Copper or Aluminum?
With recent upward copper price trend, it is not a surprise to see manufactures switching from copper to aluminum in condenser and evaporator coils in AC manufacturing. However, before jumping into such decision, one should probably take a step back and look into the whole picture. That being said, is material price the only factor to be consider? Even so, will switching into aluminum really helps in achieving the desirable cost reduction outcome?
Here is a simple info-graphic to illustrate a few pointers to consider which metal choice to go for.
Cost
For every purchaser, materials manager and business owner cost would be the utmost consideration. On material cost, aluminum is much cheaper than copper. If you are looking at dropping the overall cost of air conditioning, aluminum coil could be a very attractive option. Although provided you are looking only on the surface. Why is that so? Let's move on to the next aspect.
Heat Transfer
This is one of the most fundamental aspect to be consider when choosing a material for AC coil. Which is, it has to work. And the heat transfer coefficient is the basic requirement a design or mechanical engineer will be looking at. Copper has 2 times higher conductivity compare to aluminum which means it cools the room faster and thus more electrical savings.
From a consumer point of view, to purchase a cheaper AC with higher electrical bill or to purchase a more expensive AC but comes with lower electrical bill? Note, AC unit price is a one time purchase while your electrical bill is a recurring payment. Hense it seems like we have circle back to the cost question while with a deeper dive into it.
Corrosion Resistance
Corrosion is an inevitable issue when it comes to working with metal. Only thing to consider is, what type of corrosion could one tackle easier than the other? We will be looking at 2 types of corrosion:
i) Formicary Corrosion- Copper coil is subjected to this type of corrosion with the presence of oxygen, water and organic acid. However, this problem can be solve easily with proper cleaning and regular maintenance.
ii) Galvanic Corrosion- Aluminum coil is subjected to this type of corrosion when joining with copper tube. Reason is obvious. 2 different type of metal came in contact. However, this is not a problem that can be tackle easily with just cleaning. Because aluminum is not easy to repair thus most of the time the damage would required the whole aluminum coil to be replace.
Durability and Maintenance
Another 2 practical points to consider while making a material choice decision. Copper is much more stronger than aluminum, easier to repair and carry out maintenance work. When situated outside the home facing harsh weather condition, regular cleaning and maintenance will keep the unit function in its optimum condition. Wheres aluminum are less prone to weather condition they have to be stored in strong covered cabinet. This makes the maintenance work harder and could affect their performance efficiency.
Given the above pointers, it is obvious that copper and aluminum have their pros and cons while copper has the upper hand. It is down for the buyer to decide what is their priority.
When purchasing copper coil, one should note that in order to be competitive in terms of pricing, some manufacturer are now making thinner copper coils. While lower in cost, thinner copper coil could result in leakage and can be difficult to braze. Thus overall doesn't suit the purpose of cost effectiveness.
It is important to specify the thickness required when purchasing copper coil. At Fiable, we always emphasize on the copper fittings thickness required by customer before placing the order. Fiable copper fittings are also customizable according to the thickness required by customer. Providing a value for money copper fittings is our utmost priority. For more information of our copper u bend SKU, please refer here.
We believe in cost effectiveness by providing premium quality copper fittings to our customers that will help in achieving overall cost vs performance in the long run.
Drop us your enquiry today to find out more!
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