Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Corrosion can degrade the tubing or insulation, leading to refrigerant leaks and mold in the building. Mold comes from water vapor condensing onto the cold piping caused by damaged insulation. Fixing it can be very expensive and time-consuming process
If moisture penetrates the piping insulation it can: promote mold formation in the building, ruin the insulation, cause structure damage, and lower the efficiency of the HVAC system.
Copper tubing that undergoes large temperature changes, like the high-pressure gas line, will expand and contract up to 2 inches per 100 feet of tubing. It is important to install the piping system per the manufacturer’s installation instructions to account for this.
It is a barrier that prevents vapor/water penetration or migration along the pipe. In the instance that vapor or water penetrates the insulation, the water vapor dam will limit how far it can propagate, minimizing damage done in the piping system and the building. A water vapor dam is created by gluing the insulation to the pipe.
It provides a moisture migration barrier to keep moisture from moving under the insulation throughout the building.
Please refer to the website: www.reftekk.com.
Swage Tool Questions
Swaging ¼” copper tubing exceeds the allowable elongation limit of the copper, occasionally causing the tube to crack.
Reftekk does not currently offer larger than 1-5/8” expander heads. 1-5/8” is the largest pipe used on VRV/VRF systems.
The deep socket depths on commonly available copper fittings are designed for soldering applications. The shallow socket depths created by the swage expander are designed per ASME B16.50-2013 for proper brazing cup depths to reduce potential leaks.
Unless properly annealed, the allowable elongation limit for H58 stick copper does not allow for bending or swaging without fracturing or inducing micro-cracks in the tubing.
H55 Bendable Copper (H55 Temper) Questions
Bendable (H55 temper) copper is suitable for any application that Hard (H58 temper) copper is currently being used for.
H55 and H58 are identical until the end of the draw down process. H58 has no limit to how many times it can be drawn down and work hardened more each time (brittle). H55 has a limit to the number of times it can be drawn down and work hardened after being annealed (softened).
After H55 has been drawn down to nearly the final dimensions, it is removed from the draw down benches, placed in annealing ovens, and heated up to the annealing temperature. It is allowed to soak and soften up. After that it is put back onto the draw down benches for the final draws through the dies to get the final dimensions. This is how the grain structure is accurately controlled to make it H55 and bendable.
Flaring Bendable (H55) copper exceeds the allowable elongation of light drawn (H55) copper. The flare can split the copper.
Interestingly enough, design calculations show that Bendable (H55 temper) copper has a slightly higher allowable working pressure than Hard (H58 temper) Copper. However, when brazed, both Hard and Bendable copper become fully annealed, reducing their working pressure to the same value.
While Bendable copper is being newly introduced to the US market, it has long been the standard copper tubing used in Europe, Asia, and many other countries due to its many advantages. US Manufacturing is not currently available as a standard product.
No. As long as the bend radius is sufficient (approximately 4 times the O.D.), the allowable working pressure is unchanged.
Yes.
19’ long sticks fit into 20’ job site containers while also allowing the container doors to be shut and locked for easy and secure storage on the job site. 20’ sticks are sometimes too long.
Bendable (H55 temper) Type L copper is the same dimensions and tolerances as standard Hard (H58 temper) Type L copper used in the industry today. Hard (H58 temper) copper with elbow fittings and couplings can be substituted where needed in a pinch.
This high-quality copper tubing is manufactured in India by the world’s second largest copper tubing manufacturer.
Bendable (H55 temper) copper is labeled as “H55 Bendable” quality.
Brazing Rings Questions
Brazing Rings form an inside fillet at the back end of the socket. This rear fillet helps to prevent leaks.
The material composition of the brazing rings is the same as the industry standard 15% silver (BCuP-5) brazing rod.
Oxy-Propane can heat copper tube faster than Oxy-Acetylene with less chance of melting the copper. Propane is also more stable and does not have the handling and storage precautions of Acetylene. Brazing copper tube can be easier, faster, safer, and cheaper with Oxy-Propane.
You will know the joint isn’t complete because there will be no visual cue of the brazing material coming out of the joint to form the second fillet. The joint will need to be cut out and brazed again.
Yes.
EPDM Insulation Questions
EPDM is a non-polar, closed-cell, elastomeric foam insulation that is highly moisture and UV resistant.
EPDM Insulated Copper Coils meet all codes and requirements for HVAC refrigerant piping systems, and performs better than standard NBR/PVC Insulated Copper Coils. EPDM insulation lasts longer than NBR/PVC insulation.
EPDM is the only insulation material allowed by most manufacturers for VRV/VRF. EPDM has a wider allowable temperature range that exceeds the 248°F requirement for VRV/VRF piping systems. It meets 25/50 Flame-Spread/Smoke-Generated per ASTM E84, as well as being ozone resistant and long-term UV resistant. It is non-polar and has an extremely low permeability to moisture.
Adhesive discs do not require contact cement, meaning no messy application and no delayed waiting time for the contact cement to become tacky before joining. This makes installation time faster and easier. Adhesive discs are provided with Aerocel SSPT insulation and require EPDM tape to be applied over the joint. For attaching the insulation to the Cush-A-Therm pipe supports, only use contact cement and not adhesive discs. After gluing is complete, wrap the joint with EPDM Protape.
State Energy codes and California Title 24 require much thicker piping insulation than is currently being used in most buildings in the US. These codes are written in legal language and are legally enforceable.
EPDM is UV resistant, Ozone resistant, and highly moisture resistant making it better suited for outdoor use than currently used NBR/PVC insulation. Some codes recommend protecting outdoor insulation with a jacket or coating.
Piping-support Questions
It has to meet the same codes and specifications as the insulation and to prevent condensation under the insulation at the support points. It also allows the insulation to be properly glued to the support points to maintain the insulation vapor barrier.
Yes, the pipe supports have an outer skin of EPDM insulation for UV protection and can be used outdoors. They are also waterproof when installed correctly.
They are difficult to insulate properly, and they prevent the installer from maintaining the insulation vapor barrier. With outdoor installation, the insulation gap or void allows for direct water intrusion between the insulation and pipe. Some may have a direct metal path to the tubing which allows the water vapor to condense under the insulation and migrate inside walls or drip onto the ceiling. This can cause mold.
Industry Best Practices
Nitrogen purge prevents the inside of the copper tubing from generating black copper oxides that can destroy compressor bearings and plug up small orifices.
Swaging the tubing reduces the number of braze points and brazing labor hours. Fewer brazes helps to keep the system cleaner and extends compressor life.
Proper evacuation procedure will tell you if ice or moisture are still present in the system. Moisture left in the system will cause the oil in the compressor to break down and initiate compressor failure.
Pressurize the piping system with 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen gas and use a hydrogen leak detector to find tiny slow leaks.
What’s a Rich Text element?
Please refer to the website: www.reftekk.com.
Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
How to customize formatting for each rich text
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
