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Copper air lines

Karl Fields

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Joined
May 29, 2012
Messages
75
Pretty much decided on 3/4" loop of copper for my airlines. Is there a substantial difference (besides price) between Type L, M and K for a 150psi system? Will I have issues using the thinner Type L?
 
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kd3pc

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Aug 10, 2013
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3,630
Location
Northern Neck
progressively more expensive, thicker and can be tougher to work with..

Fittings are more expensive as well.

best of luck
 

G_P

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Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
7,135
Location
Central CT
Type L is the thicker wall pipe. M is thinner and designed primarily for heating systems.

Type M and Type L both use the same fittings.

I've used type M in small sections for air line before and had zero issues with it.
 

sberry

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Joined
Jun 18, 2005
Messages
35,747
Location
Brethren, Michigan
A thing many do in small garages is worry to tears about air line sizes. They could save a lot of grief piping 1/2. Not sure I would loop unless I had to, ideally I would blow all the condensate down to a drip leg.
 
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OP
K

Karl Fields

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Joined
May 29, 2012
Messages
75
Well then I guess type M it might be!
What a dumb method of IDing copper, M is thinnest, L is Medium and K is thicker? Who came up with that?
 

pancho400cid

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Joined
Sep 26, 2014
Messages
4,524
Location
Austin, TX
I just ran a bunch of copper in my garage. I have a 60 gal vert compressor and do mostly car-related stuff. I used 3/4 type L. What I found is most big-box stores around here had L and M, but no K.

The L costs more but type M is really light. It would dent easily, and just seemed kinda light-in-the-a _ _ . Just my opinion.

I pressurized everything to low pressure and leak-checked it before putting full pressure on it. Then I ran it up to full pressure and kept my distance for a few hours. I would recommend restraining the pipe to wall framing or something substantial. Tons of stored energy in compressed air and if a sweat joint lets go it could ruin your day. It has been working like a champ for a month or so now. Looks nice too.

I ended up with maybe $350.00 in pipe, fittings, valves, air chucks and filters. That **** is expensive. Many use black iron, but I could not cut and thread it so went with copper.
 

Alchymist

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Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
4,423
Location
Central PA
Well then I guess type M it might be!
What a dumb method of IDing copper, M is thinnest, L is Medium and K is thicker? Who came up with that?

Same idiot that came up with a #60 drill bit being smaller than a #1, and then decided we needed number drills 1 thru 80, fractional drills by 1/64" increments and then letter drills A thru Z. And then of course there are metric sizes.......
 
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