A pipe leak is often the beginning event which then prompts some form of investigation.  The first indication of weakness is very much dependent upon the piping system itself, in combination with its age, quality of the piping materials installed, maintenance or lack thereof, chemical treatment if appropriate, and other factors.  Premature thread leaks at condenser water systems are almost always the first indication of a condenser water problem, whereas leaks at grooved clamped fittings appear at more advanced stages of failure.  Copper pipe failures are typically in the form of pinholes, and similar to those at old dezincified brass pipe.  Fire protection pipe can last over 100 years for schedule 40 standpipe service, yet only 5 years for a “dry” system constructed of schedule 7.  Heavily worn cast iron waste pipe can fracture with no advance notice whatsoever.  Any total thread separation failure usually spells disaster.

Renovations exposing heavily rusted pipe or fittings ready to fall apart at the turn of the wrench are another sure clue to the need to define piping conditions before a more serious failure event occurs.  For dual temperature systems, any pipe that is scary to even look at has likely little service life remaining.  For many investigations we have become involved, visual evidence existed years prior pointing to a potential failure, or the one that just occurred.

This series of Photo Galleries illustrates the many forms of piping failures common to most building properties, spanning every type of piping system, and of all the various piping materials they are constructed.