Geberit make it right by preventing acceleration of carbon steel pipe corrosion

Geberit is taking steps to highlight and prevent the critical issue of accelerated corrosion of precision carbon steel pipes in new and refurbished water systems.

Despite the durability and suitability of precision carbon steel when handled, installed, operated and maintained correctly, some projects are still facing accelerated corrosion, because of bad practice during the planning, installation and maintenance stages.

Now Geberit has launched a campaign to educate specifiers, contractors and operators, courtesy of its publication ‘Make it Right’.

This free white paper highlights the issue and examines the causes of corrosion, offering six simple steps to prevent accelerated corrosion.

Antony Corbett, product manager of piping systems for Geberit, commented: “When the price of copper reached an all-time high in 2011, it signalled a shift within the industry towards precision carbon steel pipework.

“The benefits were clear to see; carbon steel is durable, proven over many years and more cost-effective than stainless steel and copper, at the time. It also offers the added labour time benefits of press-fit installation.

“However, precision carbon steel comes with its own considerations. It is only suitable for specific applications, namely in closed water systems – where dissolved oxygen levels should be lower than systems with open or vented tanks.

“It should not be installed outside buildings without adequate protection, in open systems or with excessive water treatment.

“The use of precision carbon steels grew fast, but the implications of how systems would behave where it was installed, along with other ‘value engineering’ practices, was perhaps not fully understood.

“After corrosion issues were identified on a number of high-profile projects, some specifiers lost confidence in carbon steel and switched to alternative materials, but this does not address the issue – it will simply move it elsewhere within the system.

“It needs to be realised that the materials are not the cause of failure, just simply an early evidence marker that something is awry.

“We’re working with specifiers, contractors and operators to highlight the benefits of precision carbon steel and to reinforce the fact that following a few simple rules through planning, transport, storage, installation, commissioning and maintenance can help to ensure a long system life.”

The white paper, Make it Right: Best practice guidelines to eliminate the corrosion of precision carbon steel, can be downloaded for free by clicking here 

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