pinhole leaks

After attempting to connect to this copper pipe under the slab of a home in Winter Haven Florida, another leak popped up. This is because the pipe is so badly corroded that any disturbance of the pipe knocks the crusty corrosion off of the inside walls of the pipe that is plugging the pits. When the water is turned back on the pressure blows the freshly exposed pit open. Sometimes this takes some time and may not show up for a week or two. The only fix is a complete water supply system repipe with plastic pipe.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• pipe leak
• leak
• pin hole
• pinhole
• copper pipe
• copper leak
• copper pipe leak
• slab leak
• repipe
• re pipe
• pin hole leak
• copper solder
• soldering copper
• soldering

[mrstrictlygm]

An extremely high sulfer gas content in the well water will cause the copper pipes to turn black and corrode from inside out. I had to replace several sections of pipe at a customers home. All the copper pipes in this house were black. The sections I replaced had small pinholes in them. The sulfer content in the water was so bad, it smelled like rotten eggs.

[ProTechPlumbing]

@mrstrictlygm The pipe in question was connected to city water and did not have high sulfur content. The inside walls of the pipe were tuberculated with green deposits . Chlorine was at 3-4ppm, PH was 8 to 8.2. I suspect aluminum solids suspended in the water from the treatment process (coagulation/flocculation) are the cause of the problem in this particular home.

[ozone39]

That is what happens when the copper pipe does not get reamed after cutting with a tubing cutter. That ridge creates a turbulence that wears away on the backside of were it was cut. Seen it many times...

[ProTechPlumbing]

That isn't what caused this leak. The pipe was uniformly corroded even great distances from fittings. Typically erosion-corrosion from the lack of reaming is localized at the point where the pipe was not reamed. You will usually see undercut rings where the pipe has been worn away on the inside. In this cause it looks more like a contaminant in the water supply.

The leak that appeared next to the pex adaptor happened right then, and was not from cavitation/impingement.

[JISINSANE]

Every single sink in my house cold water line has developed these pinholes. I can't figure it out as the rest of the copper system is ok and looks good. Just the cold water feeder lines that went to my sinks all did this. The hot water lines are perfect and I actually crimped them to reduce water consumption since they don't have valves. My reapaired line I installed valves though. I find it odd as to why only the cold feeder lines?

[ProTechPlumbing]

Not enough information to make a diagnosis.

[ak7wyf]

i take care of some 3 story apts, they are 35 yrs old 44 units per bldg. i get pinhole leaks like this every year come winter. only on the hot water pipes. pain in the but.!!!

[PLAYBOYBONES]

not "Ken" from protech plumbing again breaking out the fancy leak detecting equipment to find a leak in the floor ,then breaking up costumers floor (2 big buck things rip off wannabe plumbers do)then on top of it failing to fix the leak and mentioning the house should be repiped and saying "oh well" .... good going Ken way to show the costumer you care

[tommyk623]

first of all, you're not suppose to have sweat or pex connections underground.....only flared and mechanical joints......thats the national code,

[kurohyou07]

By and large, many of the videos that Protech has posted on plumbing techniques are valid. This cat knows his trade. Good thing about trade talk... is most of the 13 year old haters don't have a clue there is even SUCH a thing as plumbing... Which also leads us to the current problem of our youth... They don't care. But, back to the trades. Keep up the good work Protech!

[kurohyou07]

By proxy, the copper is the 'sacraficial lamb' as it harbours some of the basic elements that 'conditioned water' desires. and over time... both electrolosis, and 'farming' of elements of the parent material of copper, weakens the already thin walls of the 'M' type copper pipe and fittings. Notwithstanding, that piping practices that Protech mentioned.

[kurohyou07]

Like Protech and Ozone mentioned... turbulence is an influence on copper with out question... however, water condition is a larger influence. We see the results in our refrigeration systems as the result of improper piping practice... but in plumbing, the rules change somewhat. (and for obvious different reasons) Electrolosis and water that is purified, will cause more anomolies due to it's affinity to it's base elements of minerals.

[kurohyou07]

I'd be thinking just like Protech... pin holes do happen, especially if you disturb old copper. You can chase these leaks all day long, or as long as your customer is willing to pay. Pex and shark bites aren't necessarily a 'temporary fix'... they work under many situations, as long as your local codes allow them. Do what's practical for your customer, and ensure that it's as good as the old style copper.