Posts Tagged ‘plumbing’

Responding To Pitting Corrosion In Copper Piping

Copper plumbing pipes have been in use for over 50 years, and while still considered very durable pipes, and resistant to corrosion, nevertheless, because of their years in use, occasionally pipes will develop pitting corrosion and subsequent pin hole leaks. Fortunately, the phenomena is overall rare, however, the rate of leak development is time dependent, so as copper pipes are in use for longer and longer periods of time, more of the pipes develop pin hole leaks.

The aggravating factors causing pin hole leaks come from three sources, which together generate a variety of chemical and mechanical forces that cause the corrosion. One source is exposure of the copper pipes to alumina or silica. This comes from cement mains, or else coagulant chemical s added during treatment of the pipes. The second cause is exposure to solder flux. This occurs generally as the result of poor workmanship. And the third cause of pinhole leaks is believd to be mechanical and related to improperly designed water piping, including pipes that are too small for the load or pipe systems with a number of sharp angles and turns.

and mechanical factors including the grade of the copper and the quality of the manufacturing process.
What options do home owners have if they spring a leak? The options range from narrow to broad in scope. On the narrow end of the spectrum the homeowner can opt to have a plumber solder the pipe and fix the leak. Or he can be alittle proactive and have the plumber replace a section of the piping. If the resources are available, the home owner can replace all the pipes in his house. Two other solutions include replacing all the copper piping with PVC, (polychlorovinyl piping), or he can choose to coat the inside of existing pipes with epoxy.
There are some preventative options available. First and foremost, if a homeowner sees blue-green stains on copper pipes, this is a possible sign of a pin hole leak, (it can also relate to environmenta moisture), and he should call the plumber right away. Small leaks can be clamped for awhile until the opportunity arises to fix the leak. New houses should be inspected before purchase. (Plumbers do this inspection routinely). House water should be tested, and a ph above 7 should be maintained. Be wary of well water that is contaminated with corrosive compounds. And be aware that couplings of copper pipes with couplings made of aluminum or steel can lead to corrosive pitting.
Copper pipes are excellent pipes, they have served us well for over 50 years, pitting corrosion is rare, and no doubt researchers will come up with more and more positive ways to preserve their integrity for a long time.
This report has been brought to you by A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore. A-1 is a Baltimore plumbing company with licensed plumbers who are experienced in fixing fixing pipe leaks.

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Agricultural Uses Of Backflow Prevention

With more and more chemical in use, in modern society, water experts are more and more concerned about the potential hazards of contamination of the potable, (drinkable), water system. As a result of this concern, there are a growing number of state and federal requirements for employment of devices which prevent the backflow of contaminated water into the potable water system. The plumbing industry is especially concerned about the locations where water from the potable water system, i.e. drinking water, emerges from the system. This can occur at your faucet, show nozzle, or outdoor spigot, to name three likely places. Should the emerging water contact external contaminants, there is a danger that when the flow ceases, the contaminated water will be drawn back into the potable water causing contamination of the drinking water. This very event actually occurs about 10,000 times a years, and has caused fatalities.

One of the greatest dangers of contamination from backflow occurs during the irrigation of crops. Modern agricultural engineers have designed a number of systems which allow farmers to inject insecticides and fertilizers directly into water being used for fertilization. The injection takes place close to the exit area of the tube. When the irrigation stops, the water that has already received the injection can potentially be siphoned back upstream and into the potable water supply. The poisons might then come out a drinking tap and potentially harm or kill a victim who drinks from that tap. Since this poses a serious threat to the public, government regulations require the use of backflow prevention during chemical irrigation. This type of back flow prevention is called “chemigation,” when it is employed to prevent the reflux of chemicals, and “fertigation,” when it is employed to prevent the reflux of fertilizers injected into the irrigation water as it flows towards the exit hole.

Because of the inherent dangers of chemigation backflow, chemigation valves generally employ a variety of prevention devices to insure that no contaminant reenters the potable water system. The first valve employed is called a “spring loaded check valve.” A check valve is simply a one way flap, or stopper, which prevent the reflux of liquid flowing in a tube. When the water flows in the right direction, it pushes the stopper out of the way, when the water is still, the pressure of the liquid trying to reflux pushes the flap or stopper shut. In a spring loaded check valve, a spring pushes the flap or stopper back against the valve opening, (valve seat), before the water has a chance to do it.

Use of a spring loaded valve in this type of back flow prevention is logical. Liquid flows in random directions. With regular stop valve, when the flow stops and the water begins to back up, some of the water flows against the valve lip or stopper and pushes it shut, but some of the water flows around the flap, and refluxes. Check valves work because the amount of water that refluxes before the valve shuts is small. But when the downstream water is contaminated with dangerous insecticides that are poisonous even in small amounts, then even a little water refluxing could be deadly. Therefore, scientists rely on the spring loaded check valve, which closes the opening much quicker.

But even the spring loaded check valve is not quick enough to prevent all the contaminated liquid from refluxing. So chemigation valves also include a downstream low vacuum drain, which drains contaminated water, and protects the check valve from continual downstream reverse pressure. The chemigation backflow prevention device also includes an air and vacuum relief valve, which prevents siphoning by allowing air to enter the irrigation tube, whenever flow strops and pressure drops in the tube. Finally, the whole system includes an irrigation port, downstream from the check valve, for adding the chemicals and fertilizer. The specificity of the agricultural backflow prevention system, and the intricacy of the regulations which protect the public, should deter anyone from taking our supply of safe fruits and vegetables for granite.

This article was brought to you by A-1 Plumbing of Baltimore, a Baltimore plumbing company. If you have concerns about whether the plumbing fixtures in your home are back flow compliant, A-1 encourages you to contact your area plumber. If you happen to live in the Metro Baltimore, Md. area, we will be happy to assist you. Our plumbers are certified in backflow prevention and will be happy to inspect your home.