What Causes Pinholes in PE Gas Pipe

Join us for a technical presentation which will address the causes of pinholes in PE gas pipe.
This presentation will cover:
• The researched physics behind pinhole creation
• Industry-sponsored research on pinholes in PE pipe
• Review of failure analysis of investigated pinhole incidents
• PHMSA's concern for pinholes in PE pipe from a distributor's perspective
• Successful mitigation strategies
Presented by Dirk Smith, President of Ionix Gas Technologies; the goal of the presentation is to help you better equip your organization to address this problem in field operations. This presentation will be useful to DIMP, construction, safety, training and compliance personnel.

[@mikeymasticator5948]

Thank you for this research because it's the most likely explanation for a repeating pinhole problem I've had to fix three times over ~20 years .. for a 1" PE water pipe in New Hampshire. The line comes from underground at the street valve sloping upward and comes out of the ground underneath a seasonal cottage's open crawl space. From there it slopes slightly downward all the way to the rear of the cottage ending at a shutoff valve and the water meter. Every year around October I shut off and drain the plumbing for the winter. I call the water dept to shut off the water in the street and take the meter. They leave the shut off open and the water in the downward sloping portion of the line drains out. In summary, there is an empty section of PE pipe just sitting on the ground all the winter. The first time the "fun" happened one Spring was when I called the water department to turn the water back on. They called me up to say they could not leave it on because there was a leak in the line under the cottage. Close visual inspection revealed nothing so I had to make an appointment for the water department to meet me and turn the water on in order to locate the leak. That was my first encounter with pin holes. Multiple pin holes all on one side within a ~2" length of the pipe spraying water, (70psi). Up until now I've been completely baffled at what has been causing this. Was it cracked from freezing? Was it bacteria? Miniature unicorns? Nothing made any sense! There were no leaks the prior Fall - and now there are a bunch of microscopic holes in the pipe the next Spring that I couldn't even see with a 10X loupe. Winter temperature can get down to -20F there so the air can get extremely dry but where is the charge of static electricity coming from? The only explanation I can think of is critter fur. When the cottage is unoccupied, an occasional rabbit, ground hog, etc. will go under the cottage for shelter from the weather. I would think it is possible that one snuggled up against the line and their fur rubbed it enough to produce a sufficient charge. The location of the leak is also where there is the tightest space between the ground and the cottage floor above, just after where it emerges from the ground - where such an animal would feel the most secure. I'll be looking for electrically conductive PE pipe for future repairs, something like this I suppose: www.simona.de/en/products/product/product/?func=product&product_code=010000381 Thanks again!