As one of the first metals mined and utilized by humankind, copper has been essential to the existence and growth of civilization. A shiny, reddish metal with a metallic luster, copper is a soft, malleable and ductile metal with high electrical and thermal conductivity. The latter is where this metal has become indispensable in the world of HVAC, used for a wide range of components, including fittings, fins, pipes, coils and much more.

In early 2011, copper hit an all-time high at $4.63 per pound. As we move in to 2021, many wonder if we’re headed back to this level or possibly a new record high. At the date of this article, copper prices are currently hovering around $3.55 and climbing.

Why the Spike?

Like virtually everything else in our world today, COVID-19 has played a key role in the copper markets. The pandemic has caused inflation in copper due to the economic recovery in China, a weaker dollar, and the potential that the COVID-19 outbreak could lead to disruptions in supply. The good news is that copper production is not limited to a single region and is distributed worldwide, so the negative impact of supply is considered relatively low. Even still, the price of this commodity is trending upward. In its wake, costs are rising behind the scenes in HVAC manufacturing, ultimately being felt by customers large and small.

Top 5 Reasons to Still Choose Copper Coils

As a leader in custom and OEM replacement coils who uses copper in coil production, we’re continuously assessing the impact of copper prices on our production costs, and do our due diligence to deliver the best value.

Even with recent cost increases, over the life of a coil, copper offers cost efficiency and thermal efficiency that just cannot be realized with aluminum. Here are the biggest reasons copper is still the smarter choice for commercial HVAC coils:

1. Improved Heat Transfer

The metal that composes your heat exchanger has a big impact on efficiency. Copper’s rate of heat transfer is far greater than aluminum. In fact, aluminum has only 60% of the thermal conductivity of copper.

2. Strength and Flexibility

Usually, the stronger a metal is, the less pliable it is. This is not the case with copper. When building coils in production, copper can easily be shaped and stretched, as needed, without breaking. One example would be expanding the copper tubes into the collars of the fins for improved heat transfer.

3. Easily Repaired, Recycled and Repurposed

Should copper tubes on a coil become damaged, they can easily be brazed and repaired. Should this happen with aluminum tubes, it would be a much more difficult and unreliable repair, incurring additional repairs and expenses down the road.

Additionally, copper can be melted repeatedly to redefine its purpose without losing any chemical or physical properties. As such, copper is one of the most widely recycled of all metals worldwide.

4. Resists Corrosion

Copper is resistant to corrosion. This is crucial in commercial HVAC, since coils are installed in many different environments — from salty air to freezing conditions.

5. Reduces Bacterial Growth

Copper’s natural antimicrobial properties mitigate the growth of bacteria and fungi that cause odors and reduce efficiency of HVAC systems. Think of where HVAC coils reside and copper is the obvious choice for promoting healthier air quality.

As the Saying Goes, “You Get What You Pay For.”

Keeping quality, durability and long-term optimal performance as our goal, Nationwide Coils stands by using copper in all of our custom and OEM replacement coils. Even as copper costs spike, the benefits of this material, especially in the case of microchannel conversion, continue to far outweigh the use of aluminum.

For more information or to obtain a quote on a coil, email us anytime.