Ask the Architect

Your pipes, and the weather

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Q. We often receive literature saying we need “exterior water service line coverage insurance.” Is this necessary?

A. Out of sight is out of mind, right? Depending on where you live, it may be necessary to repair piping sooner due to underground conditions we never get to see and inspect. With all the parts of our homes we do see, we tend to forget about things in the walls, floors and outside, but the exterior piping running from the main lines is subject to nature and the changes and intrusions it brings on. For example, if you have landscaping that includes willow trees or bamboo, the root systems aggressively seek water, and will break right into a water or waste line. Living near a saltwater environment, subject to tidal changes, means the piping is regularly surrounded by wetness and drying, which causes erosion of the pipes along the exterior surfaces.

Some water systems have higher mineral content, or additives that can eventually cause the inside surfaces of the piping to corrode or have buildup so restrictive that flow within the piping nearly stops. If the pipes are installed too close to the surface, freezing and thawing makes them shift, and joints may open and begin to seep. I’ve been seeing more exposed underground piping due to sink holes I’m investigating, and the old metal pipes, which can now be replaced with full-length synthetic piping, look like mummies from an archeological dig. What you should do is consider the age of the building and the original system as well, and as a rule of thumb, start to insure when the pipes are 50 to 60 years old. This is just a suggestion, if all other conditions don’t cause failure first. Pipelines in New York City lasted 100 years, but every month we hear about the big water main breaks. The small ones are a daily occurrence.

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