April 08, 2014

Water Problems - Broken Pipe

About two months ago, I entered the house and heard some water running. I want back to the bathroom to find a hole in the pipe to the faucet. I shut the water off and accessed the damage. Most of the water ran down the pipe into the basement, where there was a floor drain so the clean up was pretty easy.

I went back upstairs and removed the fixture. I noticed some greenish blue tarnish on the copper plumbing, but didn't see how a hole could get punched into the copper line.



The faucet is a MOEN so I called the company and they sent me a replacement within a few days. I also asked them to send me 4 new drain stoppers since all of the other ones in the house were broke.

The installation of the new faucet was pretty easy and only took about 15 minutes. Project done, but I was still wondering how this happened. I did some research and it looks like acidic water can eat through copper plumbing.

I knew we had acidic water, but didn't realize how bad it really was. The next day, I purchased an aquarium pH tester from Wal*Mart. Sure enough, our water was acidic, about a 5 on the scale, 7 is neutral.

Now the question is, what to do?

Option #1 - replace all of the copper plumbing pipe in the house.
Option #2 - install a water Neutralizing system.
Option #3 - have someone else install a water Neutralizing system.

I decided to start with getting quotes for Option #3. Check back tomorrow to continue the adventure.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

To look for more than one approach is just the smart thing to do. I checked your other post to see how this turned out for you, and it's good to know that option one turned out to be the right solution for you. Hopefully, this would the last broken pipe woes you’ll ever have to deal with. Thanks for sharing us your very informative experience!

Roxanne Vaughn @ Total Plumbing, Inc.

Unknown said...

I think you made the right choice. Copper plumbing can last decades without breaking, but acidic water is a huge problem. Replacing all of your pipes would be too expensive, and doing the installation of a neutralizer yourself is a hassle. With a professional to do it ensures peace of mind.

Gordon Patton @ Bison Plumbing