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If a home has no water in plumbing for over 4 yrs. can the pipes become corroded or damaged fittings?

I need to know if my home was damaged since the tenant never moved in and let the well pump break thus no water pressure to the house and water not running in the plumbing lines and drains for over 4 years. I was told that this situation can harm the plumbing. Is it possible?

Public Comments

  1. absolutely, there is no telling what has been in those pipes in 4 years
  2. yes corosion only occurs when ther is water and AIR
  3. i don't see how, because all of the remaining water in P-traps etc. would just evaporate so there wouldn't be any reason for corrosion, only thing i would check would be gaskets. but i don't know why they would be damaged either.. i think you'll be okay...good luck
  4. the main reason there would (and will) be damage is condensation inside the empty pipes especially if you are on a well and don't have any kind of back flow prevention in line. If however this system has some type of check valve (backflow preventer) the damage MAYbe minimal
  5. There are several things that may cause concern. 1. Is the plumbing done with metal (copper, galvanized, etc.)? damage may be from residual water that may have frozen. If it is metal and there was any water there it could have some corrosion but shouldn't be a problem if adequately flushed by running fresh water through the system for several hours. 2. If the plumbing is done with plastic the only damage may be from residual water that may have frozen. Again a good flushing of the system should prepare the system for daily use. I would suggest that you inquire from local plumbing contractor an estimate to pressure test the system and inspect for leaks. If there was NO water in the system it is not likely you will have any trouble. The plumbing contractor should remove any faucet screens as part of the flushing as residue may cause poor flow after the faucets are opened and subjected to daily use.
  6. if the pipes were drained, probably no problem. Not knowing where this is, no way to know if the pipes froze and broke. If they weren't drained, and this is a cold place, your pipes are destroyed. Four years and you never noticed the tenant wasn't living there?
  7. yes, it's possable
  8. de plumbing will have a prob if it wasn`t sealed properly n if der`re T n elbow joints dat`re made of irion especially....if its pvc,den all u need is a flush cleaning of the whole system!....n in de case of a water pump,its better to check it out if de valves`re workin properly n de footvalve etc are in proper shape....u mite burn de pump n circuit if turned on widout thorough checkin!
  9. yes.