You're Never Going to Believe The Stories Behind These Deteriorated Pipes

I never know pipes could look like THAT! What's crazy is that this pipe is only 8 years old and this leak could have easily been prevented. 

Now, think about how old your property & gas infrastructure is... do you think it's time to have your property's gas system assessed for issues?

In my weekly training class, we talked about how pipelines don't last forever. I was fully expecting to see pipelines that were damaged by backhoes, but instead were destroyed by mother nature. Time is not kind to buried pipes, that's for sure. 

#1 Corrosion by Adjacent Electrical Line in the Central Valley 

This gas line was destroyed by what we call AC induced corrosion. It was buried right next to an electrical line, and the electricity bounced back and forth between the two lines, creating little pits in the gas line. Well, after a while, those pits turned into little holes, and we all know what holes in a gas line create - dangerous gas leaks!

#2 Corrosion From Old Piping in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California

At a little league soccer game, parents started to smell gas, which led to a PG&E shutdown of the facility. MBS was called out and performed a gas leak detection survey, instantly detecting and pinpointing the location of the leak. The green coating tells us this pipe is likely from the 50/60's. With one little chip in the coasting, the soil and water ate away at the exposed metal, indicating atmospheric corrosion, which happens to all older, underground gas piping. 

#3 Corrosion Due to Improper Installation in the South Bay

Sometimes, even the newest gas systems can have issues, especially if an inexperienced contractor installs the piping. This is a prime example of what happened in this installation, the corrosion can be seen on what is called a Poly or MDPE (yellow gas piping) to steel transition. The contractor that installed this transition used a pipe wrench to tighten this transition, scarring the coating in place that protects the metal. This pipe was only 8 year old, and you can see the level of corrosion that occurred simply from an installation error. 

How does this happen?

• Old pipes weather and corrode from the elements over time
• Contractors take the cheap way out and use short cuts
• The use of wrong materials
• Poor, unqualified installers

It's scary how easy gas fires, or even GAS EXPLOSIONS, can start as a result of unkept or poorly installed gas systems. The result of a gas leak can be detrimental, don't ignore them!

MBS Engineering is here to help and provide experienced, utility certified quality serviced to not only diagnose, but also repair issues with outdated and aging gas infrastructure - keeping you, your facilities, and the number of people at your facility safe.