Industrial professionals, plumbers and most other machinist professionals in the United Kingdom list copper as the metal of choice for most fabrications. Historians can date the use of copper as far back as ten millennia and believe that only gold and iron were used before copper was discovered. The natural colour of Copper is red, though over time its colour can shift into green.
Heating and plumbing professionals use copper for pipes and many of the different electrical devices inside their systems and have done so for nearly a century. In recent years, copper industry professionals have started charging higher prices for their copper pieces because there is a fear that the demand for copper is higher than the metal’s available supply.
Copper tubing is the most reliable transport mechanism for water in the United Kingdom and in recent years it has also been used to house the transport of natural gas. The “quality standard” in the heating and plumbing industry in the UK is copper and there is not one single building code that forbids the metal’s use. This metal is durable and strong and can protect the health of humans and larger organisms by hindering the growth of bacteria on its surface.
In terms of applications in domestic plumbing, copper is one of the most versatile. Copper carries water and natural gas well while standing up to corrosion and deterioration. Many companies offer a fifty year warranty on copper piping because the business owners understand that copper is not likely to break down or become damaged.
For heating systems, UK experts agree that radiant heating is one of the best systems that can be installed. Copper pipes have been used in underfloor heating for decades because the metal easily and evenly distributes heat and because copper pipes are unlikely to leak and cause damage to the structural integrity of the house. Underfloor heating is becoming increasingly popular in the UK because it is the most efficient and cost effective method of heating a home.
Copper has also had great success in air conditioners and refrigeration units because it distributes coolness as easily as it does warmth. Copper has done a great deal to lengthen the lifetime of cooling units as well as increasing the units’ effectiveness.
Copper is also known for being “green” friendly. This metal is easily recycled and resistant to germs and bacteria. Humans need copper to help create haemoglobin and the copper in a person’s system helps the body fight against high cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease.
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about combi boilers, central heating, plumber Edinburgh, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
