Have you ever encountered a faint yellow water flowing out of the faucet at home, or the hot water output is getting smaller and smaller, causing the water heater to often fail to light up and the shower to be hot and cold? In the greater Taipei area, many houses over 20 years old face this kind of water problem. In recent years, "water pipe cleaning" services have become popular, claiming to be able to remove rust, heavy metals and biofilm accumulated in pipe walls, making the tap water in your home clean again. However, this service has also been accompanied by a lot of controversy, and there have even been tragic incidents of wall leaks and water pipes bursting after homeowners finished washing. What is the scientific principle of cleaning water pipes? Is it really a savior for water quality in older homes, or is it an expensive marketing scam? This article will give you a complete breakdown.
First of all, please distinguish the difference between "washing pipes" and "water pipes"
Before looking for a professional, many homeowners often confuse these two concepts. "Water pipes" are targeted at "drainage pipes" (such as toilets, floor drains, and under kitchen sinks). They are used to solve blockages caused by food waste, hair or grease, using physical pipe strips or high-pressure water jets.
And "washing the water pipe" is to clean our "water supply pipe" (that is, the pipe that flows out of drinking water and bathing water). Because water supply pipes have been closed and under pressure for many years, scale, algae, and bacterial slime (biofilm) will gradually accumulate on the pipe walls. If iron pipes are used, rust will occur. The purpose of washing water pipes is to peel off and flush out the dirt attached to the walls of water supply pipes.
The scientific principle of high-frequency pulse cleaning of water pipes
The current mainstream professional water pipe cleaning technology does not use strong acids and alkalis to corrode dirt, but uses a construction method that combines "physical shock" and "weak acid softening":
Step 1: Inject food-grade citric acid. The master will first inject diluted food-grade citric acid water into the pipeline and let it sit for about 20 to 30 minutes. Citric acid is slightly acidic and can safely dissolve calcium carbonate scale on pipe walls and loosen stubborn rust structures.
The second step: high frequency pulse oscillation. Next, the master will connect a professional high-frequency microcomputer cleaning machine. This equipment uses an air compressor to pump air and water into the pipeline in an alternating manner, producing an instantaneous pressure difference and various physical effects (such as pulse reciprocation, backwashing, air-water separation, etc.). These shock waves will break up the rust, biofilm and sediment that have been softened by citric acid and be discharged from the body along with the water flow. At this point, you will see surprisingly dirty water coming out of your faucet that is brown (rust), green (patina/algae), or black (heavy metals in groundwater).
Breaking down the four core myths about water pipe cleaning
In order to avoid wasting money, homeowners must establish correct expectations before cleaning:
Myth 1: After washing the water pipes, the water output from the faucet will increase?
The answer is "not necessarily". If your water volume is reduced because there is sediment or moss blocking the end of the pipe, cleaning will indeed improve it significantly. However, if the galvanized iron pipes in the old house have been severely oxidized and "iron tumors" have formed, causing the diameter of the pipes to physically shrink, washing the pipes will not be able to dissolve the iron tumors. The only solution at this time is to re-stretch the pipes.
Myth 2: If the water quality deteriorates, cleaning the water pipes will fix it once and for all?
Dirty water pipes accumulate over time. Generally speaking, water pipe cleaning is a "regular maintenance", and the effect lasts about 1 to 3 years (depending on the quality of the tap water in the area and the cleanliness of the water tower in your home). In addition, if the building's common main water pipe or water tank is itself dirty, cleaning the branch pipes in the home will have very limited effect.
Myth 3: Washing water pipes is very safe and will never burst or leak?
This is the biggest risk of washing water pipes. If your home is older than 25 years and was originally made of galvanized iron pipes, the pipe walls may have become rusty and thin, sometimes relying only on rust and sediment to maintain a tiny balance. If the concussive force of high-frequency pulses is not properly controlled, it is very likely to break the fragile pipe wall, causing water leakage in the wall. Therefore, professional operators must conduct a "pressure leak test" before construction to confirm that the pipeline can withstand the pressure before starting work.
Myth 4: Does colored water coming out of water pipes mean the water is highly toxic?
Some marketing campaigns exaggerate the toxicity of colored wastewater to create panic. In fact, dirty water discharged from water pipes does contain bacteria and metal impurities and is not suitable for drinking. However, this is natural sediment accumulated over the years. Cleaning it out means that the pipes are clean, so there is no need to panic.
Reasonable market price of water pipes in Shuangbei and guide to avoiding pitfalls
In the greater Taipei area, the quotation of water pipes is usually based on the "number of kitchens and bathrooms" rather than the number of square meters:
Building/Luxury Building/Apartment (single-story layout): The price of one kitchen and one bathroom is about NT$ 3,200 to NT$ 4,000 Between; for each additional bathroom, the cost will increase by approximately NT$ 1,000 to NT$ 1,500.
Tootian House/Villa: Due to long pipelines and many floors, the price usually starts from NT$ 5,000 to NT$ 8,000.
[Reminder from the Consumer Protection Officer and Professional Plumbers]
1. : After turning off the water meter, a qualified plumber will use a pressure gauge to conduct "pipeline tight pressure measurement" for at least 10-15 minutes. If the value displayed on the pressure gauge continues to decline, it means that there is a slight leak in the pipeline. At this time, pulse cleaning must not be performed, otherwise the leakage point will be expanded.
2. : The pulse pressure during cleaning should be controlled below 2kg/cm² (approximately equivalent to normal tap water pressure). Only by using waveform vibration instead of high-pressure attack can the dirt be taken away without damaging the pipeline.
3. : If the business claims that it can be cleaned quickly and cheaply using strong acid, please reject it immediately. Strong acid will seriously corrode the joints between metal pipe fittings and PVC pipes, causing water leakage to occur within a few days of completion.
New knowledge on air-conditioning power consumption and Taiwan climate maintenance regulations in recent years (2025-2026 current situation)
With the high temperatures in summer breaking historical records and the adjustment of electricity price structure in recent years, the latest statistics from the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs show that air-conditioning equipment accounts for more than 47% of residential electricity consumption in summer. Many people mistakenly believe that if the air conditioner is not cold, they only need to "replenish the refrigerant." However, in fact, refrigerant is not naturally consumed during normal operation in a closed circuit. If the refrigerant is insufficient, it means that there are micro leaks in the copper pipes or joints. Simply replenishing the air conditioner will only treat the symptoms but not the root cause. Refrigerant leakage will aggravate the high temperature overload of the compressor and shorten its service life.
According to Taiwan's standard operating specifications for air-conditioning projects, it is recommended that professional technicians with a refrigeration and air-conditioning decoration technician license perform "full machine high-pressure water washing and evaporator deep sterilization" every 1 to 2 years for detached air-conditioning indoor units. Especially in the humid summer in the Shuangbei Basin, the air drum and water collection tray are easy to breed black mold and jelly-like biofilm. This is also the main reason for the sour smell in the air-conditioning outlet and the backflow of the drainage pipe. Regular maintenance can maintain CSPF (Air Conditioning Seasonal Performance Factor) level one energy efficiency level, which can save an average household 15% to 20% of air conditioning electricity bills every year.
Autonomous simple maintenance vs professional maintenance safety red line
- Homeowners can do by themselves: Remove and clean the nylon filter regularly every 2 to 3 weeks (rinse with clean water and dry in a cool place, do not expose it to the sun to avoid deformation and embrittlement); clean the air outlet blades of the indoor unit with a dry cloth; check whether there is any accumulation of debris within 50 cm around the outdoor unit that hinders heat dissipation.
- Professional technicians must be entrusted according to regulations: Refrigerant pressure testing and leakage repair welding, high-pressure cleaning of indoor unit air drums and aluminum fins with liquid chemicals, reset of the drainage slope of hidden cold water pipes in the ceiling, and 220V dedicated power circuit configuration and leakage circuit breaker replacement.
