WOW! Copper is pricey!

[turningtim]

Went to HD yesterday to buy some copper pipe and fittings. I have a new water softener and whole house filter to install. As my usual I just go in there and get the stuff I need with some extras (just in case). Got the kids with me so the mind set is get in and get out ASAP.
Well I get to the check out and almost had a heart attack when she told me the total. A $100 bucks for a stick of 1" and a hand full of fittings? You must be kidding! I had to look at the receipt b/c I was so in denial!
$35.00 for a 10'x1" pc of copper! Thats just nuts. 10 years ago I installed my own baseboard heat. I ran over 1200' feet of pipe of various sizes. I can't even imagine what it would have cost me today.
I guess I'll have to turn the house into fort Knox so no one comes and tries to steal it!

Tim

 

[rylan1]

Yea, copper is big business... which is why you'll see a lot of metal recycling places popping up and increasing their advertising.. Not to mention the thieves who steal... Imagine this.... with our housing crisis and all the homes in foreclosure... the thieves have many more houses to get their product... they can make probably $100-$500 a day.

 

[tizzo]

Haha, we had a thief, right behind out neighborhood get arrested for trying to steal copper. The cops said it was for drugs, but who knows, these days, he may have been going after gas money.
How they caught him?
It electrocuted the hell outa him, tripped the breaker, putting the entire neighborhood without electricity (thank god I have a generator), and this moron was walking around stunned and dazed with his arms stuck in the position they were in when he got electrocuted. Raised where his hands were at eye level, elbows bent kinda zombie looking.
Needless to say he went to jail.
But that's how I found out about the prices of copper.

 

[renogaw]

I'm in sales for a plumbing/heating wholesaler.
copper has risen over 400% in 4 years.
the manufacturers keep claiming lack of scrap, lack of help, closing mines, etc, so they keep raising and raising.
problem with this is copper is used in almost everything, so everything goes up because of it.
my copper sales (volume) have gone down quite a bit, being replaced by pex and CPVC.
the latest trend though, due to excess stock at the manufacturers is to keep lowering the price. i think they are hurting because no one is using their product unless it's on commercial jobs or the die hard plumbers.

 

[renogaw]

btw, since this was water pipe, i hope you bought "L" or blue copper, not "M" or red copper.
M should cost a little less than 3.5/ft, but L should cost much more.

 

[reefraff]

Copper theivery isn't anything new even with the uptake in pricing. It's just that now it's expenseive enough that ripping plumbing out of vacant houses or stealing old car radiators is worth it.
The Government just recently announce that they are removing all copper from coins.
Anyone have a jar of old pennies laying around? The copper is worth better than twice the face value.

 

[renogaw]

it's not just copper either.
aluminum siding is an issue too.
also, car catalytic converters--they have some precious metal in them and people are stealing them from car dealership lots.

 

[jennythebugg]

someone was stealing parts out of church air conditioning units when tobins brother was doing hvac his company was getting all these calls to come replace them thats how i found out about the cost

 

[turningtim]

Originally Posted by renogaw
http:///forum/post/2648931
btw, since this was water pipe, i hope you bought "L" or blue copper, not "M" or red copper.
M should cost a little less than 3.5/ft, but L should cost much more.
Yep! If I didn't feel that this was the last major plumbing project in my house I would have changed to PEX. But its done!