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does anyone use copper IC piping?

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Old 04-02-09, 04:37 AM
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Question does anyone use copper IC piping?

is there any cooling benefits with copper over alloy with IC kits? just curious
Old 04-02-09, 09:41 AM
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Positives: looks good before it oxidizes.

Cons: heavy, weaker and alum alloys, enbrittles with heat and vibration..

I would call that a NO
Old 04-02-09, 02:20 PM
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hey cheers for that
Old 04-02-09, 07:47 PM
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not cheap!
would look cool!
clear powder coat it, wount oxidize
Old 04-02-09, 08:49 PM
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copper is heavy
Old 04-02-09, 09:30 PM
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Copper is also very expensive compared to aluminum.
Old 04-03-09, 07:25 AM
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Why not just get your IC and pipes copper plated? I wonder if that would tarnish? Well you could clear powder coat over that i guess. That would be dope on a black car.
Old 04-03-09, 08:32 AM
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A copper coating will cause galvanic corrosion of the aluminum
Old 04-03-09, 11:32 AM
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I believe copper heats up faster and retains heat unlike many other alloys or was it the other way around? Can't remember from chemistry classes in high school lol
Old 04-03-09, 11:47 AM
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Copper transfers heat better. It just needs a colder area to displace it.
Old 04-03-09, 10:15 PM
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probably would be a better idea in theory than in use. Copper is obviously a conductor which means it absords and the temp of its enviroment faster compared to other metals with a higher insulating properties. The problem is engine bays are hot and the copper would kind of simply soak it up. if the IC piping was copper than it would heat the Air charge faster. Coating your engine bay however might not be a bad idea it would pull heat from the engine. I doubt that the amount of heat it would pull from the engine bay would justify its price tag. just my 2 cents
Old 04-04-09, 10:19 PM
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You guys need to look at Julian's posts.

The copper WILL become brittle after numerous heat cycles in the engine bay.
Old 04-05-09, 06:20 PM
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Copper CAN handle several heat cycles that is why it is used in boilers and tankless water heaters as the heat exchangers. The copper is exposed to the natural gas flame every time the unit turns on. They only fail over time because water becomes corrosive when you heat it to high temperatures. I am a plumber, I work on that crap all the time...
Old 04-05-09, 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by blackrpm93
Copper CAN handle several heat cycles that is why it is used in boilers and tankless water heaters as the heat exchangers. The copper is exposed to the natural gas flame every time the unit turns on. They only fail over time because water becomes corrosive when you heat it to high temperatures. I am a plumber, I work on that crap all the time...
And I thought plumbers only needed to know that **** runs downhill.







I couldnt resist, I come from a family of carpenters.
Old 04-05-09, 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by LAXitives288
And I thought plumbers only needed to know that **** runs downhill.
I couldnt resist, I come from a family of carpenters.
That and, hot water is on the left!
Old 04-05-09, 08:22 PM
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no


later
Old 04-05-09, 09:52 PM
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Copper is NOT used on offshore rigs and in ships due to fatigue cracking induced by the high vibrations along with elevated temps; kind'a like a big engine bay.. Very high dollar titanium or copper-nickel alloys in heat exchangers yes, copper piping no way. Copper pipingr is used in drinking water lines and that is it. Fire mains requiring, smooth flow and reliability will use copper-nickel.
Old 04-07-09, 03:10 PM
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So the copper heat exchangers in all the tankless heaters and boilers are really not copper. Thats wierd... cause most of them sure aren't titanium. And I guess the water hammer, water flow in a domestic water system, nor the blower fans on the intake and exhaust of a boiler cause any vibrations.
Why does the National Fire Prevention Association requires ALL medical gases like oxygen and nitrous oxide to be piped in copper? Because the copper tubing protects it from the temperatures it is exposed to in a hospital fire....
Old 04-07-09, 03:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Supernaut
Copper transfers heat better. It just needs a colder area to displace it.
ah yes just as I thought
Old 04-07-09, 11:26 PM
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But.......... If you airbrushed the statue of liberty's head on the UIM and let that **** oxidize, it would come with so much gangster.


john ny
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