Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?

I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.

VHS direct (http://www.vhsdirect.co.uk) seemed to be the cheapest
(22mm is £4/m inc VAT), but they just cancelled my order saying they
no longer sell tube (although it's still on the website... ).

The next cheapest that I can find is MyTub (http://www.mytub.co.uk),
but they want £5.75/m!

Plumb Center (http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk) are charging an
astonishing £8.35/m - haven't bothered finding out if they deliver.

Plumbase seem to have everything except tube on their site...

Thanks for any pointers.

coughed up some electrons that declared:

Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?

I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.

VHS direct (http://www.vhsdirect.co.uk) seemed to be the cheapest
(22mm is £4/m inc VAT), but they just cancelled my order saying they
no longer sell tube (although it's still on the website... ).

The next cheapest that I can find is MyTub (http://www.mytub.co.uk),
but they want £5.75/m!

Plumb Center (http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk) are charging an
astonishing £8.35/m - haven't bothered finding out if they deliver.

Plumbase seem to have everything except tube on their site...

Thanks for any pointers.

6m is making it a shipping nightmare and limiting your choice of supplier.
It'll be alright for thinner (eg 10mm) soft copper on a roll, but for semi
hard...

I'd stick to the standard 3m and not worry about the inline joints.

Now, it's probably too much length for you(?), but the best price vs.
sensible supplier I've come across is Screwfix at 110 quid (free shipping)
for a 10x3m pack = 3.67 per metre.

That was from google shopping "22mm copper tube"

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18384/...30m-Pack-of-10

10x2m pack is 80 quid, so 4/m

Really, if accessibility for jointing is a problem, make up 6m lengths
somewhere convenient with soldered joints, then install them.

Cheers

Tim

In article ,
" writes:
Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?

If you can hold on a few weeks, you may find the price comes
crashing down. Apparently the scrap value already has, as
demand for copper has just dropped.

I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.

It's probably worth learning to do the joins.

VHS direct (http://www.vhsdirect.co.uk) seemed to be the cheapest
(22mm is £4/m inc VAT), but they just cancelled my order saying they
no longer sell tube (although it's still on the website... ).

The next cheapest that I can find is MyTub (http://www.mytub.co.uk),
but they want £5.75/m!

Plumb Center (http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk) are charging an
astonishing £8.35/m - haven't bothered finding out if they deliver.

Yes, I think they were the most expensive supplier I could
find when installing central heating. Same with the boiler.
I didn't use them. I used Wickes for 15mm and 22mm, but that
was mainly because I could put a bundle of 3m lengths on my
shoulder and walk home. They didn't do 28mm, for which I used
B&Q and got a friend with a longer car to drive them home.
This was all 6 years ago though.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:51:57 UTC, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

I used Wickes for 15mm and 22mm, but that
was mainly because I could put a bundle of 3m lengths on my
shoulder and walk home. They didn't do 28mm, for which I used
B&Q and got a friend with a longer car to drive them home.
This was all 6 years ago though.

Many years ago, we re-plumbed our first house. There was a real BM only
about a mile away. We walked down there, bought a load of 6m lengths,
taped them together nd walked back home. Not much conversation on the
way back since we were 5m apart!


--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

coughed up some electrons that declared:

On 22 Oct,
" wrote:

Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?

I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.

VHS direct (http://www.vhsdirect.co.uk) seemed to be the cheapest
(22mm is £4/m inc VAT), but they just cancelled my order saying they
no longer sell tube (although it's still on the website... ).

The next cheapest that I can find is MyTub (http://www.mytub.co.uk),
but they want £5.75/m!

Plumb Center (http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk) are charging an
astonishing £8.35/m - haven't bothered finding out if they deliver.

Plumbase seem to have everything except tube on their site...

Wait a few weeks until the lower comodity prices filter through to retail.


How much cheaper has copper become recently? I have to get loads in, so this
is great interest to me.

Cheers

Tim

Tim S wrote:

How much cheaper has copper become recently? I have to get loads in, so this
is great interest to me.

Quite a bit it seems:

http://www.kitcometals.com/charts/co...cal_large.html


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

John Rumm coughed up some electrons that declared:

Tim S wrote:

How much cheaper has copper become recently? I have to get loads in, so
this is great interest to me.

Quite a bit it seems:

http://www.kitcometals.com/charts/co...cal_large.html



w00t!

Thanks John - I'll bide my time...

Cheers

Tim

wrote in message
...
Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?
...
Plumb Center (http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk) are charging an
astonishing £8.35/m - haven't bothered finding out if they deliver...

Have you asked for a trade discount? I typically get 50% off list from them
on brass fittings.

Colin Bignell

"nightjar .me.uk" cpb@insert my surname here wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?
..
Plumb Center (http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk) are charging an
astonishing £8.35/m - haven't bothered finding out if they deliver...

Have you asked for a trade discount? I typically get 50% off list from
them on brass fittings.


Screwfix is £2/m for 15mm and £4/m for 22mm (for 20m of pipe). Free delivery
(need to buy something else for £5 if going for the 15mm to get free
delivery)


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not

"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:51:57 UTC, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

I used Wickes for 15mm and 22mm, but that
was mainly because I could put a bundle of 3m lengths on my
shoulder and walk home. They didn't do 28mm, for which I used
B&Q and got a friend with a longer car to drive them home.
This was all 6 years ago though.

Many years ago, we re-plumbed our first house. There was a real BM only
about a mile away. We walked down there, bought a load of 6m lengths,
taped them together nd walked back home. Not much conversation on the
way back since we were 5m apart!

It would be much easier to chuck a 25m roll of plastic in the boot.

In article ,
wrote:
I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.

I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit fits
inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those to be
concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer higher
quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed first.
I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still available - I was
given them many years ago. But they are metric, so not totally ancient.

--
*No hand signals. Driver on Viagra*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
wrote:
I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.

I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit fits
inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those to be
concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer higher
quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed first.
I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still available - I was
given them many years ago. But they are metric, so not totally ancient.

It's a pipe flaring tool and it flares the end rather than "belling" it.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not

In article ,
Bob Mannix wrote:
I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit
fits inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those
to be concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer
higher quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed
first. I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still
available - I was given them many years ago. But they are metric, so
not totally ancient.

It's a pipe flaring tool and it flares the end rather than "belling" it.

Flare isn't any better as a description as that suggests a taper.

--
*What boots up must come down *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

wrote Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube,
delivered?

I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.
snip.........

If you are running 6m lengths without bends, make sure you allow room and
flexibility in the rest of your piping layout for expansion (assuming these
are heating/hot water that is).

Phil

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:14:33 +0100, John Rumm wrote:

How much cheaper has copper become recently? I have to get loads in, so
this is great interest to me.

Quite a bit it seems:

http://www.kitcometals.com/charts/co...cal_large.html

And:

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/f...ta/commodities
/11636/twelve_month.stm

$8-9,000/tonne down to just over $4,000/tonne.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Bob Mannix wrote:
I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit
fits inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those
to be concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer
higher quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed
first. I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still
available - I was given them many years ago. But they are metric, so
not totally ancient.

It's a pipe flaring tool and it flares the end rather than "belling" it.

Flare isn't any better as a description as that suggests a taper.

I agree but that's what it's called.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:12:17 +0100, TheScullster wrote:

If you are running 6m lengths without bends, make sure you allow room
and flexibility in the rest of your piping layout for expansion
(assuming these are heating/hot water that is).

Good point a 6m length of copper will change length by nearly 8mm over an
80C temperature range. 8mm might not sound much but expansion/contraction
is *very* powerful.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:12:24 UTC, "dennis@home"
wrote:

It would be much easier to chuck a 25m roll of plastic in the boot.

In 1981?

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
http://www.diybanter.com

"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:12:24 UTC, "dennis@home"
wrote:

It would be much easier to chuck a 25m roll of plastic in the boot.

In 1981?

I did some of my CH in plastic in 1980.
Its still there now.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
wrote:
I want a few 6m pieces of 22mm, and a few of 15mm too. I'm
particularly keen on 6m pieces to cut down on extra joins in longer
runs.

I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit fits
inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those to be
concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer higher
quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed first.
I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still available - I was
given them many years ago. But they are metric, so not totally ancient.

--
*No hand signals. Driver on Viagra*

It is a flairing tool. It is still used to make the joints on a saniflow
waste by the good plumbers instead of a straight connector.

Aam

In article ,
"ARWadsworth" writes:
It is a flairing tool. It is still used to make the joints on a saniflow
waste by the good plumbers instead of a straight connector.

Seems to be used for soldering copper aircon pipework.

I've seen a central heating installation where all the
joints were flared.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Bob Mannix wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Bob Mannix wrote:
I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit
fits inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those
to be concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer
higher quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed
first. I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still
available - I was given them many years ago. But they are metric, so
not totally ancient.
It's a pipe flaring tool and it flares the end rather than "belling" it.
Flare isn't any better as a description as that suggests a taper.

I agree but that's what it's called.

Agreed. They were intended for use with "manipulative" compression
fittings where the pipe had to be flared before being inserted into the
fitting.

http://www.ukcopperboard.co.uk/liter...ompression.pdf

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:51:57 +0000, Andrew Gabriel wrote:

In article ,
" writes:
Anyone know a good cheap source of copper tube, delivered?

If you can hold on a few weeks, you may find the price comes
crashing down. Apparently the scrap value already has, as
demand for copper has just dropped.


Indeed: yesterday I took in a couple of builders' (rubble) sacks, one full
of clean copper, the other brassiere (or whatever they call it: mixed
brass & copper) expecting £50+ and got barely £20 :-(



--
YAPH http://yaph.co.uk

I forgot to take my amnesia medecine again

"John Rumm" wrote in message
et...
Bob Mannix wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Bob Mannix wrote:
I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit
fits inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those
to be concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer
higher quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed
first. I've no idea what it's called and whether they are still
available - I was given them many years ago. But they are metric, so
not totally ancient.
It's a pipe flaring tool and it flares the end rather than "belling"
it.
Flare isn't any better as a description as that suggests a taper.

I agree but that's what it's called.

Agreed. They were intended for use with "manipulative" compression
fittings where the pipe had to be flared before being inserted into the
fitting.

http://www.ukcopperboard.co.uk/liter...ompression.pdf

--

There are two sorts of flaring tools. The currently available flaring tools
give an angled end to the pipe for compression fittings (as in the reference
above and current tools for brake pipe flaring). The one the OP (and
another) referred to are hammered into the end of copper pipe to make the
end 10-20mm of the pipe have an internal diameter just larger than the
normal external diameter. These new ends can then be used as end feed solder
fittings when another piece of pipe is inserted into them.

One poster has mentioned a CH system done like this. I had a gas fitter run
a 15mm gas pipe from the front of a house to the rear round walls etc
indoors. He used no fittings at all, just bent the pipe and used the flaring
tool to make joints where needed. He hammered it into the end of the pipe.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...


There are two sorts of flaring tools. The currently available flaring
tools give an angled end to the pipe for compression fittings (as in the
reference above and current tools for brake pipe flaring). The one the OP
(and another) referred to are hammered into the end of copper pipe to make
the end 10-20mm of the pipe have an internal diameter just larger than the
normal external diameter. These new ends can then be used as end feed
solder fittings when another piece of pipe is inserted into them.

I think item # 34219 at www.toolstation.com is what you are referring to.

They do the other sort too.

"dennis@home" wrote in message
...


"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...


There are two sorts of flaring tools. The currently available flaring
tools give an angled end to the pipe for compression fittings (as in the
reference above and current tools for brake pipe flaring). The one the OP
(and another) referred to are hammered into the end of copper pipe to
make the end 10-20mm of the pipe have an internal diameter just larger
than the normal external diameter. These new ends can then be used as end
feed solder fittings when another piece of pipe is inserted into them.

I think item # 34219 at www.toolstation.com is what you are referring to.

They do the other sort too.

AHA! Very close but no cigar. This seems to be possibly a posh version of
what I was talking about. Toolstation DO have the one I was talking about
though, item #48296, that you hit with a hammer. Hooray and thanks for
getting me close!


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

"dennis@home" wrote in message
...


"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...


There are two sorts of flaring tools. The currently available flaring
tools give an angled end to the pipe for compression fittings (as in the
reference above and current tools for brake pipe flaring). The one the
OP (and another) referred to are hammered into the end of copper pipe to
make the end 10-20mm of the pipe have an internal diameter just larger
than the normal external diameter. These new ends can then be used as
end feed solder fittings when another piece of pipe is inserted into
them.

I think item # 34219 at www.toolstation.com is what you are referring to.

They do the other sort too.

AHA! Very close but no cigar. This seems to be possibly a posh version of
what I was talking about. Toolstation DO have the one I was talking about
though, item #48296, that you hit with a hammer. Hooray and thanks for
getting me close!


....and my apologies as it's called an expander/former, not a flaring tool. I
was sure my gas fitter called it a flaring tool...


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not

Bob Mannix wrote:
"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...
"dennis@home" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...


There are two sorts of flaring tools. The currently available flaring
tools give an angled end to the pipe for compression fittings (as in the
reference above and current tools for brake pipe flaring). The one the
OP (and another) referred to are hammered into the end of copper pipe to
make the end 10-20mm of the pipe have an internal diameter just larger
than the normal external diameter. These new ends can then be used as
end feed solder fittings when another piece of pipe is inserted into
them.
I think item # 34219 at www.toolstation.com is what you are referring to.

They do the other sort too.
AHA! Very close but no cigar. This seems to be possibly a posh version of
what I was talking about. Toolstation DO have the one I was talking about
though, item #48296, that you hit with a hammer. Hooray and thanks for
getting me close!


....and my apologies as it's called an expander/former, not a flaring tool. I
was sure my gas fitter called it a flaring tool...


Has anyone actually used one of those? I was tempted ages ago when I was
doing quiote a bit of plumbing, but seem to remember that they were much
more expensive then.

Is it easy enough to just start using? Or is the path littered with
failed attempts?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Rod coughed up some electrons that declared:

Bob Mannix wrote:
"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...
"dennis@home" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...


There are two sorts of flaring tools. The currently available flaring
tools give an angled end to the pipe for compression fittings (as in
the reference above and current tools for brake pipe flaring). The one
the OP (and another) referred to are hammered into the end of copper
pipe to make the end 10-20mm of the pipe have an internal diameter
just larger than the normal external diameter. These new ends can then
be used as end feed solder fittings when another piece of pipe is
inserted into them.
I think item # 34219 at www.toolstation.com is what you are referring
to.

They do the other sort too.
AHA! Very close but no cigar. This seems to be possibly a posh version
of what I was talking about. Toolstation DO have the one I was talking
about though, item #48296, that you hit with a hammer. Hooray and thanks
for getting me close!


....and my apologies as it's called an expander/former, not a flaring
tool. I was sure my gas fitter called it a flaring tool...


Has anyone actually used one of those? I was tempted ages ago when I was
doing quiote a bit of plumbing, but seem to remember that they were much
more expensive then.

Is it easy enough to just start using? Or is the path littered with
failed attempts?


Don't know, but I suspect annealing the end of tube with a blowtorch first
might be in order - unless the tube came on a roll, it's fairly hard.

Cheers

Tim

In article ,
Bob Mannix wrote:
There are two sorts of flaring tools. The currently available flaring
tools give an angled end to the pipe for compression fittings (as in
the reference above and current tools for brake pipe flaring). The one
the OP (and another) referred to are hammered into the end of copper
pipe to make the end 10-20mm of the pipe have an internal diameter just
larger than the normal external diameter. These new ends can then be
used as end feed solder fittings when another piece of pipe is inserted
into them.

Indeed. Which is why I dislike calling it a flaring tool.

One poster has mentioned a CH system done like this. I had a gas fitter
run a 15mm gas pipe from the front of a house to the rear round walls
etc indoors. He used no fittings at all, just bent the pipe and used
the flaring tool to make joints where needed. He hammered it into the
end of the pipe.

I'll use mine for joints which are likely to be inaccessible.

--
*Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Rod wrote:
....and my apologies as it's called an expander/former, not a flaring tool. I
was sure my gas fitter called it a flaring tool...


Has anyone actually used one of those? I was tempted ages ago when I was
doing quiote a bit of plumbing, but seem to remember that they were much
more expensive then.

Yes. They certainly were expensive. I inherited mine.

Is it easy enough to just start using? Or is the path littered with
failed attempts?

They were much easier to use when tube was softer. With the current half
hard stuff it's best to anneal first.

--
*INDECISION is the key to FLEXIBILITY *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
"Bob Mannix" writes:
"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

"dennis@home" wrote in message
...

I think item # 34219 at www.toolstation.com is what you are referring to.

They do the other sort too.

AHA! Very close but no cigar. This seems to be possibly a posh version of
what I was talking about. Toolstation DO have the one I was talking about
though, item #48296, that you hit with a hammer. Hooray and thanks for
getting me close!


...and my apologies as it's called an expander/former, not a flaring tool. I
was sure my gas fitter called it a flaring tool...

One that I've seen being used was quite different from both of these.
I didn't look closely, but what I recall is something which clamped
to the pipe (I presume, that's the bit I don't remember), and a car
window winder type handle on the end was then used to screw a ball
into the end of the pipe which was the right diameter to expand the
pipe appropriately. (I imagine the ball doesn't actually rotate with
the screw.) Looked quite easy to use.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
writes

I have a tool which 'bells' out one end of the tube so the next bit fits
inside and you then solder it in the normal way. Ideal for those to be
concealed joints. It's old and dates from the days of softer higher
quality tube - but it will work on modern stuff if its annealed first.

The aircon engineer who installed a unit for us last year used a tool
like that to joint the (10mm?) copper pipes which run from the wall unit
to the external heat exchanger.