Technical Bulletins – CorrView International, LLC

PI-11: Pressed-On Copper Connections The Acceleration of a Common Failure Mechanism for Copper Pipe? Copper pipe has traditionally been viewed as trouble free for building services applications such as plumbing and HVAC. Corrosion resistant, long lasting, easily to handle, and faster to install. Copper pipe has enjoyed widespread use for over 100 years. While copper pipe is susceptible to various failure mechanisms caused by acidic conditions, micro-fine pitting, microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), erosion, cavitation, galvanic pitting, and others, such issues have generally been of limited concern. Additional factors exist such as water quality and surprisingly enough its level of purification – with exceptionally pure water such as produced by reverse osmosis creating highly aggressive corrosion conditions. System design, flow velocities, its manufacture, cleaning and commissioning, upstream steel components, along with water quality and temperature can, either alone but mostly in combination, produce randomly isolated and difficult to predict failures. Although uncommon, we encounter such isolated issues in our ultrasonic (UT) based evaluations of copper piping systems, and frequently turn to metallurgical lab analysis in order to microscopically identify the precise cause. Common Threat The…

CM-07: So What’s Wrong With This Picture? This Is Not What A Corrosion Coupon History Of 0.4 MPY Should Look Like At A 6 Year Old Condenser Water System Actually, the above picture is not wrong this time! Forty years of involvement in the business of investigating, monitoring, and reducing corrosion related losses to commercial building properties has resulted in certain well documented and irrefutable findings. Our ultrasonic inspection of 1,129 building properties in 252 cities across the United States, addressing 2,961 piping systems, 63,796 individual sections of pipe, and the taking of 4,919,955 wall thickness measurements, substantiates our experience and authority in this field. Increasing Losses Corrosion is the second most serious threat to any facility or building property next to fire – yet far more likely to occur. With pipe corrosion losses on the rise, the reliable and accurate monitoring of any corrosion control program becomes critical to efficient, reliable, and trouble free operation. Yet in most investigations, we find that it is not the absence of a corrosion monitoring program which is…

PD-14: Dead Zones The Leading Cause Of Major Pipe Failure At Condenser Water Systems Open condenser water systems inherently exist under a significantly greater corrosion threat. Even though they typically consume the bulk of any chemical water treatment budget, they still fall victim to the majority of corrosion related problems and piping failures. Despite significantly greater efforts and expense to control corrosion through highly automated chemical feed and bleed systems, water filtration, computer monitoring, and independent corrosion consultants, we have documented a growing incidence and severity of system failures which arguably should never have occurred. Issues Misunderstood Multiple factors influence such higher deterioration of condenser water systems, but are rarely addressed adequately through either their design or operation. Issues such as lower quality and undersized pipe, for example, cannot be controlled. Corrective measures incorporated into most open systems, whether they are proactive or in response to a specific problem or pipe failure, are often inadequate or even worthless; believed to work based solely upon speculation, unsubstantiated claims, anecdotal belief, and/or questionable science. Elsewhere, it is an absence to the understanding…

PD-13: Infrastructure In Decline The Steady Decline In The Quality Of Today’s Piping Products Means The Potential Of Serious Corrosion Problems Often Despite All The Precautionary Measures Taken The scenario is unfortunately all too familiar. A concerned phone call describing widespread pipe corrosion or failure, even though every standard and industry accepted action had been taken to avoid such event. In many instances, additional precautions such as automatic water filtration systems, extensive chemical feed controls, and chemical / corrosion monitoring had been implemented. For some others, third party corrosion consultants monitored every fine aspect of the water treatment program. Yet for many, none of their actions made any difference and failures still occurred. While lacking, inadequate, or poorly administered and maintained chemical water treatment programs clearly exist in many examples, the majority of corrosion problems develop despite evidence that corrosion control had been a high priority item. In reality, chemical water treatment companies and their representatives have a strong underlying interest to provide the finest service possible for every client – thereby extending their contract past just the first year. Results, however,…

PI-10: Infrastructure In Decline The Unknown Impact of Lower Quality Pipe to America’s Real Estate Industry In comparison to the rest of the world, most American buildings are really not that old. Even in our earliest Eastern coastal cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, the overwhelming majority of our commercial office buildings were constructed post World War Two. Not until the invention of steel beams and elevators in the late 1850s did many structures ever reach beyond seven floors. CFC based air conditioning, which finally introduced comfort to the workplace, only started being installed at high rise office buildings and other commercial properties in the early 1950s. According to various New York City real estate authorities, the average Midtown-North commercial office building is just 70 years old. The average Midtown-South office building is far older at 105, and for Downtown, the average age is 76 years. Former Standards Without question, our older structures have held up exceptionally well over time. In terms of piping alone, the much higher quality and inherent corrosion resistance of older pipe, heavier pipe schedules,…

WF-06: Water Filtration Why Clean Water Does Not Necessarily Mean Effective Water Filtration In the later 1970s, and even before, many design changes to air conditioning systems for high rise office buildings resulted in the installation of smaller diameter condenser water pipe. Rather than large 18 in. pipe runs straight to and from the roof to the central chiller plant, smaller package A/C units and heat pumps were installed on each floor using 4 in. or smaller diameter pipe – and lots of it. Same Issue – Greater Impact While rust product and airborne captured particulates have always been a problem for open condenser water systems, their impact to individual A/C units has been far greater due to smaller diameter schedule 40 pipe of lesser wall thickness, threaded assembly in many cases, and extended horizontal runs. Moderate and even low corrosion activity significantly impacted the smaller pipe. Rust product generated anywhere throughout the system then had a tendency to settle out in low flow areas, and especially at the lower floor horizontal lines. Package A/C units and heat pumps designed to shut…

FP-08: The Hidden Threat From Rust A Real Life Test Simulation Documents The Threat To Any Fire Protection System Caused By Minimal Rust Product The overwhelming majority of our ultrasonic investigations into the condition of fire protection systems have been prompted by a prior leak or failure. Very few investigations we perform are due to inspection requirements, and almost none are prompted by a concern for hidden internal rust deposits. In fact, so many of our ultrasonic investigations have suggested an internal rust condition based upon high pipe wall losses that we have totally revised and enhanced our ultrasonic reporting format so that we may provide our clients with an estimate to the potential volume of rust contained. A review of our Internet site Technical Bulletins, handouts, as well as our Photo Gallery relating to fire protection systems, should provide ample evidence to our concern about unquestionably the No. 1 corrosion related threat. While a statistical calculation of potential rust product provides important new information to consider, the actual consequences from such rust product existing within a fire protection system is less…

FP-07: Multiple Threats Corrosion’s True Threat To A Dry Or Pre-Action Fire Sprinkler System Is Far Worse Than A Water Leak Any time water is introduced into steel piping it will corrode that pipe to varying levels and produce a potentially substantial volume of iron oxide rust product as a result. This rust product in turn causes various negative impacts to building piping systems ranging from reduced heat transfer efficiency, to accelerated pump seal damage, to severe under deposit pitting resulting in system failure. For a recirculating system, rust typically migrates around until it settles into low flow or dead-end areas, cooling tower basins and sumps, heat exchangers, condenser heads, or is captured by strainers and water filtration units. Normal maintenance performed on most HVAC piping systems will reveal evidence of a corrosion problem, which if acted upon appropriately and in a timely manner, will minimize the damage caused. Fire systems, however, are static, and any rust product created through corrosion remains trapped within the system where it is hidden from view. For fire systems, there is no advance notice of a…

FP-06: Internal Rust Product The Greatest Threat To Dry Fire Sprinkler Systems A first level of concern for any piping system is obviously due to low wall thickness in some areas which may present the opportunity for leaks to occur. This is of great importance for dry fire sprinkler systems wherever computer equipment is involved, and especially so at critical facilities. Although defined and designed as pre-action piping systems where water should not exist and is actually assumed to be dry, sufficient water typically remains within the piping after testing to leak on electronic equipment and the occupants below should a failure occur. In fact, any dry or pre-action fire sprinkler system is “dry” in name only, and many sections can remain filled 25 % or more with water. Even having the best and most effective design and installation, and having a grade which is otherwise rarely installed, no pre-action fire system will fully drain of water. Once again, such systems are assumed to fully drain although they never will. Some designs have their one and only drain at the pre-action discharge…

FS-09: Infrastructure Piping A Critical Concern To Anyone Considering A High Rise Condominium Or Co-Op Residence Purchase The purchase of a high-rise condominium or co-op residence is a major and long-term expenditure in virtually every major American city often reaching above $250,000 and into the millions. In addition, renovations can extend that cost by 50% or more. Various considerations toward any such high-rise purchase include neighborhood, location, size, view, amenities, taxes, monthly maintenance fees, and investment value, etc. Virtually ignored, however, is the physical condition and infrastructure expected to provide virtually unlimited and trouble free service from the time of purchase to possibly 50 years into the future. As both our residential and commercial building properties age, certain unavoidable and inevitable corrosion related impacts to this infrastructure are now being realized by their property owners; failures indicating that many taken for granted and critically required services have reached the end of their useful service life. For most purchases, the lobby decor is a far greater concern than the piping infrastructure that allows the building to function. Piping systems are almost entirely hidden from view…

Technical Bulletin: PI-11

Technical Bulletin: CM-07

Technical Bulletin: PD-14

Technical Bulletin: PD-13

Technical Bulletin: PI-10

Technical Bulletin: WF-06

Technical Bulletin: FP-08

Technical Bulletin: FP-07

Technical Bulletin: FP-06

Technical Bulletin: FS-09