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Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair | Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia |
 Mobile ViewPLUMBING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR AGE of PLUMBING MATERIALS & FIXTURES AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES AIR INLET VALVE, WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS, WATER TANK ANTI-SCALD VALVES APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS AQUASTAT CONTROL Functions BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BACKUP PREVENTION, SEWER LINE BATH & KITCHEN DESIGN GUIDE BATHROOM MOLD BATHROOM VENTILATION BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS Bisphenol-A, BPA BLEVE EXPLOSIONS BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS BOILERS, HEATING CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GAS BURNER Flame & Noise Defects GAS FIRED WATER HEATERS GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS HARD WATER - SOFTENERS HEAT TAPES, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up HOT WATER HEATERS KITCHEN & BATH DESIGN GUIDE KITCHEN VENTILATION LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LEAD WATER PIPING HAZARDS & REMEDIES LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC MIXING / ANTI-SCALD VALVES MIX VALVE SCALD PROTECTION, Best Practices MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE IMPROVEMENTS MOLD INFORMATION CENTER MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST OUTHOUSES & LATRINES OIL FIRED WATER HEATERS OIL TANKS PIPING IN buildings, Clogs Leaks Types AGE OF PIPING AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES BRASS WATER PIPES CAST IRON DRAIN PIPING CAST IRON DRAIN LEAK, ODOR, REPAIR CHECK VALVES CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS COMPRESSION FITTINGS COPPER PIPING in buildings CLEANOUTS, PLUMBING DRAIN CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR FIRST SIGNS of DRAIN CLOGGING DRAIN vs SEPTIC BLOCKED DRAIN? DRAIN DRAINFIELD DIAGNOSTIC TABLE PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE REPAIR CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, DIAGNOSIS CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, REPAIR CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, HOT WATER CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING DEBRIS in WATER SUPPLY, Water Heater DIAELECTRIC PIPE FITTINGS DRAIN & SEWER PIPING DRAIN NOISES FLARE FITTINGS FLOOR DRAIN / TRAP ODORS FREEZE-PROOF PIPES GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS GALVANIZED STEEL WATER PIPING LEAD PIPES in buildings LEAD IN DRINKING WATER, HOW to REDUCE LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LEAD WATER PIPING HAZARDS & REMEDIES LEAK TYPES, Water Supply/Drain Pipe OIL TANK PIPING & PIPING DEFECTS PLASTIC PIPING ABS Plastic Pipes Polybutylene Plumbing Plastic Pipes Cross-Linked Polyethylene (PEX) Pipe Polybutylene (PB) Pipes CPVC Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe PB Polybutylene Pipe Failure Claims PLASTIC PIPE LEAK CAUSES PLUMBING DRAIN CLEANOUTS PLUMBING DRAIN VENTS PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE REPAIR PLUMBING VENT DEFINITIONS & TYPES PLUMBING VENT DEFECTS & NOISES REPAIR BURST LEAKY PIPES SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION SEPTIC BACKUP REPAIR SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER GAS ODORS SEWER GAS ODORS in COLD WEATHER SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT SOUND CONTROL for PLUMBING SUPPLY PIPING SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES TRAPS on DRAINS VALVES, PLUMBING VENT PIPING WATER HAMMER NOISE DIAGNOSE & CURE WATER PIPES, Clogs Leaks Types Water pipe clog diagnosis Water pipe clog repair guide WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR PLUMBING FIXTURES, KITCHEN, BATH AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES PLUMBING FIXTURE TRAPS PUMPS & WELLS FAUCETS & CONTROLS, KITCHEN & BATH SCALD PROTECTION SHOWERS, TUBS SINKS, FIXTURES SPAS, WHIRLPOOLS, SOAK/JETTED TUBS SPAS, WHIRLPOOLS, INSTALLATION TOILETS, INSPECT, INSTALL, REPAIR TOILET ALTERNATIVES TOILET FLUSHOMETER VALVES TOILET INSTALLATION PROCEDURE TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY TOILET PLUGS, SEWER BACKUP TOILET REPAIR GUIDE TOILET TYPES Toilet Types, Flush Methods TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST TRAPS on PLUMBING FIXTURES RANGE BOILERS RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves on Boilers RELIEF VALVES - Water Heaters RELIEF VALVES - Water Tanks SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR SEPTIC METHANE GAS SEPTIC ODORS SEPTIC PUMPS SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP SEWAGE BACKUP PREVENTION SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP SEWAGE & SEPTIC CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE CONTAMINATION in buildings SEWAGE CONTAMINANTS in FRUIT / VEGETABLES SEWAGE EJECTOR / GRINDER PUMPS SEWAGE NITROGEN CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE SEWAGE PUMPS SEWAGE PUMP CLOG DAMAGE SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER GAS ODORS SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SOLAR HOT WATER HEATERS SUMP PUMPS GUIDE SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL TANKLESS COILS TOILET FLUSHOMETER VALVES TOILET INSTALLATION PROCEDURE TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY TOILET PLUGS, SEWER BACKUP TOILET REPAIR GUIDE TOILET TYPES Toilet Types, Flush Methods TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST TRAPS on PLUMBING FIXTURES WATER HEATERS ALTERNATIVE HOT WATER SOURCES WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT WATER PUMPS & TANKS WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER PUMP SAFETY WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP & WATER TANK REPAIRS WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION, USE WATER SHUTOFF VALVE, WELL PUMP WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS More Information |
Galvanized supply or drain pipe troubleshooting: galvanized iron pipes in buildings: clogs, leaks, repair, replacement advice. InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.This page lists our in-depth articles on inspecting, testing, and repairing problems with galvanized iron building plumbing: water supply and drain waste vent piping, piping materials, clogged or noisy pipes, and types of pipe hazards or product defects. New York State License # 16000005303 (inception to 2008). The articles at this website will answer most questions about water supply & drain piping, wells, & water tanks as well as many other building plumbing system inspection or defect topics. Reproduction of this web page electronically at other websites is prohibited. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Galvanized Steel Water Supply Piping in buildings
Where galvanized service piping is used, it is typically at least 1 1/4-inch diameter. The word galvanized means zinc-coated. The coating helps prevent the steel from rusting. Galvanized steel (iron) piping was common until roughly 1950. This piping typically lasts 40 to 60 years. Some lower-quality pipes do not last as long and there are some oversized pipes still in use after 60 years. Where it is found today in single-family homes, it is usually near the end of its life. "Galvanized" refers to a metal plating process that coated iron or steel water pipe surfaces with a corrosion-resistant zinc surface. Life expectancy of galvanized steel piping: Galvanized steel supply pipes are typically 1/2-inch diameter. The connections are threaded. When the pipe corrodes, the rust accumulation inside the pipe chokes down the diameter of the pipe, resulting in poor water pressure. Rust also attacks the pipe walls, making the walls thinner. Eventually, the pipe will rust through, usually at the joints first, resulting in leakage. Black Iron Piping in buildingsUncommon for water supply piping but found as gas piping, oil piping, and some other uses, is black iron pipe - essentially the same material as galvanized iron piping, but without the protective galvanized zinc coating. Diagnosing rusty galvanized steel piping
As we mentioned in our discussion of lead water entry mains piping, many of the old lead service lines were connected to a galvanized nipple – a short piece of steel pipe that was often in contact with the soil. This pipe rusts on the outside and inside, and may be close to the end of its life. It is often wise to replace this as a precautionary measure. Galvanized steel piping will often leak first at the joints. Steel pipe has threads cut into it where it joins a fitting. The pipe wall is thinner at the threaded connections. As the piping rusts from the inside, the pipe rusts through first at the threaded connections, where the pipe wall is thinner. - Home Reference Book, used with permission. Our photo (above-left) shows silver-colored water supply piping that is probably galvanized iron. But this pipe looks a little too good. We suspect from the photo that the pipe has been painted. Watch out: because it's easy to spray-paint silver or aluminum paint on metal pipes in buildings, you may need to check closely or use a magnet to be sure that the silver-colored water supply piping you are examining is really galvanized iron (magnetic) and not painted brass (not magnetic) or painted black iron pipe (magnetic, paint scrapes off). Also, as our photo above demonstrates, don't miss nearby visually obvious safety hazards like the missing discharge tube on the pressure relief valve on that water heater! If someone spray painted brass water supply piping with aluminum paint you could be fooled. See BRASS WATER PIPES. Galvanized to Copper Pipe Connections - Use a Dieelectric Fitting to Avoid Corrosion
Using a brass fitting to connect these two metals, or more commonly, using plastic or bronze fittings at the joint between these two metals will avoid future corrosion and leaks. The photo (left) shows a galvanized iron union used to connect copper to galvanized iron. In the upper image you can just make out the black bronze ring built into this plumbing connector to avoid corrosion where the copper presses against the galvanized iron. How do we explain that in some buildings we see direct copper-to-iron pipe connections with no corrosion? Luck? Maybe. But the corrosivity of the water is probably a factor in how rapidly copper-to-galvanized pipe connections will corrode and leak. Spelling note that may help some searches: it's not dialectic pipe fittings, but dielectric pipe fittings. More about the galvanic scale and corrosion between dissimilar metals is at GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION. Galvanized Steel Drain Piping in buildingsOur photographs (below) show galvanized drain piping in use in buildings. At below left, the cleanout in a galvanized drain line has been lost, plugged with who-knows-what, and is an odor and leak source. At below-right, the rope trying to secure the galvanized drain line to the cast iron sewer piping confirm a history of leak troubles and improper plumbing connections.
Clogged Galvanized Steel Plumbing DrainsWhen diagnosing clogged drain piping in a building (CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR), an important distinction is between a specific point of clogging and piping that really needs total replacement. If a point-clog exists it can generally be cleared successfully. When mineral deposits or rust have decreased the interior diameter of galvanized iron pipe drains so that drainage is poor, plumbers use two methods to try to clear the lines:
Other water supply and drain piping and water pressure articles:
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When connecting iron or galvanized iron pipes to copper in buildings, often corrosion and leaks will occur at the meeting of these two dissimilar metals. 
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