinitely recyclable – it always has been and always will be. It has been recycled and reused, with a supporting scrap-collecting infrastructure, for centuries.
You simply don’t see copper pipes on a skip and this is because, when they come to the end of their life, they are taken to a scrap merchant and 100% recycled. They are taken straight into the furnace and are melted down to form a billet of copper, which is stretched out, cut to size, and made into brand new pipes.
Mining raw material
It has been suggested that some air conditioning units can be installed with multilayer plastic pipes
Because of this, around half of Europe’s copper demand is currently being met by recycled materials and, to date, at least 65% of all copper mined remains in circulation, available for use. As recycling techniques improve, the need to mine will continue to decline, which is good, because the recycling of copper uses 85% less energy than mining raw material.
In recent years, it has been suggested that some air conditioning units can be installed with multilayer plastic pipes, rather than copper, but industry professionals should not be tempted to do this. Why would we take a backward step when we’re trying to reduce climate change and already have a practical, sustainable material in copper? Multilayer plastic pipe typically consists of three layers: an outer plastic layer which is usually made of polyethylene, which encases a central aluminum layer, which in turn encases a final plastic layer, usually made from a similar material to the outer layer.
Multilayer plastic pipe
As a result of the complexity of its make-up, multilayer plastic pipe is pretty much impossible to recycle because it’s virtually impossible to separate the metal from the plastic. Manufacturers of this material continue to claim that it’s recyclable but, as it stands, there are no recycling frameworks in place and nothing to prove that it is being recycled. It’s simply an example of greenwashing: focusing on the benefits of plastic and greatly exaggerating its recyclability.
As the industry starts to see an increase in both domestic and commercial installs, we urge you to continue using copper. It’s the professional, traditional choice and is also helping to improve the sustainability of the industry – it’s a win win! Why make the switch to an environmentally damaging, unreliable product like multilayer plastic pipe when copper is readily available and offers a much more sustainable, energy-efficient, and reliable solution? Continue to make the right choice. Continue to choose copper.