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Author:
ArthurPeabody (NM)
I ordered a tub faucet I liked online from Big Home Store. (They had none of the same configuration in stock - I couldn't find one elsewhere locally.) The installation manual says to mount it on 'brass drop ear elbows', but all the drop ear elbows at Big Home Store are bronze (they promise lead-free-ness though). I could find them elsewhere but they're less common. What's the composition of plumbing bronze? All copper and tin? Is plumbing brass now all copper and zinc? I noticed some of the other fixtures were only in bronze, not brass.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
steve (CA)
Bronze can also have some aluminum and/or manganese in it. Brass contains "zinc alloy", so there's something other than pure zinc in it. Either brass or bronze is fine for your drop ear.
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Author:
bernabeu (SC)
ditto
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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
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Author:
ArthurPeabody (NM)
Thanks. Why are some fittings bronze and others brass (other than for appearances)?
Is there a problem connecting brass and bronze fittings, either threaded or sweated? I can imagine migration of some elements, or corrosion.
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Author:
bernabeu (SC)
no problem
bronze fittings tend to be thicker and better made
no 'migration'
Brass is more ductile and malleable than bronze which is a more brittle metal comparatively. If the metal bends without breaking then chances are you’ve got brass. While both metals are resistant to corrosion, bronze provides much better protection.
'Modern' lead free brass is any alloy of copper and zinc.
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminum, or silicon.
[www.bing.com]
bronze is better and more expensive than brass
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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
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