Of the various forms of corrosion common to any building property, external pipe corrosion caused by weathering and outdoor environmental conditions is the easiest to avoid.  For uninsulated steel pipe, corrosion is immediately apparent and can usually be stopped long before it develops into a larger problem.  Most such conditions are entirely due to a lack of maintenance over a very extended period of time.

Common problem areas are at pipe supports and hangers where water pools, and at the bottom flanges of vertical pipe sections where water will collect.  Insulated pipe will often conceal a problem, and allow a severe corrosion condition to develop hidden from view.  Ironically, insulating the pipe to protect it from external corrosion often produces the opposite effect.  An active 24 in. piping system operating 24/7 will never freeze under most winter conditions.  Once insulated, however, the threat is presumed to have been eliminated, when in fact insulating the pipe has only guaranteed a future problem.

Most outdoor insulation is inadequate for its purpose, too thin, and not waterproof at the seams.  Over time it is unavoidably trampled from maintenance activity and deteriorated due to the environment and the chemicals contained in the cooling tower overspray.  Most importantly, since the insulation is expected to provide all the corrosion protection necessary, the bare pipe is never painted – the most simple and cost-effective step that would save most systems.

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