| Author |
Message |
    
Vince Turley
Member
Username: Vince
Post Number: 209
Registered: 05-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 07:24 pm: | 
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I have a 20' coil of ½” soft copper tubing that I plan to install in my HLT as a heat exchanger (I am going to retire my external mini-heat exchanger). I have installed two ½” compression fittings in my HLT to receive the input/output ends of the copper coil. I would prefer to solder 90o elbows to each end of the soft copper tubing coil, and run hard copper pipe directly to the compression fitting. The ½” hard copper pipe will not fit in the ½” compression fittings, only the 1/2" soft copper tubing will fit the compression fitting. Does anyone know what size hard copper pipe I need for this fitting (the OD of soft copper tubing)? Or is there another way?
I want to incorporate the hard copper pipe to help support the weight of the coil inside the HLT.
TIA,
-Vince |
Ted Grudzinski
Junior Member
Username: Tgrudzin
Post Number: 53
Registered: 08-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 09:28 pm: |
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All I can offer is that hard copper is measured by the outside diameter, where soft copper is deteremined by the inside diameter. I think you have just discovered this. ( I am not a plumber )
ted |
JimTanguay
Intermediate Member
Username: Pizzaman
Post Number: 480
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 11:39 pm: |
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there is an adapter to solder the two differant sizes together. Thats how I made an immersion chiller from the soft copper with 90 degree elbows to 1/2 hard pipe |
Catt22
Member
Username: Catt22
Post Number: 110
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 - 11:48 pm: |
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I think Ted may have it reversed in his above post. Hard copper nominal size refers to the inside diameter and the soft tubing sizes are outside diameters. Your 1/2 in. O.D. soft copper has an inside diameter of approximately 3/8 in. Sweat type fittings are available which will fit your soft copper tubing, but they are somewhat elusive. I found a limited selection at my local hardware store. |
Vance Barnes
Senior Member
Username: Vancebarnes
Post Number: 1761
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 02:31 pm: |
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I think it's a 1/2" to 3/8" sweat fitting you need. Seems like when I was building my system that Lowes had some 3/8" sweat fittings but that HD didn't. Or take both pieces to a plumbing supply and they should be able to match up the fitting for you. |
Ron Siddall
Intermediate Member
Username: Listerdister
Post Number: 281
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 02:40 pm: |
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Go to Orchard Supply, Ace or any of the "real" hardware stores. 1/2" soft goes with 3/8" as Vance pointed out.
Always a good idea to take a 2" section of pipe with you to the store so you can check fittings prior to buying.
Also, you can sweat copper to brass if you need to and that gives you more versatility beyond the compression fittings. |
Tommy P. Thompson, Jr.
New Member
Username: Batchbrewer
Post Number: 6
Registered: 04-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 06:42 pm: |
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If you want to use compression fittings on the 1/2" rigid copper, look for 5/8" fittings. I have seen a few 1/2" to 5/8" compression fittings at the hardware store, so you may be able to find them too. |
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