Aluminum vs Copper Coil

[andreas]

I work for a company that manufactures HVAC units for locomotives. We are toying with the idea of replacing the copper condenser coil with an aluminum coil as a cost reduction. Are the copper and aluminum equal, particularly in terms of longevity and ease of maintenance?

[gsxrsquid]

In my opinion copper is superior to aluminum If you are in a corrosive environment the copper will hold up much better. of course if it is too corrosive it doesnt matter if you have solid coils if the fins have all fallen off. :-)

[screwed548]

Have you seen the cost of copper these days? The copper coils usually last 40% longer and will cost at least that up front. Look into Electrofin coated aluminum coils.

[chapsieml]

You get what you pay for and if it was me my choice would be copper every time. We just had one of those copper issues on a back flow preventer drain line to install, or not install in copper, we did copper. It cost like 300 dollars in copper compared to maybe less than 100 dollars in other materials, but copper was best material and least time consuming product for the job.

Mike

[hands]

I would stick with the copper coils, they hold up better and are much easier to repair if a leak develops.

[andreas]

Thanks for the opinions. - Andreas

[just_opinion]

Penny for a thought

How many leaking aluminum slain coil on a OLD Carrier unit that we found leak. You know the one with flare suction connection.

Or how many old Trane A coil that made out of aluminum in the old days, that you found leak

I rarely see one. But the new coil now a day, the leak regardless of brand name