Since 1981One stop for all your HVAC&R needs
RANGE / COPPER PIPE
Copper pipe.
Soft drawn coils and hard drawn straight lengths, OD 1.5 to 150 mm, wall 0.3 to 10 mm. The most-asked-for sizes for AC and refrigeration work are held on the shelf; other wall thicknesses and grades can be sourced on order.
What we stock.
2 items in this line, confirmed on the call for stock and trade price.
Copper pipe — soft drawn
OD 1.5 mm to 28.6 mm, wall 0.3 mm to 3 mm, in standard 50 ft (15.24 m) coils. Custom sizes can be sourced on order.
Copper pipe — hard drawn
For ACR, heat pumps, medical gas, gas lines and water lines. OD 3 mm to 150 mm, wall 0.3 mm to 10 mm, in standard 10 ft (3.05 m) straight lengths. Custom sizes can be sourced on order.
Common ACR sizes.
Soft coil and hard straight lengths, 1/4″ to 2-1/8″. Larger diameters and other wall thicknesses can be sourced on order.
| Size | OD | Form |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4″ | 6.35 mm | Soft coil / straight |
| 3/8″ | 9.52 mm | Soft coil / straight |
| 1/2″ | 12.70 mm | Soft coil / straight |
| 5/8″ | 15.88 mm | Soft coil / straight |
| 3/4″ | 19.05 mm | Soft coil / straight |
| 7/8″ | 22.23 mm | Soft coil / straight |
| 1-1/8″ | 28.58 mm | Straight length |
| 1-3/8″ | 34.93 mm | Straight length |
| 1-5/8″ | 41.28 mm | Straight length |
| 2-1/8″ | 53.98 mm | Straight length |
Brands we deal in.
Copper pipe from these makers, in soft-drawn coils and hard-drawn straight lengths. Ask for a specific brand and size and we will tell you whether it is on the shelf. All brands we stock.
- Most stocked
Nippon 
Classic
RR
Mexflow
Hindalco
Mandev
Rajco
Totaline
Hari Om
MPCL
Indigo
Copper pipe basics.
What is copper pipe used for in AC and refrigeration?
Copper pipe carries refrigerant around an air-conditioning or refrigeration circuit — between the compressor, condenser, expansion device and evaporator, and between the indoor and outdoor units of split and VRF systems. Copper is used because it resists corrosion in most conditions, bends and flares easily when annealed, makes strong brazed joints and conducts heat well inside coils. The tube is seamless ACR grade, sized by outside diameter and joined with copper fittings.
What is the difference between copper pipe and copper tube?
In the AC and refrigeration trade the two names mean the same product. Strictly, a tube is named by its actual outside diameter (OD) — a 3/8″ ACR tube measures 9.52 mm OD — while plumbing copper uses nominal sizes that differ from the OD: 1/2″ Type L plumbing tube actually measures 5/8″ (15.88 mm). In India, “AC copper pipe” is the everyday name for ACR copper tube.
What is ACR copper pipe?
ACR stands for air conditioning and refrigeration. ACR copper tube is seamless, usually made of phosphorus-deoxidised copper (C12200, also called Cu-DHP), named by its actual OD, and cleaned and capped at the mill so that moisture and dirt stay out of the refrigerant circuit. The usual specifications are ASTM B280 in the USA, EN 12735-1 in Europe and IS 10773 in India.
Is Refrigeration Centre’s copper pipe ACR grade?
Yes. Refrigeration Centre’s soft-drawn copper coil is ACR grade, cleaned and capped as standard. Hard-drawn straight lengths are stocked for several uses — ACR and heat-pump work, medical gas lines, gas lines and water lines — in multiple wall thicknesses. Tell us what the tube is for and the wall you need, and we will confirm the right tube on the call.
What is the difference between soft drawn and hard drawn copper pipe?
Soft-drawn copper is annealed (O temper) and supplied in coils; it bends by hand or with a spring or lever bender and can be flared, so it suits split-AC line sets and small refrigeration lines. Hard-drawn copper comes in rigid straight lengths that stay straight on long runs; it is joined by brazing with fittings and used for larger diameters, risers and VRF or plant-room mains, as well as medical gas, gas and water lines. Hard-drawn tube must be annealed before it can be bent tightly or flared.
What is the difference between Type K, L, M and ACR copper?
Types K, L and M (ASTM B88) are plumbing water tube in nominal sizes, with K the thickest wall and M the thinnest. ACR tube (ASTM B280) is made for refrigerant circuits: named by its actual OD and supplied cleaned and capped. Use ACR tube for AC and refrigeration — plumbing tube is not cleaned and sealed for refrigerant use, and its nominal labels (1/2″ Type L is 5/8″ OD) cause ordering mistakes. Refrigeration Centre also stocks hard-drawn tube for water and gas lines, so say what the tube is for when you order.
Why is copper used for AC pipes instead of aluminium?
Copper is easier to braze, flare and repair on site, is stronger than aluminium tube of the same wall thickness, and resists corrosion well in most conditions. Aluminium tube is lighter and cheaper but harder to join reliably in the field, and copper-to-aluminium joints can corrode galvanically if moisture reaches them. That is why most split-AC line sets and field piping are still copper, even where the coils use aluminium.
What causes copper pipe corrosion in AC systems?
Two common causes are formicary (“ant’s-nest”) corrosion, where organic acids from some cleaners, adhesives and building materials eat pinholes through the tube wall, and chloride attack from salty coastal air. To reduce the risk, keep pipe ends capped until use, avoid harsh chemical cleaners on pipes and coils, insulate and wrap exposed runs, and keep copper from touching bare steel or aluminium supports, which sets up galvanic corrosion.
Sizes, thickness and weight.
What copper pipe sizes does Refrigeration Centre stock?
Refrigeration Centre stocks soft-drawn copper pipe from 1.5 mm to 28.6 mm OD (wall 0.3–3 mm) and hard-drawn copper pipe from 3 mm to 150 mm OD (wall 0.3–10 mm). The ACR sizes most used in AC and refrigeration work — 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 5/8″, 3/4″, 7/8″, 1-1/8″, 1-3/8″, 1-5/8″ and 2-1/8″ — are held on the shelf, with copper fittings to match. Other diameters and wall thicknesses can be sourced on order.
How do copper pipe sizes in inches convert to millimetres?
ACR copper tube is named by its outside diameter in inches, so multiply by 25.4: 1/4″ = 6.35 mm, 3/8″ = 9.52 mm, 1/2″ = 12.70 mm, 5/8″ = 15.88 mm, 3/4″ = 19.05 mm, 7/8″ = 22.23 mm, 1-1/8″ = 28.58 mm, 1-3/8″ = 34.93 mm, 1-5/8″ = 41.28 mm and 2-1/8″ = 53.98 mm. Many AC manuals round these to 6.4, 9.5, 12.7 and 15.9 mm — they are the same tubes. See the size table.
Which copper pipe sizes come in coils and which in straight lengths?
At Refrigeration Centre, 1/4″ to 7/8″ copper pipe is available as soft coil or as straight lengths, and 1-1/8″ and larger comes in hard-drawn straight lengths. Coils suit bent split-AC and small refrigeration lines; straight lengths suit long, rigid, brazed runs. See soft drawn vs hard drawn.
How long is a copper pipe coil or straight length?
At Refrigeration Centre, soft-drawn copper pipe comes in standard coils of 50 ft (15.24 m), and hard-drawn copper pipe in standard straight lengths of 10 ft (3.05 m). You can buy a full coil or length, or have either cut to the size you need, down to 1 ft (about 0.3 m).
What is copper pipe gauge (SWG) in millimetres?
The Indian trade often quotes copper wall thickness in Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), where a higher number means a thinner wall: 18 SWG = 1.22 mm, 19 SWG = 1.02 mm, 20 SWG = 0.91 mm, 21 SWG = 0.81 mm, 22 SWG = 0.71 mm, 23 SWG = 0.61 mm and 24 SWG = 0.56 mm. AC installation manuals give wall thickness in millimetres, so state the wall in mm when you order. The gauge chart lists every size.
How do I calculate copper pipe weight per metre?
Weight in kg per metre = 0.02809 × (OD − wall) × wall, with OD and wall in millimetres; the constant comes from copper’s density of 8.94 g/cm³. For example, 3/8″ tube (9.52 mm) with a 0.81 mm wall weighs 0.02809 × 8.71 × 0.81 ≈ 0.198 kg/m, so one kilogram is about 5 metres. The weight chart and calculator covers every size and wall.
How do I find the inside diameter (ID) of copper pipe?
Inside diameter = outside diameter − 2 × wall thickness. A 3/8″ tube (9.52 mm OD) with a 0.81 mm wall has an ID of about 7.90 mm; 1/2″ (12.70 mm) at 0.81 mm is about 11.08 mm. ACR tube is specified by OD because fittings, flare nuts and insulation all fit over the outside; the ID matters mainly for capacity and pressure-drop calculations.
What pressure can copper pipe handle?
There is no single figure. A copper tube’s rated working pressure depends on its OD, wall thickness, temper and temperature, and is calculated with the formula in ASME B31.5 (refrigeration piping) or the tube standard. Smaller diameters and thicker walls take more pressure, and annealed tube is rated lower than hard-drawn. Brazing anneals hard tube at the joint, so annealed ratings apply there. For R410A and R32, use the wall thickness the unit maker specifies.
Copper pipe for air conditioning.
Which copper pipe is used for air conditioning?
Air conditioners use seamless ACR copper tube: soft-drawn coil for the smaller split-AC line sizes and hard-drawn straight lengths for larger runs in ducted, VRF and commercial systems. The outdoor unit’s installation manual sets the sizes, minimum wall thickness and temper, and both lines are insulated separately. The AC copper pipe size guide covers sizes by tonnage, length limits, VRF piping and reusing R22 lines.
What copper pipe size is used for 1 ton, 1.5 ton and 2 ton split ACs?
Most wall-mounted inverter split ACs use a 1/4″ (6.35 mm) liquid line, with a 3/8″ (9.52 mm) gas line at about 1 ton, 1/2″ (12.70 mm) at about 1.5 ton and 5/8″ (15.88 mm) at about 2 ton. Some models differ, so always use the sizes in the unit’s installation manual. See the AC pipe size table.
What copper pipe thickness is used for R32 and R410A air conditioners?
Use the wall thickness in the AC maker’s installation manual. Many R32 and R410A manuals set a minimum of 0.8 mm for 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″ annealed tube and 1.0 mm for 5/8″, with half-hard tube from 3/4″. In gauge terms, 21 SWG is 0.81 mm but 22 SWG is only 0.71 mm. See wall thickness for R32 and R410A.
Buying copper pipe.
Where can I buy copper pipe in Chennai?
Refrigeration Centre stocks ACR copper pipe at its trade counter at #91/44 Armenian Street (Begum Ispahani Complex), Parrys, Chennai 600001, where it has supplied HVAC&R spares since 1981. Soft coils and hard-drawn lengths are sold wholesale and retail, with a GST invoice on every order. Call or WhatsApp +91 89399 93555 to confirm stock and trade price before you travel; the counter is open Monday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 07:00 PM.
Which brands of copper pipe do you stock?
Refrigeration Centre stocks copper pipe from Nippon, Classic, RR, Mexflow, Hindalco, Mandev, Rajco, Totaline, Hari Om, MPCL and Indigo. Ask for a specific make and we will tell you whether it is on the shelf in your size; equivalents are offered only if you ask for them. See copper pipe brands.
How is copper pipe priced — per kg or per metre?
Copper tube in India is usually priced by weight (₹ per kg), because its cost follows the copper market and the wall thickness; installers often convert that to a price per metre or per foot. The price moves with copper rates, wall thickness, temper (soft or hard), coil or straight form, brand and quantity, and GST at 18% is added. Refrigeration Centre quotes per kg, per coil or per metre, depending on the quantity you need, and confirms stock and the trade price on the call. The website lists no prices because copper rates change daily.
What is the HSN code and GST rate for copper pipe and fittings?
Copper tubes and pipes fall under HSN 7411 (refined-copper tube is 7411 10), and copper or brass tube fittings under HSN 7412. Both attract 18% GST under the rates in force since 22 September 2025. Refrigeration Centre issues a GST invoice (GSTIN 33AAKPJ2041G1Z6) on every order, so the HSN code appears on your bill; confirm the classification for your own filings with your tax adviser.
How do I check copper pipe quality before buying?
Measure the OD and wall with a vernier or micrometer against what you ordered; check that the ends are capped and the bore is clean and dry; and weigh a known length against the weight formula — tube that is lighter than it should be has a thinner wall. For project and OEM supply, ask for the mill’s test certificate and check the marking for size and standard.
Do you provide a mill test certificate for copper pipe?
Yes, on special request. A mill test certificate records the tube’s chemical composition and mechanical tests and is often required for project, OEM and consultant-specified supply. Ask for one when you place the order, so Refrigeration Centre can arrange it with the pipe.
Do you cut copper pipe to length and sell it by the metre?
Yes. Refrigeration Centre cuts both coil and straight copper pipe to the length you need, down to 1 ft (about 0.3 m), and sells coil by the metre, with no minimum order. You can also buy a full 50 ft (15.24 m) coil or a 10 ft (3.05 m) straight length. Cut lengths cannot be returned under the terms of sale, so confirm the measurement before cutting.
Can I get copper pipe with a non-standard wall thickness?
Yes, on request. Give the OD and the wall thickness in millimetres and Refrigeration Centre will confirm the price and lead time; non-standard walls and grades can be sourced on order. Items supplied to your specification are not returnable under the terms of sale.
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