Copper pipes are heavily used in industrial and domestic applications, and they’re a high-quality choice that can provide long-lasting, robust benefits in a variety of situations. However, copper as a metal can become corroded, which in turn can affect the performance and longevity of the piping. There are five causes of copper pipe corrosion to know:

Water chemistry

If water is particularly acidic or highly alkaline, it eventually dissolves the oxide layer that sits within the copper to protect it. Water can become particularly reactive with copper if it has high levels of chlorides, oxygen and dissolved solids, and these can all create pits in the metal, which later become pinhole leaks.

High water flow

When water flows through a copper pipe at high velocity, or makes rapid directional changes at the pipe’s elbows and joints, it can create turbulence, which also has a physically wearing effect on the pipe and its interior. This combines with chemical corrosion, which eventually makes the pipe walls become thin and fail. These situations can be avoided largely with the right pipe fittings //watkinspowis.co.uk/products/copper-pipe-fittings-and-press-systems.

Dissimilar metal corrosion

When copper pipes are linked to other metals like aluminium or galvanised steel, when water or moisture is present, a chemical reaction occurs, which leads to the metal becoming an anode and rapidly deteriorating as a result.

Bacteria

Even bacteria play a part in the lifespan of copper, and if it’s present in a water source, it can rapidly take hold in a plumbing network and create corrosive elements that aggressively eat the copper and create pits.