are hvac copper tubing & copper pipe interchangable ?
HVAC line set tubing is generally thinner walled than plumbing pipe from 5/8 on up. The smaller sizes usually are soft K plumbing grade and could be nitrogen purged. While I wouldn't hesitate to use copper plumbing pipe (K,L or M) for HVAC, I wouldn't use the larger HVAC pipe for plumbing unless it was marked with one of the letters above. Good Luck!
HVAC copper is oxygen free and has a higher flexible strenth than ordinary water tubing it is the same size exactly. The fittings, however, are exactly the same copper wise, both are made by impact processes and sold interchangeably. So you can buy a copper 3/4 plumbing fitting or elbow at Lowes and it will work exactly in an AC line. Here is the catch, you cannot use ordinary solder to assemble HVAC, you must use a product called SilFos, that is a self fluxing silver/phosporous rod that requires temperatue to melt and flux at around 1200 degrees. Jointing in AC is called a sweat fitting No one today uses any flare fitting in the AC business or any other type, sweat fitting are used exclusively that includes internal parts in the condenser, and evaporator. So a MapGas+Oxygen unit or an accetylene Turbo Torch is used. Most HVAC use a turbo torch. You will also need to flood the lines with Nitrogen so as to prevent internal oxidization which causes trouble with internal AC parts when brazing copper.
I would just Idle it down.
I would just Idle it down.
HVAC copper is oxygen free and has a higher flexible strenth than ordinary water tubing it is the same size exactly. The fittings, however, are exactly the same copper wise, both are made by impact processes and sold interchangeably. So you can buy a copper 3/4 plumbing fitting or elbow at Lowes and it will work exactly in an AC line. Here is the catch, you cannot use ordinary solder to assemble HVAC, you must use a product called SilFos, that is a self fluxing silver/phosporous rod that requires temperatue to melt and flux at around 1200 degrees. Jointing in AC is called a sweat fitting No one today uses any flare fitting in the AC business or any other type, sweat fitting are used exclusively that includes internal parts in the condenser, and evaporator. So a MapGas+Oxygen unit or an accetylene Turbo Torch is used. Most HVAC use a turbo torch. You will also need to flood the lines with Nitrogen so as to prevent internal oxidization which causes trouble with internal AC parts when brazing copper.
