What Is Pipe Corrosion?
Most of the materials that have been used in home building for decades have been selected because they are both affordable and durable. The resulting homes that have been built under these standards have lasted for nearly 100 years and counting. Additionally, the younger homes are, the longer they will last due to advances in technology.
Even with the long life of homes, some maintenance and updating are to be expected. One of the things in a home that will likely need to be replaced over the years is the plumbing. In older homes, metal piping was the material of choice for many years. Unfortunately, metal piping can be subject to corrosion that will eventually cause it to fail.
To prevent massive plumbing failures, plumbers in York share vital information about a home's plumbing. Learning the signs and the dangers of corrosion in plumbing can help homeowners prepare for plumber problems down the road.
What Causes Pipes To Corrode?
Metal piping was the material of choice for plumbing up until plastics became more widely available. Galvanized steel and copper were the two most common choices. Copper is still the material of choice for hot water lines, according to many plumbers.
One of the main drawbacks of using metal piping is the fact that metal is prone to oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical change that the base metal used in piping undergoes that permanently changes its characteristics; think of steel rusting.
Corrosion refers to the oxidation of copper and galvanized steel water lines in the home. One of the problems that accelerate corrosion is the improper joining of dissimilar types of piping. When these reactive metals are improperly joined, they essentially act as a weak battery that breaks down the weaker of the two metals.
Preventing Corrosion in Pipes
Preventing corrosion in piping is as simple as stopping the processes that contribute to corrosion in the first place. Most often, corrosion happens because of improperly installed plumbing repairs. Too often, plumbing problems happen, and they will be repaired quickly instead of correctly without taking the necessary precautions to prevent corrosion.
Professional plumbers are trained to prevent corrosion from happening to pipes, so a professional should handle all repairs. To ensure that corrosion doesn’t occur over time, periodic plumbing inspections can help plumbers spot problems before they get out of control.
Repiping To Replace Corroded Pipes
Once pipes become corroded, the best decision is to schedule a process called “repiping.” Repiping is a service where a plumber replaces the plumbing in a section of a home or, in more extreme cases, all of the plumbing entirely. Modern plastics that aren’t subject to corrosion will be installed in place of metal piping. This will give the home’s plumbing a new lease on life; often, the new plumbing will be expected to last nearly a century. Repiping allows plumbers to remove all of the causes of corrosion so that it never happens again. The benefits of repiping can be:
- Cleaner water
- Longer life of appliances
- Better tasting water
- Consistent water pressure
- Fewer plumbing problems
About Foundation Plumbing & Heating
Foundation Plumbing & Heating is a plumbing contractor serving the York area. They keep their customers’ plumbing problem-free with a full slate of services, including repiping and drain cleaning. Give them a call today for more information about repiping services in York, PA.
