Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

$$ copper

Supply House Rick
Supply House Rick Member Posts: 1,399
in THE MAIN WALL
I can tell you that we have been having certification classes for Uponor Aquapex every day. Most contractors are the ones who last year boldly stated "I'm old school and I'll NEVER use Pex"

If people stop using copper the prices will drop. Support your Pex lines, use more black iron. When you look at $.28+ per foot vs. $2.00+ the choice is simple.

Part of my job is to help our contractors save money by providing labor an material saving technology. This is one way...

Rick

Comments

  • KAG
    KAG Member Posts: 82
    The price of copper

    Is there a shortage of copper or is it the price of oil. Can someone please tell me, it's going up by the day. Gas prices seem to be staying the same. I've been paying $3.099 per a gallon of diesel for at least a month now.
  • Aidan (UK)
    Aidan (UK) Member Posts: 290
    $$ copper

    I think it's mainly the demand from the Far East, the Chinese economy is growing at a huge rate supplying goods for export. The price of fuel will have some part in the cost.

    here, diesel here is the equivalent of $6.90 a gallon (98p per litre); count your blessings.
  • Supply House Rick
    Supply House Rick Member Posts: 1,399
    What's Going On Here?

    A Rep told me that only one major copper mfg is shipping in the USA. The other 2 major players are shipping only to China at a much higher profit. Sad and hopefully not true.

    Why do we get sold down the river by American companies(err, money). Everybody screams "BUY AMERICAN" I wish they would "SELL AMERICAN"

    When I quote copper now I have to say to contractor that's the price this minute, can't hold it any longer.

    Rick
  • Tony_23
    Tony_23 Member Posts: 1,033
    30 %

    My salesman called and said copper went up 30% this week in one step. Rumor has it that another supply house jumped 70%.

    Currently, all my larger jobs are figured with PAP :)

    To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"
  • Constantin
    Constantin Member Posts: 3,796
    The WSJ had an interesting viewpoint on this...

    ... scrap iron is also in high demand, yet it has not catapulted in price the way copper has. The difference between the two metals on the world market?

    Copper has a futures market, scrap iron does not. These market prices are used for the spot price of copper on a day-to-day basis. The copper futures market is also relatively small when compared to the size of the hedge funds and speculators that are playing in it (i.e. they can move the market).

    While the price of copper undoubtedly also went up due to tight demand, it is the speculators that are exploiting the preceived shortness of supply to push prices ever higher. Were there any excess capacity in the market, the speculators would potentially lose their shirts.

    I think there is also a bit of arbitrage going on were some folk who have long-term commitements of ore, finished goods, etc. are simply reselling into the market at a huge profit. The cost of mining hasn't gone up much, but the selling price sure has!

    It all adds up to a few guys and gals making a lot of money trading paper and the rest of us paying 4x more for the copper than we did a year ago.
  • Maine doug
    Maine doug Member Posts: 47
    And to think

    this is the cowboy capitalism we are exporting as democracy. Are we in trouble or what!! Rare metals that are needed for many areas like electronics, medicine and even car manufacturing are going to climb at new rates, especially as the countries that have them rocognize their real value in the world market.


    >>>it is the speculators that are exploiting the preceived shortness of supply to push prices ever higher<<<
    >>>It all adds up to a few guys and gals making a lot of money trading paper and the rest of us paying 4x more for the copper than we did a year ago.<<<<
  • KAG
    KAG Member Posts: 82
    Love PEX

    For Residential I use it all the time. The problem is commercial can only use metal products, live in MA. I am currently bidding 2 jobs, both commercial. 1st need 70' of 3" L type copper @ 390.00/10' my cost. 2nd is bathroom group it is 50% cheaper to remove all copper and install all cast iron and this is only because they want to move the bathroom group 10' over. When will PVC be allowed for small office building (5000 sq.', 1 floor) with 25 employee's.
  • jackchips_2
    jackchips_2 Member Posts: 1,337
    \"When will PVC be allowed\"?

    Probably not until we move the powers that be out of the 128 belt, Kevin. Or at least get the board to understand there are plumbers who can think outside Boston.

    Organized labor still contols much of what goes into the Plumbing code and until there is a large effort by the small guy there will be no change.

    Just one man's opinion.

    Jack
This discussion has been closed.

Categories