Copper was once the most common material to use if you were manufacturing or installing pipes, but then stainless steel began to overtake it in popularity. This raises questions about which is actually the better choice in terms of quality. Is stainless steel an improvement, or is it just a cheaper and more convenient option?
Strength and Durability
A 316 stainless steel pipe is about three times stronger than the equivalent copper pipe. Its tensile strength is much higher. This means copper is not as well-suited to situations with particularly high temperatures or pressures, whilst stainless steel can be used to make long-term installations more resilient.
Corrosion Resistance
Many pipes will need to resist the corrosive properties of certain gasses and fluids. Sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, acidic substances and so-called “hard” water with high chlorine levels can all corrode copper, but stainless steel has a layer of chromium oxide that protects and regenerates it. This does not mean stainless steel will not corrode in more extreme conditions.
Efficiency
For ease of manipulation, copper is softer than stainless steel and can therefore be cut and bent into shape with less effort. This flexibility also means there is less need for small fittings to attach larger, non-bendy pieces of steel together. Copper pipe connectors and other fittings are available in many sizes and shapes, as can be seen here: watkinspowis.co.uk.
Cost
Stainless steel is probably cheaper upfront and it does last a long time. Copper can, however, with proper maintenance to reduce the risk of corrosion, end up cheaper in the long term.
There is a range of factors to consider when choosing the best material for a pipe. Whether copper or stainless steel is more appropriate depends very much on the context where the pipe will be used.