Frequently Asked Questions
Q. "Why don't you sell hard copper pipe in lengths greater than four feet?"
A. Due to the increased shipping cost for pipe longer than four feet, we are unable to sell it at the absolute lowest price. However, we do sell soft copper tubing at discount prices for lengths over 10 feet.
Q. "Why are these copper pipes priced the way they are?"
A. We offer this pipe as a service. Standard copper pipe in 10 and 20 foot lengths costs a lot less (per foot). The "problem" with long lengths is the cost of shipping makes ordering long lengths out of practical reach. We are offering short lengths as a "service" which means we must cut the pipe by hand as well as package it. It's for those that are repairing a very short length and do not want to drag home an entire length of hard copper pipe. If you need longer lengths then we suggest either purchasing those lengths locally or purchase our soft (in rolls) copper. The copper pipes shown on this page are hand-cut (which is very labor intensive - expensive). Also, we have low shipping rates, and in most cases this method does not cover the actual shipping costs. Therefore, we've added some of the shipping costs to the price of the pipe. This is not a "perfect" solution and one could argue that we are charging "too much" for short lengths (we have to agree that it sounds too expensive), but we really aren't making much when considering ALL costs.
Q. "Which is thicker type L or type M and which should I be buying?"
A. Type M is the thinner of the two and is quite common in copper piping done for residential homes throughout the U.S.. It generally isn't code to use type M copper underground. Some areas do not allow type M copper. When in doubt then it's best to buy the type L copper as it is thicker and code in all areas of the country for above ground piping. Always check with your local code department.
Q. "Your price per foot isn't uniform, why doesn't one foot cost one fourth of four feet, etc?"
A. We cut the pipe into these lengths by hand and labor is expensive.
Q. "I need 8ea. 1' lengths of copper pipe. Can I order it this way?
A. Because we hand-cut all of our copper pipe/tubing, we only offer one cut piece per pipe size per order, except for 4' lengths. You can order as many 4' lengths as you would like. For example, if you need 8ea 1' lengths, then order 2ea 4' lengths and cut the copper to 1 foot lengths when you receive your order.
Q. "What if I order the wrong length? Can I return what I don't need?"
A. Because our copper pipe is cut specifically for your order, you can return only the full length that you ordered. For instance, we cannot accept 1' of returned pipe from a 3' piece that we sent you, but you can return the entire 3' piece to us if needed. Additionally, please note that (as with any returned item) the pipe must be free of ANY cuts, signs of use, compound debris, etc. and must be dry without spots or stains. We can only accept returns of copper pipe that has never been cut/altered and is in perfect resalable condition.
Q. "Is there lead in copper pipe?"
A. Copper pipe is 100% copper and does not contain lead.
