Expansion loop for copper piping system

An expansion loop for a piping system, the expansion loop comprising:

• at least one flexible conduit, the at least one flexible conduit comprising stainless steel;
• a first rigid conduit connected to the at least one flexible conduit, the first rigid conduit comprising an elbow portion;
• and,
• a second rigid conduit comprising stainless steel and connected to the at least one flexible conduit, the second rigid conduit including a rigid conversion conduit and a copper conduit, the rigid conversion conduit between the copper conduit and a portion of the second rigid conduit comprising the stainless steel.

A method of installing an expansion loop into a piping system, the expansion loop comprising at least two rigid conduits and a flexible portion between the two rigid conduits and having two flexible conduits, wherein the flexible portion has a neutral orientation in which the two flexible conduits are not bent, the method comprising:

• attaching one of the at least two rigid conduits to a first pipe of the piping system;
• attaching the other of the at least two rigid conduits to a second pipe of the piping system, such that the two flexible conduits of the flexible portion are not in a neutral orientation and are in a compressed or extended orientation;
• and,
• after the at least two rigid conduits have been attached to the first and second pipes, thermally expanding or contracting the flexible portion so that the flexible portion returns to the neutral orientation by flowing a fluid from one of the first and second pipes of the piping system, through the expansion loop, and to the other of the first and second pipes of the piping system, wherein the flexible portion returns to the neutral orientation as a result of a temperature of the fluid.