The objection may have been based on failures of copper tube at the Levittown development in New York State some 50 years ago. Those failures have been attributed to the high levels of sulfur in fly-ash, which was an ingredient in the Levittown concrete slabs. Copper tube should not be used in installations where fly-ash or any other ingredient of the concrete mix results in elevated sulfur content. Inherent resistance to oxygen permeation prevents pinholes and leaks from forming in the copper tube. Although the makers of rubber and PEX radiant systems have introduced precautionary measures against damage caused by oxygen permeation, they still have not proven fully reliable.
Copper tube has a long, successful application history in radiant systems.
According to Kireta, with more than 50 years of performance in the market, copper tube has been the subject of much research and testing and is considered a viable, reliable product for radiant heating applications. During the panel discussion, many proponents of other materials pointed to copper's performance characteristics as the standard to which they compare their products. CDA is the information, education and technical development arm of the copper, brass and bronze industry in the United States. Plumbing Tube , and general information about the uses of copper can be found at The Copper Page .