It's a tiny problem that’s costing apartment owners thousands.
Pinhole leaks caused by galvanic corrosion are a frequent occurrence in copper and galvanized steel piping, forcing many Independent Rental Owners (IROs) to constantly repair these leaks or spend at least $1,500 to $2,000 per unit to re-plumb entire units.
IRO Frank Barefield was experiencing as many as 30 leaks per month at a community when he decided to seek a more cost-effective solution. Today he uses a powdered compound and system that has eliminated the need for re-plumbing, reducing the number of leaks—which occur more frequently as a building ages—to five to seven per month.
To use the product, known as Leak Guardian and manufactured by FLO-TEC, a storage tank must first be installed on the water line. A supply of powder that is shipped from the manufacturer is placed in the tank, where the powder is dissolved. A pump then injects the powder into the water line, coating the inside of the pipes as water passes through the line.
The product—a non-toxic, inorganic, crystalline chemical—creates a film in the pipe that isolates, suspends and inactivates most metallic ions in water and stops further eroding. The chemical is compounded from basic chemical materials that are safe under the provisions of Title 21, Section 182, Code of Federal Regulations, as well as approved under NSF/ANSI Standard 60 for drinking water.
Once in the pipes, the compound continues to control metallics in the water and eventually eliminates further corrosion.
After the initial water testing and equipment installation—which costs approximately $2,000 for a 45-gallon tank that serves 100 to 150 units—the manufacturer’s maintenance technician will check and refill the tank two to four times per month for $400 to $450 per month per tank. There must be a separate tank for each set of water lines served by a separate water meter.
Owners must monitor the tank at least once a week and recharge it with the prescribed amount of powder, says Barefield, President of Abbey Residential in Birmingham, Ala. Otherwise, if the tank runs dry, pinhole leaks will again appear.
Barefield says the plastic tanks should last indefinitely. The pumps inside the tanks can last can seven to 12 years or more.
Lauren Boston is NAA’s Staff Writer. She can be reached at 703/797-0678 or lauren@naahq.org.
This item was originally discussed during NAA’s regularly scheduled Independent Rental Owner “Problem Solving” conference call. The next call is 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. ET on Oct. 26. Contact NAA’s David Edwards at 703/797-0689 or davide@naahq.org for details.