[Shop-talk] Is this a shutoff?

[Steven Trovato]

I knew when I wrote that I would be opening that
can of worms yet again.  Go search around and
find any evidence of "copper shrapnel
everywhere."  What you say is true for PVC, but I
really don't think it applies to copper.  If a
pipe split or a joint failed, I believe that
there would be a lot of rushing air and the
compressor would work really hard to try to
pressurize the whole garage, but I don't think
anything dangerous would happen.  I think there
is greater risk to having an air hose fail and
whipping all over.  Copper seems to be a
legitimate choice for compressed air, though not
everyone's first choice.  Here is one source
(http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary%20Navigation/Knowledge%20Base/Air%20Data/
Pages/CompressedAirPiping.aspx),
scroll down to "metal pipe" and then see "copper pipe" in that category.

-Steve


At 01:30 PM 8/11/2015, Scott Hall wrote:
>Wait...you did your air lines in copper?
>
>This is the part where I tell you no matter
>whether you're using type L or M, eventually it
>will fatigue and explode. Copper shrapnel everywhere.
>
>Yes, you *can* use copper. You can use Sch. 80,
>too, and you can use soldered copper on gas
>lines (I've got a house full of it now, in fact).B
>
>(The benefit of black iron for air to me has
>always been the thermal capacity of the pipe.
>But then again, I worked two feel from a Sch. 40
>air line for a few years in college. I'd never
>suggest anyone do that, but it always does
>temper my panic about things somewhat.