Plumbing is an integral part of modern structures. The challenge is that new water lines must be tested for leaks in the early stages of construction, putting them at risk for corrosion to develop in the remaining 18-24 months before the building may be finished. Scott Bryan, CWT, of Cortec® Corporation, recommends a simple solution to avoid the added expense and delays of cleaning away corrosion before commissioning: hydrotesting with VpCI®-649 HP. VpCI®-649 HP is a corrosion inhibiting hydrotest additive that is certified to meet ANSI/NSF Standard 61 for drinking water system components when used as a surface treatment at concentrations up to 3% and drained.
When added to the hydrotest water, it circulates throughout the piping, inhibiting corrosion during pressure testing and leaving behind a thin corrosion inhibiting film that protects for as long as 24 months. New buildings may include water lines for drinking and cooking, sanitation, fire sprinklers, and heating and cooling systems. Since these include ferrous and yellow metals, it is important to have a corrosion inhibitor for both. VpCI®-649 HP meets this require ment by protecting steel, copper, galvanized steel, and aluminum.
VpCI®-649 HP does not contain nitrite, phosphate, molybdenum, or chromate, but it does include a PTSA tracer that allows for con centration monitoring. Contractors already face too many delays in the construction process. By hydrotesting new water lines with VpCI®-649 HP at the beginning of the project, they can preempt the delay and cost of an extra cleaning to remove corrosion before the building can be commissioned.
