Shortest life of pipe buried without protection you've seen

[mickeymouse]

I read all about this being very bad so I was shocked to see a professional plumber doing it, he said "doesn't matter, fuss about nothing". I didn't know one way or the other so nodded and filed it away to look into someday.

Anyways, I recently dug out some 30 year old pipes buried in cement and plaster, The plaster buried pipes were completely fine, the cement buried ones had made the wall lovely and green inside the chases but the walls of the pipes were still plenty thick...

Whats the shortest life span on a pipe buried without protection you've seen? Because if they are going to last over 30 years I'm inclined to think that first plumber was right but with so many people saying it's bad, I just don't believe it quite yet...

 

[Tibbot]

Are you planning to screed in un-protected pipes?

 

[dextrous]

Older pipes tended to have thicker walls anyway. For the sake of an extra 10mins wrapping some tape round it, better safe than sorry really.

 

[mickeymouse]

Am I planning to do it? I don't know, it depends. I think I'm going to re-bury the old ones where I've made my connections without hacking out all the run and adding a protection since they've survived this long just fine, around the joins I'll wrap denzo tape just because I don't really like putting them in the wall but I've seen pro plumbers do this too, without any denzo tape and not seem concerned about it.

Based on older pipes having thicker walls, probably won't be burying my new pipes like it, no.

How about using polyfilla or polyurethane expanding foam, would this react with the copper?

 

[Homesafe]

The ones you saw were probably old thicker skin copper pipes,

nowadays they are not so thick .

Pipes buried in cement or plaster can corrode severely sometimes due to some factor's like damp, or any moisture.

you can't take chances!

 

[mickeymouse]

You wouldn't believe the advice I get. Pro plumbers tell me to use lead solder (won't know unless they test it, your mains is lead, why would they test it) and bury the pipes (doesn't matter, fuss about nothing)

Pro electricians tell me it's just fine to tie up an electric shower with insulating tape (so long as you make the winds nice and thick, it's fine).

A pro carpenter told me it doesn't matter massive chunks (over half) of rafter are missing and I don't need to sister in new ones (ah there's not much weight on each of them anyway, if it isn't giving now it won't anytime soon).

So far have silently ignored this wisdom but it's a good laugh, I am the DIY and they are the pros!!! If I listen carefully at night, I can hear the sound of england at work and it sounds like YEEEHAAAAH! GIDDDY UP COWBOY!!! YEEEEHAHHHH!

I mean they are pro's so I'm still assuming they know what they are talking about, but I am cowardly doing it like the "book" says, if only so as I sleep easier.

Anyways, back on topic, what about polyfilla or the expanding foams? I'm thinkin it's something to do with the alkalis eating the copper and the foams probably not got any alkalis to mess with it in?

 

[ManxPlumber]

The only thing you can safely wrap around copper pipes without fear of oxidisation is - air!

...that means sleeving or dry foam insulation

 

[joinerjohn]

A mate of mine had a new central heating system installed about 4 yrs ago. Plumber ran CH pipes in a channel cut into his concrete floor and didn't protect them with anything. Last year he had to have them dug up and replaced as they had corroded to the point of leaking. So his only lasted 3 years max.
(Now run in plastic conduit in the floor)

 

[ManxPlumber]

I've worked in too many houses where the CH pipework was screeded in and leaking so bad that the walls were suffering from serious dampage

 

[mickeymouse]

Well done fellas you've kept me on the straight and narrow, that's more than enough to scare me sensible

 

[namsag]

Manx.
Hate to be pedantic but it is air that causes oxidisation on copper (well the oxygen in it).
OP to be honest it is amazing how little damage you find on unprotected pipework when you take it out, it tends to be the joints that goes and with iron it tends to rot just as it leaves the concrete.
Amazing how many people think push on felt lagging is enough protection.
Alone the lines of what you said expaning foam label should be checked as some are aggresive on copper

 

[OvertonPlumber]

10 years for ida amin copper. about 24 years for 10mm microbore