This manual is published by the Canadian Copper & Brass Development Association (CCBDA), on behalf of its Member Companies that produce copper tube and copper and copper-alloy fittings. Financial support for the publication was provided by the International Copper Association Ltd.

A number of natural gas organizations provided assistance in the preparation of this manual, including the Canadian Gas Association, BC Gas, the BC Gas Safety Branch, Consumers Gas, Gaz Métropolitain, ICG Utilities (Ontario), and Union Gas. Superior Propane also provided guidance. Their assistance is gratefully acknowledged.




Until recently, steel pipe with threaded joints has been used exclusively for interior natural gas distribution systems in all types of buildings. Residential buildings, including single-family dwellings, semi-detached units, duplexes, triplexes and row houses, as well as multi-storey apartments and condominiums, are of primary interest when considering the major advantages offered by using copper tube instead of steel pipe.

Modern residential units may utilize a wide variety of gas appliances and equipment. Heating is usually by means of a gas furnace or room heaters, and frequently the furnace will have a provision for air conditioning in the summer. Also available are gas-fired heating boilers and domestic hot water heaters. Gas-fired units are noted for their high recovery rates. Other items could include a cooking range, clothes dryer, gas fireplace, gas barbecue and decorative gas lamps.

Canadian installation codes and regulations now permit the use of copper tube and brass fittings for interior gas distribution systems. Such copper systems have many inherent advantages. For decades, the excellent performance of copper tube has been well known in a wide variety of environments and for installations of all types, including hot and cold water systems, drainage and venting, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration, solar, fire sprinklers, and propane gas systems.

The information in this publication is primarily intended for the guidance of professionals involved in designing, installing and repairing natural gas systems in buildings. It is strongly recommended that gas systems be installed by authorized contractors in accordance with local codes. All installations or changes to existing systems must be inspected by the local code authority. Local gas companies will provide guidance on authorized contractors and inspection procedures.

In multi-storey residences, copper can compete with electricity for heating, laundry and cooking services, whereas threaded steel pipe is not competitive.




The Canadian Copper & Brass Development Association is a non-trading, non-profit organization, founded in 1958, to promote, develop and stimulate the use of copper and copper alloys in new and existing applications.

The Association is financed by the Canadian Copper Industry, including the primary copper producers, manufacturers of mill products (sheet, strip, rod, bar, tube and pipe), wire and cable manufacturers, foundries, ingot producers, and manufacturers of forgings, plumbing fittings and associated products.

Technical literature and advice is a fundamental service of the Association. This manual is one of several technical publications issued by the CCBDA, and a current list is available on request. In addition, the Bulletin Canadian Copper – Cuivre Canadien is circulated regularly, free of charge. It contains articles and information on the latest developments on copper, its alloys and compounds. If you wish to receive the Bulletin, please contact the CCBDA office.

Since its inception, the Association has maintained a technical reference library which has grown into a major source of information on all aspects of production, fabrication and application of copper-base materials. Anyone requiring assistance with technical questions is welcome to contact the Association at any time.




This manual has been prepared for the use of professionals involved in the design, installation and repair of natural gas systems in buildings, as an informative reference on the use of copper and copper alloys. Recognizing that each system must be designed and installed to meet the particular circumstances, the publishers assume no responsibility or liability of any kind in connection with this manual or its use by any person or organization, and make no representation or warranties of any kind with respect to any of the products or the accuracy of the information contained herein.




Based on tests carried out by the Canadian Gas Research Institute, and over 20 years of successful use of copper by certain gas companies in the United States and Europe, the National Code Committee in Canada approved copper tube for interior natural gas systems in the mid-1980s. Appropriate revisions were included in the document CAN/CGA-B149.1, Natural Gas Installation Code, prepared and issued by the Canadian Gas Association.

Also, part of the Canadian experience has been the conversion of existing copper propane gas systems to natural gas systems where the sizing did not require retubing. These conversions have given excellent performance for many years. More details on copper for propane systems are covered in section 8.

Provincial regulatory authorities have jurisdiction over gas installations in their own area. They adopt B149.1, sometimes augmented by additional requirements which they feel are necessary. For example, installations in Ontario are made in accordance with the Ontario Gas Utilization Code. Designers and installers of gas systems should check with the authority having jurisdiction in their area and with the company supplying the gas, to determine the exact regulations in force.

These modern houses, under construction, all benefit from the many advantages of complete copper natural gas installations.




Gas companies, developers, building owners, installation contractors and homeowners, are all able to benefit when copper tube and fittings are chosen for a natural gas system.

Copper’s main advantages are flexibility and ease of bending, compact size, ease of joining, resistance to corrosion, and its availability in long lengths of up to 100 ft. (30m), with longer lengths available on request. Installing a copper system requires smaller and fewer tools, and is much cleaner than threaded steel pipe. All of these factors lead to an easier, less time-consuming installation and most important – lower costs! There is also increased safety, because the long lengths of tube reduce the number of joints in the systems. In single-family dwellings a copper installation is less expensive than steel pipe. In the case of multi-unit and multi-storey buildings, copper gas systems can compete with electricity for heating and cooling, domestic water heating, laundry and cooking services, whereas threaded pipe is not competitive.

Individual metering is another important concept. With such systems, owners of condominiums and tenants of rental apartments are responsible for their own consumption of natural gas. Further, the vertical subdivision concept for multi-storey residential buildings utilizes a vertical gas main which permits the gas utility to locate individual gas meters closer to the end-user suites. The advantages of copper facilitate neat, low-cost, individual systems in the suites, making natural gas economically and technically feasible for such buildings for the first time.

The availability of long lengths of copper tube also means that, with a little careful planning, all of the joints that would usually be located in walls, floors and ceilings, may be eliminated. Further, long lengths, compact dimensions, ease of joining and so forth, are particularly important advantages of copper when selecting materials for retrofit systems.

For present gas users, copper provides maximum ease of installation when they wish to add appliances. The best example is a fireplace. With copper, it can be installed quickly and economically, without the difficulties and high cost associated with threaded pipe. A gas fireplace may be installed where there is an existing masonry fireplace, and if a gas fireplace is something new, direct venting or induced draft fans are recent advances that facilitate location, since a conventional chimney is not required with such units. Also, direct venting makes it possible to install fireplaces in multi-unit residential buildings, such as apartments and condominiums. Another very popular convenience is the addition of an outdoor gas barbecue. Copper has flexibility, is easy to insert through confined spaces, and easy to connect to an existing system.

A very recent development is the prepiping concept, which is being used in some projects. During construction, extra copper lines are installed in case they are needed in the future, such as for example, for the installation later of a fireplace. Such lines are capped and equipped with shut-off valves, and carry no gas until put into service.




Copper gas systems now offer contractors and developers exciting new market opportunities to dramatically lower their system installation costs and increase their customer base. Vertical subdivision concepts, individual metering, and new add-on markets, are a few of the recent advances made feasible by copper systems.

Copper is suitable for all types of buildings from single-family dwellings to multi-storey buildings. Its inherent advantages eliminate the time-consuming and repetitious measuring, cutting and threading required with steel pipe. As a result, for new and retrofit projects, copper systems are easier and faster to install, providing reliable installations at lower cost.

Copper tube lines distributing natural gas from the meter room to the individual suites in a low rise apartment building.