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Most of our ultrasonic investigations are prompted by a recent failure.  While less common, there are many other reasons to assess the condition of a piping system such as:

• • • Indications of high corrosion such as rust deposits, thread leaks, clogged strainers, etc.
    • Poor corrosion coupon results
    • Due diligence prior to building acquisition
    • Establish a baseline prior to changing chemical treatment contractors
    • Lower heat transfer efficiency
    • Evaluation prior to new construction or renovations
      
    • Age related concerns
      
    • New building acquisition concerns

• Effective Solutions May Exist

For each and every piping system, commonly identified problems exist resulting in similar corrective recommendations.  Many options exist to clean up a rust laden closed piping system, for example, while few exist to slow the corrosion at a dry fire sprinkler system.  For many findings such as a deteriorated 95 year old sanitary waste system, or a 75 year old galvanized steel domestic water system, there is just no other option than total pipe replacement.  In other cases, however, reasonable corrective actions are possible, and offer tremendous rewards.

Although we have traditionally refrained from making recommendations in prior years, as not to raise the appearance of providing a solution to a problem we had also discovered, as might be suggested by some, we have found many clients to be led in the wrong direction by those they have turned.  A small chill water system only needing a side stream basket filter would be sold an expensive and entirely inappropriate automatic backwashing sand filter.  Widespread corrosion activity due to chemical treatment issues would be addressed by installing dielectric insulators offering no benefit whatsoever.

In short, our findings were often misinterpreted, either by error or intent by others, or our test reports misconstrued to suggest a solution in line with someone’s sales goal.

• Solutions Offered

For that reason, we now provide not only a full assessment of the piping system, but to also whatever reasonable steps can be taken to resolve a corrosion problem.  For any closed piping system, the answer to slowing corrosion is relatively simple.  For a condenser water system, however, and depending upon the problem, far more difficulty exists.

How much of a corrosion problem can be remediated also depends upon the condition of the piping, and what our investigation has identified.  Condenser water systems having larger and heavier pipe can survive a much greater corrosion impact than smaller diameter dual temperature pipe where corrosion has deteriorated both inside and outside surfaces.  Various remediation measures we have recommended to clients have been:

• • • Water filtration
    • Insulation replacement and upgrade
    • Chemical cleaning
    • Critical review of the chemical treatment program
    • Rust reverting coatings
    • Hi-pressure water jet cleaning
    • System design review
    • Auxiliary drains for dry fire systems
    • Pipe coating
    • Emergency pipe repair
    • Kevlar external pipe wrap
    • Metallurgical testing & failure analysis
    • Remote internal video inspection
    • Microbiological testing

• Total Independence Assured

Our efforts to assist clients in addressing a corrosion issue does not in any way impact or influence our field testing, data analysis, or reporting.  In fact, we typically recommend that our clients submit our report, as well as any recommendations which may have been made, to their professional engineer for their independent critical review.  We do not supply such products or services ourselves nor act as intermediaries, but instead make the appropriate recommendations.  If we know a trusted source offering a solution to the problem, we will include product and contact information in the report for the client to pursue or not pursue at their own discretion.

© Copyright 2023 – William P. Duncan, CorrView International, LLC