I was down in the basement on Friday to check on something related to lawn tools, when I heard the sound like water running through pipes. I knew that no one else was in the house so it could not be a toilet refilling, nor the ice-maker refilling because it was constant. So I followed the sound and there it was, a spray shooting out of the main inlet piping.
The spray was just like a big pinhole squirting out. Luckly it was shooting straight down otherwise it would have sprayed into the furnace and electrical system. We lucked out on that one. It was also lucky that I found it when I did. I must have only been leaking for half an hour when I found it.
This is what you get when you use ferrous and non-ferrous materials in the same system. bimetalic corosion is the result and nearly always caused problems, damage or worse. What it looked like to me was that someone had a big'ol piece of galvanized pipe and instead of using a piece of copper, they bridged a four foot section between copper. Thus, the corosion did us in.
Since 99% of the population does not know about this problem, they allow this type of problem to happen. The previous owners either didn't know about the plumber using the materials, or the plumber was taking a shortcut and wanted a little job security. If the plumber did know what he was doing, they realized that in a couple of years, they would have to return to fix another problem wher the pipe corroded through. Thus, he knew that he would have another payday.
I do not have much faith in people, so I always expect the worst (like this). I expect the worst, so I prepare for the worst. That way I am able to just move on and get through the day.
