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Galavenised Pipe | Plumbing Fittings
Are you a plumber looking for galvanised pipe or threaded galvanised pipe? Instead of heading over to reece plumbing, tradelink or other plumbing supplies why not try something new this year?
Plumbersbest provide a large range of galvanised pipe, threaded fittings and plumbing supplies at great prices.
What is galvanised pipe?
Galvanised pipes are steel pipes that have been dipped in a protective zinc coating to prevent corrosion and rust. This sort of piping is more common in older homes. (PVC and Pex are the new kids on the block! More on this later). Galvanised pipes were invented as an alternative to lead pipe for water plumbing supply lines
How to check if you have galvanised pipes?
If you can't tell by looking at your pipes there is a quick test to check if you have galvanised pipes.
You will need a flat head screwdriver and a strong magnet. Scratch the outside of the pipe with the screwdriver. Below are a few common results you might encounter when you scratch the pipe.
If the scratched area of the pipe appears ivory or white in colour and the magnet does not stick to it you have PVC Pipes. Plumbersbest supplies large range of PVC pipes such as
- Copper Pipe
If the scratched area looks like copper and the magnet does not stick to it, you have copper pipe
Make sure you test your pipe in multiple areas. It is not uncommon to have more than one type of piping on your water line.
Why replace your galvanised pipes?
Gavalvnised pipes are not immune to wear and tear. The protective power of galvanised pipes lasts only as long as the zinc protective coating.
This protective zinc coating can wear out after decades of usage and exposure to water. This leaves the bare metal exposed and opening your pipes up to rust. And since most plumbing is either underground or inside your walls, it is almost impossible for you to detect any problems until your plumbing fixtures start pumping out brown, rusty water.
Other issues that might come arise are
- Low water pressure – due to water flow restriction in the pipe. Corrosion in galvanized pipes can cause low water pressure.
- Uneven distribution of water – Some of your faucets, taps or showers might have low pressure. But other faucets do not have low pressure. This could be a symptom of uneven corrosion build up in your pipes. There is a chance a part of your galvanized pipe plumbing supply could have been replaced.
- Water discolouration – brown water from your taps. Make sure you check your tap spindles and replace when necessary.
- Water leaks – Over decades of usage and water exposure, the pipes might rust through and start leaking causing further damange to the surrounding areas.
When this happens, there is no option to "re-galvanize" your pipes and you will need to replace your galvanised metal pipes.
On a side note, PVC pipe and PEX are the” new kids on the block” pipe solutions for plumbers todays. We will look at this in more details at a later stage.
Dear Plumber, what do you think about galvanised pipes?
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