I’m thinking there’s something not right about this. The copper service line is directly in contact with the concrete slab. There should be some kind of sleeve around the pipe to protect it from movement of the slab right?
The house was built in 1974 so possibly practices have changed since then?
Was it leaking?
No I just thought it looked incorrect.
This is my own home. I just finished the plumbing course and was just looking at my own stuff first. Been here since 2005 and no leaks.
Would this be something I would call out normally though?
Up here, we’ve always sleeved copper that passed through concrete…per the AHJ.
Ok thanks Larry!
Same in my area. It will most likely reduce the lifespan of that copper, but how much is unknown. I see it occasionally and put it in my report. I also tell the client, it is more than likely that the seller is not going to correct it.
The sleeve may have been cut flush with the concrete. The sleeve could have been in the form of tape wrapped around the copper pipe prior to the concrete being poured. You have no way of verifying if the sleeve was installed without breaking up the concrete. So let’s think about this for a minute, it’s been installed since 1974 without issue……?
So… after almost 50 years, it DUE to rupture!! Nothing lasts forever!
I’m sure it will rupture any day now 
Maybe the OP can report in another 50 years.
I started plumbing 11 years after this pipe was installed. We wrapped the copper in duct tape about where the pipe interacted with the concrete. When I roughed in the house I took my torch and I burned that duct tape off the pipe so you had no way of seeing if it was protected from the concrete. I’m sure others know more than I do about this
I don’t know about what the"rules" were in 1974, but today most concrete contractors will wrap any plumbing with foam sill sealer to protect it whether it’s copper, PVC, black pipe, or PEX.
I guarantee you there are!
You may not have issue in SC with Thermal Expansion, but we sure as hell do in Minnesota!!
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/frost-lines-by-state
This is an excellent example of ignorance. Thinking wrapping a waterline with a sleeve is going to protect it from “thermal expansion”. What a simple thought.
Water lines installed in areas with known frost are installed below the known frost line. I installed hundreds in Chicago.
Sleeves are installed as a barrier between the concrete and copper. It’s there for a number of reasons but this thermal expansion crap in cold regions is not one of them. If it was a sleeve would not be required in warm regions yet it is.
You said the waterline is due to rupture soon due to lack of a sleeve. Is this how you report and could you post your source? Is this another plumbing guess?
Two major reasons to isolate a cold water copper pipe from concrete where it penetrates a concrete wall. One is “possible” corrosion. The second is expansion of concrete, if any. The former reason is the primary reason. Having said this, in this area, visually seeing a sleeve around a copper pipe is mostly in recent construction. In older homes one can see the pipe is just sealed with a cement from the inside and you cannot tell what, if anything, is sleeved/wrapped around it. Yes, eventually, all the old copper pipes from the 50-60s will start leaking and need to be replaced. However, nobody I know calls it out because it’s impossible to tell how much longer before the pipe starts leaking. Maybe when it becomes a major issue in, say, another 20-50 years from now, everyone will start calling them out just like we do lead and old brass piping.
Yup it’s not a problem in this case I was just curious if it was a common situation. Didn’t realize that sometimes the wrap was just tape which would explain why nothing was visible. Thanks for the insight.
Thanks Simon. That’s very helpful. I was curious how often I could expect to see the same thing.
Edward keep in mind that is type K copper coming through your floor. Type K copper has a 100 year life expectancy.
I agree with @jjonas Jeffery here. The likely lifespan of this pipe is reduced by the full embedment in concrete. That’s not a deal killer, but a consideration for the buyer.
Even if it’s the thicker type pipe, the sharp edges of the concrete against the soft copper, when combined with normal settling/shifting, can take out the pipe. It’s stuff like this that leads to homes being demolished after only 75-150 years, rather than lasting much longer.
This is where crawl space homes have a huge advantage: as systems wear out they can be replaced at reasonable cost. In older homes much, if not most, of the damage I see is the result of post-construction repair or replacement to systems.
Good to know thanks!
So something to mention on a report then. Even if not currently showing any damage/leaks.
I inspect in an area with termites.
What’s good about that pipe is its location where it’s inspectable for termite issues. If the same pipe came up inside a wall, you’d never see the termites until a lot of damage took place.
