The direction of any investigation should be based upon the source of the concern, and whether its related to rusty water, fouled condenser tubes, lost heat transfer, rust deposits in strainers, or more serious issues like thread leaks, pinholes, and pipe failure. First of all, save the failed section of pipe since it contains the answer to why it failed.  In likely 85% of instances, the contractor or facility engineers will immediately throw away the damaged pipe, and then raise the question of why it failed. A failure at a weld seam, butt weld, or sweated joint will suggest a metallurgical lab analysis as the best first step.  At left, multiple pinhole failures along a straight line at its ERW weld seam indicated defective pipe.  A first step, therefore is to confirm a piping defect through lab analysis, followed by more intensive UT examination to determine other such examples and the extent of the problem. Thread leaks, especially at newer piping systems, commonly suggest a larger systemwide problem.  A through wall pinhole leak at a 18 in. condenser water line indicates a very severe problem requiring more extensive investigation.  We find that the more significant and noticeable the…

Identify the primary piping system(s) of concern and address them first.   Although every piping system may be of interest, some piping systems present inherently greater threat and vulnerability over others – such as condenser water and pre-action fire sprinkler systems.  Gather all known information about the system such as pipe size, layout throughout the facility, whether the pipe is insulated, its physical access or inaccessibility behind walls, underground, etc. Also important is the building size in square feet and number of floors of the building, its age, the level of corrosion protection provided, and pipe schedule.  Photographing any problem areas is especially helpful in providing an initial assessment of piping condition. From the photograph at left, we were able to tell the client that this 58 year old 1/2 in. dual temperature run-out line was too severely deteriorated to safely test.  Evaluation, however, was possible to other areas of the system where larger diameter pipe existed.