The pipe runs under the house alongside a few others. A few months ago it developed a crack or something and started leaking. I cut out the bad part of the pipe (like 15 or so) and installed a new one with compression fittings. Now, 2-3 months later the same pipe is leaking like 2 feet from the old crack. And there are no joints or anything - seems like cracks develop in the pipe for some reason.I‘m afraid that if I fix this one, a new one might appear in some new spot. Could it be some defective pipe? Or is it touching something that makes it corrode or something?Please help.
The wall thickness of the copper, makes a big difference. Most residential applications, use type M copper. There are 4 types of copper pipe. Printed on the whole length of the pipe, are some markings, denoting manufacturer, date made, working pressure, and type of pipe. The color tells a plumber at a glance, what type copper pipe it is. Yellow lettering is for Drain,Waste,Vent. Red is for type M, used in residential piping. Blue is for type L, used in residential commercial piping. Green is for type K, the thickest wall, and the most expensive copper made. If the pipe was installed, without being reamed, turbulence inside the pipe can cause premature breakdown. All copper manufacturers require that the ends of the pipe be reamed to the full bore of the pipe. If you replace anymore pipe, save it. You can contact the coppper institute, and they can identify why your pipe is deteriorating. Good luck!
I'm guessing the pipe is aged. Over the years the pipe will thin out starting from the inside. More so if its a drain pipe due to the chemicals that have been washed through it over the years. You may need to cut out that whole section, replace with new.
it's possible electrolisis is affecting the metal ,you didn't say but i'm assuming the pipe is galvanized iron you may have to replace it with copper or cpvc(if allowed by codes) . you could also check for galvanic current with a meter to see if there may be a current leak from some source also if your house electric is grounded to your water pipes this may be the source you can change to a ground rod driven into the soil (usually about 6 to 8 ft deep and connect your ground system to that you also didn't mention the age of the plumbing it may just be rusting out from age, hope this helps
