How much do you like surprises?
What about surprises that cost you money?
If you have seen your water bill sneaking up, don’t be too quick to chalk it up to tenants frivolously leaving the tap running —it could be the pipes. Hard water and some water treatment chemicals could be creating tiny pinholes in your building’s copper pipes.
It’s not unheard of for an undetected leak to spill water and cause damages amounting to thousands of dollars. Water can spray out for hours, perhaps overnight, and by the time someone finally realizes it the damage is already done.
I remember taking a college campus tour years ago, everything looked essentially the way that I had envisioned it to look—normal by all accounts. However, there were a few remarks from the tour guide and other staff members about the hideous stains and bubbling appearance in a couple of the rooms in one particular building. I wouldn’t have given this a second look, just some wear and tear, no big deal.
After it was pointed out, and I gave some thought as to what may have happened, I realized that they were apologizing for the water damages in this building because of how embarrassed they were to show it to prospective students like myself. I didn’t get the entire story, I don’t know what the damage truly amounted to, but if you aren’t checking your building’s pipes then I know that eventually you might have to hand out a few apologies for the appearance of things as well.
Fittings
The most cost-effective way to prevent or mitigate pinhole leaks is to do a visual inspection of the pipes and fittings. Fittings that are too close together increase turbulence in the pipes. Spacing your fittings further apart will help to prevent pinhole leaks.
Recycle old copper pipe fittings instead of reusing them. It is difficult to take apart and clean old fittings and there is a good chance they will leak, so get a new fitting and get better results.
Tools
Repair clamps will grip your pipe, stopping water from escaping. These clamps are typically intended to serve as a temporary solution to pinhole leaks in copper pipes. However, some industry professionals will use a sturdy repair clamp as a virtually permanent solution to leaking pipes, allowing the clamp to remain secured in place for years.
Chemicals
Chemical reactions can occur in the pipes and reveal themselves on the bottom of the pipes with small pinhole leaks. The reason that leaks will show up on the bottom of the pipes is due to the fact that water will sit on the bottom of the pipe and the water treatment chemicals in the water will react with copper pipes and brass valves, eventually creating tiny holes.
Chemical reactions are even more disastrous to PVC pipes. Many chemicals that are frequently used to take care of preventative maintenance and clogs can generate heat as a part of the chemical reaction. The heat generated from the chemical reaction will cause PVC pipes to soften.
To protect your PVC pipes, you should only pour enzymatic drain cleaners down into them. For example, Drain Resolve is an enzymatic cleaner that will use living organisms to eat the material that is clogging your drain. Drain Resolve does not produce heat, it is noncorrosive, and it’s a definite must-have product for commercial kitchens.
Turbulence
A major reason for copper pipe leaks is turbulence, when water is traveling through a pipe at an unstable speed. Especially in areas where the water must change flow direction quickly, like fittings and elbows, water rushing through your pipes at high speeds will wear out the inner lining of the pipe.
To lower turbulence in your pipes, first make sure that you have the right size pipes in your building. Smaller pipes will increase friction of the water moving against the pipe’s lining.
Another measure to lower turbulence in your pipes is to decrease the water velocity. In copper pipes, water must be kept at the standard speed of 8 fps for cold water and 5 fps for hot water.
Copper pipes will last 50-70 years, so if your building has an old plumbing system it really isn’t worth trying to save the leaking pipes. Replacing the pipes will save you from costly leaks.
Any material you choose for your building’s pipe system will have its disadvantages, pinhole leaks forming is a drawback that is exclusive to copper pipes. Pitted corrosion will cause the copper piping to corrode from the outside in. However, an advantage to copper pipes is their resistance to essentially every other kind of corrosion seen in pipes.
A pinhole leak results in the tiniest leaks, even the words “pinhole leak” sounds like the smallest, most insignificant issue. But, when the tiny leak drips and drips, for hours endlessly dripping, it will create a major problem, perhaps costing thousands in repairs. Regular inspections are necessary to ensure that you won’t go for an unexpected swim the next time you arrive to your building.