HOW LONG UNTIL COPPER PIPES CORRODE All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[nicbradley]

Has anyone got any idea roughly how long copper pipes survive in concrete before they will corrode.We have been living in a house for five years and have just found out that the previous owner burried copper pipes in concrete in a new bathroom that was installed the year before we moved in .They are not protected as some of the pipework is not fully sunk into the concrete.We will be moving in the next couple of years.Should I redo all the pipework or will it hold out ?

[htg engineer]

Unprotected copper pipes laid in concrete will fail.

It's inpossible to give a timescale of when it would fail, it depends on the quality of the pipes and the mixture used for the concrete.

So - You know they're unprotected - so you either leave alone, risk failure and possibly a flooded house.

Or

You replace the pipes with coated pipe then you know the job has been done properly. Peace of mind.

[bjbiker]

They have lasted this long leave well alone!
Don't fix it till it's broke.
Bjbiker