Bending Pipes

The best way to create bends in copper tube is to use a specialist tool, called a pipe bender. Waltham Forest Plumbers use pipe bending equipment. The majority of pipe benders are made to bend pipes of a number of different diameters like these small ones that are usually 8mm/10mm and 12mm pipes, with a larger one for 15mm/ 22 mm. Should you need to bend a copper tube wider than this you either need to dedicate more time to building your strength or you should really buy an expensive powered pipe bender, or instead don’t bother with a bender for a copper tube above 22mm and use fittings in its place. A Waltham Forest Plumber is experienced in pipe bending techniques.


Note:

A bender is available to bend other sizes of copper pipe, for example-15-22mm.

Microbore pipe bending:
Small benders can be used for microbore copper tube. Microbore is a soft copper tube that can normally be bent with the hand. It is supplied in rolls. However, to get the best possible bend you should use a bending machine. This microbore pipe is usually 8-10mm in diameter and is used widely in central heating systems with the main advantage is of having very low heat loss by the water flowing through it. It is very really flexible to run too.

To use:

1). Open the bender arms fully so they sit at 180° to each other and put the copper tube between the arms, making sure it goes under the retaining arm and into the correct sized channel.

2). Bend the top so that it is parallel with the pipe, which the grooves have now enclosed.

3). Start drawing the top arm down to start the bend. Pull the arms together in one continuous movement until the correct angle is achieved.

4). Open the arms again to release the bent tube and remove from the bender.