The submerge testing of various building services pipework materials has now come to an end after a 6-week experimental programme. The aim of the work was to investigate corrosion mechanisms in different pipework materials when exposed to various water scenarios.

All test pipes had been weighed prior to being submerged in specially prepared containers, designed to replicate a range of building services water conditions.  Once the 6 week test phase was completed, all the pipes were removed from their respective test container and cleansed.  They were then weighed to identify any weight loss due to corrosion.   The fluid from each container was filtered to capture any corrosion debris.  The captured debris as well as the ‘used’ water was then made ready for additional analysis.

Containers that were dosed with corrosion inhibitor appeared to result in bio film formation, it was thought that the inhibitor acted as an organic food source.  As well as microscopic analysis of the surfaces of the different pipe samples, one of our BISPA MSc students will also be running analysis on all the data collected in order to observe trends and draw conclusions.  The findings will contribute to the development of new BISPA guidance and CPD training modules, and enable BISPA to continue to support the building services industry.