Aluminum V/S Copper condenser coil

Modern times and technological advancements have made it easy for people to successfully exploit the outstanding properties of copper and use it in ways that were practically out of our imagination. From the manufacturing of tubes and pipe products for household use such as use in water porters in houses and buildings to becoming the largest used metal of its category, copper has much to give. Copper tubes, today, are utilized in the refrigerating and air conditioning system as condenser coils and mostly used for plumbing owing to its below-mentioned properties:-

• Resistant to corrosion  
• Good conductor of heat and electricity 
• Malleability and ductility 
• Consumption of less refrigerant

These inherent properties of copper meet the demands of the air conditioner industry. A shift to copper tubes took place as a result of the responsive features showcased by it. Though it has been one of the top choices since time immortal when it comes to AHU coils, its popularity is still a new in its contemporary form – light-weighted, strong and corrosion-resistant. Today, it’s used in every type of heat exchanger systems.

Why copper instead of aluminum?

Almost a decade ago, aluminum coils dominated the condenser coil market. It offered a plethora of benefits to the manufacturers since it was comparatively cheaper and had a better heat transfer property. Lately, the scenario changed, and manufacturers turned their heads to copper condenser coils and copper tubes. To give you a rough comparison, the thermal conductivity of copper is nearly eight times that of aluminum tubes. Additionally, repairing aluminum is more costly than copper, and even the latter’s superior strength opened exit gates for aluminum.

Copper smartly replaced aluminum as better condenser coils due to the following reasons:-

• Strength
• Reliability
• Easy to maintain and repair
• Excellent heat transferring ability
• Resistance to external and mechanical damage

Copper coils, especially chilled water coils can be easily cleaned and even saves high on time, money and maintenance efforts. Small sized or micro copper tubes instantly transfer heat outside in order to boost the indoor cooling system and also withstands corrosion in an effective and efficient manner. The newly developed copper condenser coils also overcome the disadvantage of galvanic action.

Additionally, small copper tubes offer more advantages that its regular sized counterparts:-

• Featuring a more compact design
• Promise higher efficiency in the arena of heat exchanger coils

To conclude, though copper has been in use since ages, its actual properties are unveiling now and serving as a significant advantage to the manufacturing tube and coil industry.