Copper-Tube Corrosion in Domestic-Water Systems: Identifying and mitigating the seven forms of corrosion

摘要

To control the corrosion of copper tubes and fittings exposed to domestic waters, one first must understand its cause, as mitigation techniques are not universal. Through more than 1,500 investigations conducted over 25 years, the authors identified seven sources of copper-tube corrosion in domestic-water systems: (1) Soldering-flux-induced pitting attack. (2) Hydrogen-sulfide-induced pitting attack. (3) Erosion corrosion. (4) Cuprosolvency. (5) Concentration-cell corrosion. (6) Chemistry-related cold-water pitting. (7) Chemistry-related hot-water pitting. This article will describe each of these forms of corrosion and discuss methods of mitigating them.