Pin Holes on Copper Pipes

[PunaPuppyDog]

We have a house that is 22 years old and now is starting to get pin holes on the copper pipes for the domestic water inside the house. So far it is only on the horizontal runs and on the cold only. I wanted to start this post to see if any others are having the same issue and what owners are doing to rectify the problem.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

If it’s just a hole here and there, JB WaterWeld will seal it. I apply the WaterWeld putty all the way around the pipe (after sanding the corrosion off), then for good measure carefully tighten a stainless steel hose clamp around the putty and pipe. It provides a more long term repair.

If it’s a larger hole and leak, you can apply the putty, then a one inch section of garden hose (or similar) cut open the long way so it can be slipped over the copper pipe. Apply the putty around the pipe, carefully place the hose over the putty, and fasten in place with a hose clamp.

[Obie]

If you live near the ocean or on the rift zone, you need to replace your plumbing. If you have single wall construction, that is the reason .

[PaulW]

Happened to us too, had to replace it all with pvc.

[terracore]

When we bought our house 7 years ago and had an engineer inspect it he explained that the acidic rain would eventually cause pinholes in the copper pipes, which is one of the reasons why people put baking soda into their catchment water. They often go unnoticed because attics get so hot that the water evaporates as quickly as it comes out until the holes get large enough the leaking exceeds the evaporation. (We are on slab, of course not everybody has pipes in their attic, so YMMV). He also recommended replacing the pipes with plastic if we ever got holes because once we noticed leaks the problem was probably worse than what we saw. Maybe now that the vog is mostly gone, we will outlive our pipes.

If you're not on catchment your pinholes could be a different story.

[bystander]

You should use PEX pipe or CPVC and Sharkbite fittings to replace as much of the copper as you can.

[EightFingers]

What about painting the copper?
Where in the house are the pipes located?

Puna: Our roosters crow first

[Rob Tucker]

There are different grades of copper. Spec builders generally use the cheaper stuff. Thinner walls.

[EightFingers]

Oops. About painting, I didn’t think of the corrosion coming from within. The phrase “holes on the copper pipes made me think it was corrosion from the outside.
Rob is right, if you use copper go for type “L”. Type “M” is pretty thin.

Puna: Our roosters crow first

[wecelli]

5 years ago the copper pipes in our 25 year old house started getting pin hole leaks. A year later our living room, kitchen, and laundry room leaks had ruined a lot of the ceiling in the pipes path. $6000 later we have PVC through out the house and peace of mind. It sucks. I know what your dealing with.