Copper tubing for water services: why it is still widely used, how it is joined and where it can fail.
Copper has been a standard material for water services for generations. It is strong, handles heat and pressure and resists most soils. Many utilities still require or prefer copper for the line between the main and the meter, and many homes have copper lines that have lasted for decades.
Copper comes in soft coils for services and rigid sticks for plumbing, and it is joined with compression fittings, flare fittings or soldered joints. Acidic soil, stray electrical current and poor workmanship can eat through it, and a pinhole leak in a buried copper line is one of the most common causes of mysterious yard leaks.
Decades of service in good soil.
Compression and flare joints.
Aggressive soil can wear it.
Protects the soft tube from rocks.
Metal can be traced.
Accepted by many providers.
Size a trench, plan a pipe slope or ballpark the cost.
Trench Volume and Spoil CalculatorEnter trench length, width and depth and see cubic yards of soil, truckloads and bedding stone to plan for.Try it 
Pipe Slope and Fall CalculatorEnter run length and slope and see the total fall and the invert elevation at the far end.Try it 
Underground Utility Cost EstimatorPick a project and a size and get a ballpark planning range.Try it Each has strengths. Local rules often decide, and both work well when properly installed.
Soil chemistry, water chemistry and age cause small corrosion holes over time.
Yes. Leaks are repaired with fittings or a replacement section.
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