Leaky Pipes & Dripping Taps

Posted on: 12 July 2017

Even galvanised steel or iron pipes can rust. Unfortunately, this process will happen from the inside out, making corrosion very hard to notice at a glance. In fact, a pipe may be blocked completely by the time any visible signs are evident on the outside.

This is a real issue since corroded pipes are far more likely to turn into burst pipes, resulting in potentially enormous water damage to your property. However, there are some common signs of corroded pipes that you can keep a watch out for, and here are just four.

1. Loss of Pressure

As corrosion starts to develop, your pipes will become thinner in the middle, with far less space for water to travel through. As a result, you might start to notice that your fixtures are losing pressure. The process will naturally be quite gradual, but you may eventually find that the jets of water from your shower don't seem as strong or that your drinking water seems to be coming out slowly. A loss of pressure could be caused by factors other than corroded pipes, but it's always an issue that demands the attention of a plumber.

2. Colour Changes

If your galvanised iron or steel pipes have become corroded, your water will eventually take on the brownish red colour of rust. Of course, this isn't going to happen overnight; at first, you may simply notice some very slight discoloration. It's normally easier to check when you've run a bath or a basin of water, and you'll probably notice the most dramatic changes right at the start of the day since water will have spent a long time waiting in your pipes.

3. Unpleasant Smells and Tastes

Drinking water from corroded pipes shouldn't actually do you any harm, but it isn't exactly pleasant. Rust and mineral deposits that build up within your pipes can water a metallic taste, and unpleasant odours may be released when your run the water. Again, this should be most noticeable first thing in the morning.

4. Noise from Your Pipes

Finally, corroded pipes often become quite vocal. This is another issue caused by the reduction of room inside them. Water will not be able to flow through as effectively, instead gurgling through the system at certain points as the amount of room inside different lengths of piping changes. Corroded pipes may even develop pinhole leaks, and the small amount of air that leaks into the system can make things a lot noisier.