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Causes of Sweating Pipes

Causes of Sweating Pipes

In London’s hot climate, it is common to discover that the pipes in your basement or your crawlspace areas are sweating. What are the causes of sweating pipes? Our plumber in London answers this question.

Can plumbers near me explain why are my plumbing pipes humid?

Pipes can get humid in London’s hot climate. That happens because the PEX tubing is made mainly from a plastic material and, at the same time, the manifold or main supply pipe to which the pipe is connected is made of copper.

The cold water which runs out of the pipe causes it to conduct the cold energy from the water to the pipe walls. The hotter the air temperature and air humidity run into the cold pipe walls through the convection process. As a result, condensation is starting to take place, sometimes in such large volumes that it can leave slicks on the floor or even a water trail.

Is my pipe sweating or leaking in London?

Sometimes, a sweating pipe can look like it is leaking.

In order to establish whether a pipe is humid or leaking, an emergencyplumber in London will test it with a humidity tester. In case the humidity levels of the room where the pipe is located are extremely high, it is likely that the pipe is just sweating.

To resolve this issue, our plumbers in London advise you to buy a dehumidifier and they will also cover the pipe with some foam pipe wrap.

The most recommended dehumidifier is a digital humidity gauge which should be placed in the room where the pipes are sweating. The humidity in the room should not be higher than 55%. Above this figure, there is a good environment for spiders, bugs and dust-mites which can invade the room. 

If the levels of humidity in the room are acceptable, it is most likely that the pipe is leaking. In this case, our local plumbers will attentively effectuate an examination of the pipes in the room and locate the source of the leak. Then, they will effectuate the necessary repairs.

If you have sweating cold water pipes, please get in touch with our plumbers in London to remediate this problem.