Pipe Corrosion

In the United States alone corrosion costs us more than a billion dollars a year. Copper corrosion in the household plumbing systems can cost many hundreds of dollars per year. Aside from causing the pipes to fail, copper corrosion can cause damage to the household , leaving blue stains anywhere that it touches.

If there are copper pipes in a household, copper corrosion can cause tinting of the laundry and can even cause blonde or light colored hair to be tinted blue. Iron pipes can corrode and cause the pipe to simply stop working, in many cases in well under ten years time you’ll have to revamp the household piping

What is Corrosion?
Corrosion is a deterioration of something due to reacting with its environment. In very simple terms, the metal from the pipe simply dissolves because of a reaction to the water or to other environmental factors.

What Causes Corrosion?
The main causative agents of pipe corrosion in the United States are low ph or acidic water that is typically found in well water, though it may also be a problem found in municipal water systems.

The water may be running at high velocity due to smaller pipe diameter and for this reason can cause a problems with the piping that is actually wearing down.

Poor plumbing may also be a part of the problem for corrosion in the household.

The fix of course for the corrosion is to correct the problem that is causing the corrosion and to replace those pipes and other items that have become corroded. Identify the source by investigating all of those things that could possibly be causing a problem. Raise the pH if needed and check to see if the water is still corrosive as well as checking to see if anything electrical has been connected to the piping and that it has continuity.

Corrosion can cost you plenty. Making sure that you nip it in the bud is always the best option.