Pipe Descaling
Due to their well-known durability and longevity, many multiple-occupancy buildings have water lines consisting of cast iron pipes. While cast iron pipes are beneficial because they are long-lasting, tuberculation issues can appear in older pipes.
As a property manager, you’re more likely to see restricted flow caused by tuberculation in your older cast iron pipes. You might think that replacing these pipes is your only option. It’s true that a new pipeline won’t be tuberculated. Over time, however, there is still the likelihood that your new pipes will run into the same issues as before.
An alternative solution to replacing your pipes is American Pipeline Solutions’ pipe descaling services. By using unique Picote technology, American Pipeline Solutions removes the scale from your pipes so they can function properly.
Keep reading to learn about pipe scale, when to descale your pipes and American Pipeline Solutions’ process for pipe descaling.
AMERICAN PIPELINE SOLUTIONS’ PIPE DESCALING PROCESS
American Pipeline Solutions’ pipe descaling process is an ideal alternative to replacing your tuberculated pipes.
To properly clean your pipes, APS first will perform a visual inspection to determine the pipe buildup level.
Next, APS will choose the most appropriate cleaning method for your unique situation. When cleaning underground utilities like fire lines, APS uses pigging, rotary head technology and Picote mechanical equipment.
Typically, pigging is not the first cleaning method that APS will use due to pipe buildup's toughness. This is because a foam pig is more likely to come apart rather than remove the tough buildup.
Instead, APS uses Picote mechanical equipment to apply a stronger force to a pipe’s scale buildup. This method can successfully remove scale buildup while using less water than pigging or rotary head technology.
Once APS has cleared your pipe of buildup, it is highly recommended that the next step you take is scale prevention. Without the right prevention, you’ll need to clean the scale buildup in your pipes every five years.
To prevent buildup, APS can add a thin epoxy coating to the interior of your pipeline. This scale prevention method also adds up to 30-50 years to your pipeline’s integrity. Plus, this epoxy coating is safe and approved for use by experts at NASA.
Once your pipeline is clean, coated with epoxy and has adequately dried, it is ready to be put back into service.
APS responded to a call for a failed fire flow test. The condominium complex had a heavy tuberculated pipe, and therefore not getting the pressure they needed for their fire suppression system. APS was able to clean the line with limited access and limited water service interruption. After the completion of the project, the flow rate increased by 290%! This is a great solution for pipes with low flow caused by heavy tuberculation.
WHAT IS PIPE DESCALING?
Pipe descaling is a process used to remove accumulated materials from a pipeline’s interior. This buildup is referred to as scaling or tuberculation.
Scaling occurs when hard deposits begin to form on the inside walls of a pipe. These hard deposits are the by-product of chemical reactions within metallic pipes, like cast iron or ductile iron.
Bacteria, which comes from water that goes through a pipe, reacts to the iron found in a pipe’s interior walls. The result of this reaction is scale buildup, which grows thicker over time. Eventually, this buildup disrupts the pipe’s flow. Thus, a common sign that your pipe may have scaling buildup is a restricted water flow.
WHAT TYPES OF PIPES NEED DESCALING?
Scale buildup is most commonly found in various types of metallic pipelines. This buildup tends to be more pronounced in cast iron pipes or ductile iron pipes.
Other types of pipes that can experience scale buildup include the following:
Unlined steel pipes
Copper pipes
Concrete pipes
Asbestos-cement pipes
WHEN DOES A PIPE NEED DESCALING?
A pipeline should be descaled when its restricted flow has impacted your operations.
One example of this is the impact of pipe scale on fire suppression systems. These systems are tested each year to ensure they meet the required standard gallons per minute.
Understandably, a fire suppression system with restricted water flow will not reach the standard and must be fixed. By descaling your pipes every five years, you can remove build up and improve the flow of water.
