Copper Water Tube

How to avoid electrochemical corrosion during the installation of copper water tubes

Copper water tubes are widely used in water supply systems such as residential, commercial buildings, and industrial piping due to their excellent thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and good machinability. However, even though copper itself has natural corrosion resistance, in certain application environments, if it is improperly installed or the electrochemical reaction between materials is not considered, it may also cause electrochemical corrosion, thereby affecting the system life and operational safety.
Zhejiang Jingliang Copper-Tube Products Co., Ltd. has been focusing on the copper tube industry for more than 30 years since its establishment in 1994. The company's products cover copper water tubes, brass tubes, copper square tubes, finned copper tubes, capillary copper tubes, condenser copper tubes, evaporator copper tubes, and conductive rods. They are widely used in HVAC, heat exchange equipment, sanitary ware, automobiles, machinery, electric furnaces, and chemical industries, and have won high recognition from customers at home and abroad.
The nature and causes of electrochemical corrosion
Electrochemical corrosion refers to the phenomenon that micro-batteries are formed in humid or conductive media due to the difference in potential between different metal materials, resulting in local corrosion. Specifically in the installation of copper water tubes, common causes include:
Direct contact between copper tubes and dissimilar metals such as iron and aluminum;
Continuous moisture or condensed water in the system;
Too much chloride ions, sulfides or other corrosive ions in the water quality;
Underground laying without good insulation or protective layer;
No effective potential isolation or improper grounding treatment in the tubeline system.
Key measures to prevent electrochemical corrosion in the installation of copper water tubes
1. Avoid direct contact between copper tubes and dissimilar metals
During the installation process, direct contact between copper tubes and metals such as aluminum tubes, galvanized steel tubes, and iron parts should be avoided as much as possible. If it is unavoidable, insulating gaskets, plastic sheaths or rubber sleeves should be used as intermediaries to isolate the direct electrical contact between the two metals and inhibit the formation of galvanic corrosion from the root.
2. Reasonable design of water flow direction and metal arrangement order
Follow the design principle of "precious metals connected downstream and base metals connected upstream". For example, in the system, if the copper tube is connected to the iron tube, it should be ensured that the water flows through the iron tube first and then enters the copper tube to avoid the risk of "iron-copper-iron" closed-loop corrosion.
3. Control and optimize water quality
High chloride ion concentration and high hardness water will aggravate the corrosion of copper tubes. When designing, it should be considered to install central water treatment equipment or softeners to stabilize water quality, reduce corrosive ion concentrations, and extend the service life of the system.
4. Strengthen grounding and lightning protection systems
The copper water tube system should have a good grounding system and avoid it becoming a "conductor" of the building's lightning protection system. In terms of design, electrical isolation measures can be taken to ensure that the copper tube does not conduct current and prevent corrosion caused by potential difference.
5. Buried copper tubes should be well protected
For buried water supply systems, PE sheathed copper tubes or external insulating coatings should be used to prevent corrosive substances in the soil from corroding the copper tubes. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid contact between copper tubes and steel bars in reinforced concrete to reduce the internal galvanic corrosion environment.
6. Use high-quality copper materials and advanced processing technology
The quality of the copper tube itself is directly related to its corrosion resistance. Relying on the layout of the entire industrial chain, Zhejiang Jingliang adopts advanced precision drawing, vacuum annealing and surface passivation treatment technology to ensure that each copper tube has high purity, low impurities, high-density grain structure, and performs well in chemical stability and corrosion resistance.

What should be paid attention to in the transportation and storage of copper water tubes to prevent damage

As a key tube widely used in HVAC, refrigeration equipment, heat exchangers, automotive tubelines, chemical supporting systems and other fields, the product quality of copper water tubes depends not only on technical control in the manufacturing stage, but also on standardized management of the transportation and storage process. Although copper has excellent ductility and corrosion resistance, if appropriate protective measures are not taken in the handling, loading, stacking and other links, it is very easy to cause deformation, scratches, contamination or corrosion, thereby affecting subsequent installation and service life.
Key protective measures in the transportation link
From the production line to the hands of customers, copper water tubes usually need to go through multiple links such as loading and unloading, short-distance transportation, transit storage and terminal distribution. The following are the "four key points" of transportation damage prevention summarized by Zhejiang Jingliang:
1. Use special packaging methods
Zhejiang Jingliang uses carton packaging, woven bag bundling, foam support, wooden box packaging and other methods according to different product types, and adds anti-pressure corner guards and anti-collision strips on the outside to effectively prevent the tube body from being dented or deformed due to impact during transportation, especially for capillary copper tubes and thin-walled soft copper tubes.
2. Prevent metal surface scratches
The surface of copper is soft and can be easily scratched by metal, tools or the ground. To avoid such surface damage, Zhejiang Jingliang requires transportation workers to wear gloves without sharp edges, use rubber hooks and soft rope lifting equipment, and avoid direct contact with steel and sharp objects during handling and loading and unloading.
3. Strictly control the stability of loading
The loading link is a high-risk area for copper tube damage. Zhejiang Jingliang uses layered reinforcement, rubber pad isolation, and limit devices to ensure that the copper tube does not move or roll during transportation, especially in long-distance transportation, which can effectively reduce problems such as tube end collision and skew caused by bumpy road conditions.
4. Full waterproof and dustproof protection
Copper materials are exposed to rain or humid air, which is very prone to surface oxidation, discoloration or corrosion. For this reason, Zhejiang Jingliang covers the entire process with PE waterproof film or heat shrink plastic sealing material before transportation, and marks "moisture-proof", "pressure-proof", "light" and other eye-catching signs on the packaging to ensure that all parties in logistics are fully aware of the protection requirements.
Scientific management methods during storage
After the copper water tube arrives at the customer's warehouse or construction site, if it is not stored properly, it will also cause corrosion, bruises or physical deformation. For this reason, Zhejiang Jingliang specifically recommends storage protection from the following aspects:
1. Choose a dry and ventilated storage environment
The storage place must avoid corrosive environments such as humidity, high salt fog, and acidic gases. Copper tubes should be stacked off the ground, with wooden boards or moisture-proof pads underneath to avoid direct contact with the concrete floor.
2. Strictly distinguish product types
Copper water tubes of different specifications, models and batches should be managed in different areas and clearly marked to prevent misuse or mismatching at the construction site from causing damage. In addition, capillaries, soft tubes and thin-walled tubes should avoid heavy stacking to avoid elliptical deformation.
3. Regular inspections and rotating inventory
Although copper water tubes have a long storage period, they may still be slightly oxidized due to changes in humidity and temperature differences during long-term storage. Zhejiang Jingliang recommends that customers check the inventory status regularly and rotate the inventory reasonably according to the "first in, first out" principle, giving priority to old batches of products.