1.1 This specification establishes the requirements for seamless copper water tube suitable for general plumbing, similar applications for the conveyance of fluids, and commonly used with solder, flared, or compression-type fittings. The type of copper water tube suitable for any particular application is determined by the internal or external fluid pressure, by the installation and service conditions, and by local requirements. Means of joining or bending are also factors which affect the selection of the type of tube to be used.2

NOTE 1: Annealed tube is suitable for use with flared or compression fittings, and with solder-type fittings, provided rounding and sizing of the tube ends is performed where needed.

NOTE 2: Drawn temper tube is suitable for use with solder-type fittings. Types K and L tube, in the drawn temper, are suitable for use with certain types and sizes of compression fittings.

NOTE 3: Fittings used for soldered or brazed connections in plumbing systems are described in ASME B16.18 and ASME B16.22.

1.2 The tube shall be produced from the following coppers, and the manufacturer has the option to supply any one of them, unless otherwise specified.

1.3 The assembly of copper plumbing or fire sprinkler systems by soldering is described in Practice B828.

1.4 Solders for joining copper potable water or fire sprinkler systems are covered by Specification B32. The requirements for acceptable fluxes for these systems are covered by Specification B813.

1.5 Units—This specification is the companion specification to SI Specification B88M; therefore, no SI equivalents are shown in this specification.

1.6 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the test methods portion, Section 16, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

ASTM Standards

B32 Specification for Solder Metal
B88M Specification for Seamless Copper Water Tube (Metric)
B153 Test Method for Expansion (Pin Test) of Copper and Copper-Alloy Pipe and Tubing
B577 Test Methods for Detection of Cuprous Oxide (Hydrogen Embrittlement Susceptibility) in Copper
B813 Specification for Liquid and Paste Fluxes for Soldering of Copper and Copper Alloy Tube
B828 Practice for Making Capillary Joints by Soldering of Copper and Copper Alloy Tube and Fittings
B846 Terminology for Copper and Copper Alloys
B900 Practice for Packaging of Copper and Copper Alloy Mill Products for U.S. Government Agencies
B968/B968M Test Method for Flattening of Copper and Copper-Alloy Pipe and Tube
E8/E8M Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
E18 Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials
E29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to Determine Conformance with Specifications
E53 Test Method for Determination of Copper in Unalloyed Copper by Gravimetry
E62 Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Copper and Copper Alloys (Photometric Methods)
E112 Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size
E243 Practice for Electromagnetic (Eddy Current) Examination of Copper and Copper-Alloy Tubes
E255 Practice for Sampling Copper and Copper Alloys for the Determination of Chemical Composition
E527 Practice for Numbering Metals and Alloys in the Unified Numbering System (UNS)

ASME Standards

ASME B16.18 Cast Copper Alloy Solder Joint Pressure Fittings
ASME B16.22 Wrought Copper and Copper Alloy Solder Joint Pressure Fittings