VIEWPOINT


MOVING BEYOND COPPER: WHY MERCHANTS ARE CENTRAL TO


THE SHIFT IN PIPE SPECIFICATION Antony Corbett, senior product and applications manager, Geberit


RISING COPPER PRICES, tighter margins and growing pressure are reshaping decision-making across the plumbing and heating supply chain.


Despite the clear economic and operational case for change, the move toward alternative pipe materials remains uneven, held back less by technical limitations and more by specification habits. That familiarity is particularly embedded at installer level, where established practices continue to influence material choice. For merchants, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity: not simply supplying alternative systems, but actively supporting the transition through education, product availability and confidence-building at the counter.


Multi-layer, flow-optimised piping systems are increasingly positioned as a credible alternative to copper in water applications. However, despite these advantages, a number of misconceptions continue to slow wider uptake across the sector.


Cost perception


One of the most persistent barriers is the assumption that multi- layer systems are inherently more expensive than copper. In reality, this comparison is often simplistic and can be misleading when viewed purely at material level. While copper may still appear competitive on a per-metre basis, the installed cost picture is very different once labour, consumables and tooling are taken into account. Reduced installation time, fewer components and simplified handling can all contribute to a lower total project cost for multi-layer systems, shifting the economics in their favour over the full lifecycle of a project.


For merchants, this becomes a 28


critical advisory point, particularly as customers increasingly look beyond upfront material cost, and focus on overall value.


Strength and performance


Concerns around mechanical strength also remain common, particularly among installers with long-standing experience working in copper. Multi-layer systems, however, are engineered as hybrid constructions, combining polyethylene and aluminium layers to deliver both flexibility and form stability.


This combination allows for easier routing and fewer fittings, without compromising suitability for potable water systems or standard building services applications. In practice, the key shift is not reduced performance, but a different material behaviour that enables alternative installation advantages.


Thermal expansion Thermal expansion is frequently cited as a limitation, but in reality it is a fundamental design consideration across all piping materials.


Across modern installations, movement is routinely accommodated through established design approaches such as expansion loops, bends and fixed-point planning. These principles are already well understood within contemporary building services design, meaning the issue is less about material suitability and more about ensuring correct system design is applied from the outset.


Installation efficiency As labour availability continues to tighten across the construction sector, installation speed and site efficiency are becoming increasingly influential in specification decisions. Multi- layer systems can support wider bracket spacing depending on manufacturer guidance, while also reducing the number of fittings required and simplifying jointing processes.


Combined with more


streamlined pressing systems and reduced handling requirements, this can translate into meaningful productivity gains on site, particularly in high-volume residential and multi-occupancy projects where programme delays quickly escalate costs.


Temperature,


durability and system alignment


Concerns around operating temperature limits are increasingly a legacy consideration rather than a practical constraint in modern systems. With the shift toward more energy-efficient heating design, many systems are operating at lower temperatures than in previous decades, meaning material performance is generally well aligned with real-world operating conditions.


Similarly, concerns about UV exposure are largely installation- context dependent, as these systems are typically installed within the building fabric rather than in exposed external environments, making correct installation practice the more relevant factor.


Evolving application Multi-layer piping itself is not a new technology, having been used successfully across commercial and industrial applications for several decades. What has evolved in recent years is not the pipe material, but the installation and connection technology surrounding it.


Modern pressing systems, featuring visual indicators and controlled insertion depths, have reduced installation error and improved consistency, helping deliver faster and more reliable outcomes on site. In this sense, innovation has focused less on changing the material itself and more on improving installation certainty and efficiency.


The merchant opportunity


For builders’ merchants, the transition away from copper represents less a product shift and more a change in how value is communicated and supported at trade level.


Those who are best positioned in this evolving landscape are increasingly acting as specification partners, supporting installer education, reinforcing lifecycle cost arguments and helping build confidence in alternative systems at the point of decision. As copper volatility continues and project margins remain under pressure, demand for alternative piping systems is expected to increase further. Merchants who can confidently address installer concerns and reframe long-held assumptions will be best placed not only to respond to this shift, but to actively shape it. Ultimately, the question is no longer whether alternative piping systems can replace copper, but how quickly the wider supply chain can align around the benefits they already deliver. BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net July 2026


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