Are copper water pipes too expensive? Many pipe fittings on the market are not cheaper than copper pipe fittings. Is it cost-effective to use copper pipes? In fact, the advantages of copper pipe fittings themselves and the economic benefits they bring can completely make up for or even exceed the high price of raw materials. Among various pipe fittings, the performance-price ratio of copper pipe fittings is second to none. The flow performance of liquid in copper pipes is better than that of other pipes, with less resistance, and it is not easy to cause poor water flow or even blockage; at the same flow rate, copper pipes have a smaller inner diameter and thinner wall than other pipes, which reduces the water flow pressure to a minimum. Therefore, copper water supply systems can not only use small-sized thin-walled copper pipes to save materials, but also save a lot of energy. Let's do another calculation: if only from the first investment, the price advantage of copper water supply systems is not obvious. For example, the initial investment of copper water pipe systems is 2.5 times that of galvanized steel pipes. But the service life of the former is at least 3-4 times that of the latter. If we add the cost savings from copper pipe fittings, such as the fact that copper pipe fittings use less materials than other pipe fittings, are easy to install and require no maintenance, have good maintenance performance, are durable and do not pollute the environment, etc., the copper water heating system is of high quality and low price. In the case of hot water, with the energy-saving advantage of copper, the difference between it and general pipes and copper pipes is even more significant. As far as home buyers are concerned, taking the decoration of a two-bedroom and one-living room residential building in Shanghai as an example, all hot and cold water pipes are made of copper pipes, and the cost is only about one thousand yuan. For a house worth hundreds of thousands of yuan and a decoration cost of tens of thousands of yuan, the additional expenditure is not large, but it is completely worth it. Besides, installing copper pipes and fittings in a house is equivalent to investing a sum of money in savings. Because decades later, when the house is dilapidated and all other materials and equipment are useless, copper pipe fittings can still be easily disassembled and reassembled as needed, and even selling the pipes can get a higher return.
Sustainable development
A very important reason why any kind of pipe can be used by people for a long time is that it can be recycled and reused and does not produce new pollution. Most materials cannot be completely recycled after use. Even if some can be partially used, the quantity and quality cannot reach the performance of the raw materials, which consumes a lot of energy and processing costs and is more likely to cause pollution. For example, some plastic pipes, their waste or old pipes can neither be recycled nor degraded, which puts pressure on the environment.
More than 90% of the copper in the world can be melted into recycled copper for continued use after use. Recycled copper retains all the superior properties of the original copper, allowing copper to be recycled continuously. Installing copper pipes and fittings in a house is equivalent to investing a "savings". Decades later, when the house is dilapidated and all other materials and equipment are useless, copper pipes are still valuable.
It should be particularly pointed out that copper will neither produce toxic gases or other harmful substances nor other wastes during the recycling process. This "friendly" nature to the environment is not possessed by other materials. Due to the above advantages of copper water pipes, they are widely used in hot and cold water pipes in buildings in developed countries and regions of the world. As Chinese people's awareness of copper pipes continues to increase and architectural design tends to be internationalized, copper water pipes will surely bring a new concept of healthy pipes in the 21st century.
