Copper pipes have long been used for a variety of applications because of their durability, superior resistance to corrosion, and aesthetic beauty. However, over time, they have proven to be less durable and less resilient against a variety of external threats. Newer piping types are manufactured from other metals, including aluminum and polyethylene, which offer significant benefits over copper. This is largely due to the fact that aluminum and polyethylene have significantly better thermal capacities than does copper.
Water passes through many different types of copper pipes, both exterior and interior. Unfortunately, all of these pipes may fail at some point, especially if your local area has a high rainfall or if you live in an area where you receive a lot of rain fall. When this happens, rain water may corrode the inside of the pipe leading to its failure. So what can you do to avoid having your water corrode your copper pipe?
If you are not using the best copper pipes, it is very likely that they will become rusty from the rainfall or the cold. This means that your pex fittings pipes will corrode faster than normal. It also means that the water will run through these rusty pipes faster causing an accident. You would need to change the copper piping immediately if you want to avoid an accident at your home. corrode copper pipes} Another reason why copper pipe can corrode is due to the improper grounding of the device. Grounding should be done on copper pipes only. If proper grounding is not done, the device could corrode the pipe inside out because of the water pressure. Improper grounding can be caused by the use of plastic or rubberized joints which make contact on either the inside or outside of the pipes. The combination of these two can lead to improper grounding and this in turn can lead to corrosion of the pipe.
Other issues that can cause corrosion are weather and environment exposure. Water pipes are usually placed outside where they will face the elements. It is advisable to place the copper pipe on a sloping surface or base and above or below ground level to reduce the corrosive effect. Copper pipes are more resistant to water corrosion than are aluminum, lead and galvanized steel pipes. The only way to be absolutely sure that the copper pipe is safe is by placing it above ground.